EFL club makes Marcelo Bielsa appeal to ball boys and girls to mirror Daniel Farke Leeds United

Ian Evatt, boss of Bolton Wanderers, is a huge fan of Bielsa and often spoke to his former Chesterfield team-mate Liam Cooper about the Argentine and a desire to watch him in work at Leeds' Thorp Arch training base.

Inspired by Bielsa's penchant for keeping a sky-high tempo and giving the opposition no rest, Evatt has now appealed to the youngsters manning the touchlines at the Touchsheet Comunity Stadium.

Speaking to The Bolton News after his side benefitted in goalscoring terms from the quick thinking and delivery of the ball when it went out of play against Burton Albion, Evatt said: "We have spoken about this, kindly asking the ball boys and girls to get the ball back to us as quickly as they can because all it can do is negate the ‘dark arts’ and tactics of some of the opposition who try to slow things down.

"When it is in our control then the faster we can get the ball back in play the better for us. It is something we have worked on and talked about, and we play a game in training, a Marcelo Bielsa game called Murderball, and it’s basically what we want to try and recreate on the pitch, where the ball is constantly in play and we’re testing and challenging the opposition and don’t give them any rest."

Evatt's appeal mirrors Daniel Farke's approach at Elland Road. Farke admitted on Friday night after the win over Sheffield United that his suggestion to the ball boys and girls was to help keep the tempo up. That was why the pitch was so heavily watered, despite the contant rainfall, on Friday.

"Taking care for every percent is important," he said. "It's crucial that you try everything that is in your control, to prepare in the best possible way, and also not to overlook one or two per cent. For example, we face quite often opponents who are sitting deep and where it's important to hold the speed of the game high. And obviously, then also a wet pitch always helps. Or, for example, also with the ball boys, it's important that they're not sleepy. I try, in a gentle way of course, to explain why it is important that they try to hold the speed of the game high. Perhaps not when we're 1-0 up in the 94th minute, then you can be also be a bit relaxed, but in general for us it's important to hold the speed. Our approach will always be that we try to hold the tempo that high that the opponent at some point cracks at any point under pressure."