Every word from Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa's pre-Norwich City press conference on team teams, Stuart Dallas praise and Joe Gelhardt quandary
Leeds left it late to bag a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves in their most recent league assignment last Saturday as bottom of the table Norwich were thumped 7-0 at Chelsea the same afternoon.
The newly-promoted Canaries have amassed just two points from nine games played and sit five points and three places behind fourth-bottom Leeds.
Whites head coach Bielsa is speaking to the media at 9am and all of the latest news will follow live here.
Norwich City v Leeds United - Marcelo Bielsa pre-match press conference every word
Key Events
- Marcelo Bielsa facing the media at 9am today
- Sunday 2pm kick-off between Canaries and Whites at Carrow Road
On Norwich arriving on the back of a 7-0 defeat at Chelsea
“Teams, when they lose so heavily, they multiply the efforts so that a similar defeat doesn’t happen in their next game. But these evaluations are not necessarily because every game in itself is difficult due to everything that is in play and because our reality obliges us more than ever, independent of how the opponent feels. Any other team will require the same analysis because it is the Premier League and because of our reality at the moment.”
On Dallas - can playing on through grief make things worse and was giving him time off an option that you considered?
“When episodes of these types happen, the best interpreter of each person’s reality is that person themselves. We respect Dallas’ decision to want to participate, not only did we respect it but we gave it a lot of value and we acted in consequence.”
On the attack - how much of a factor has Bamford’s absence been in how effective it has been and what other factors have you considered in your analysis?
This is a question that to answer properly would need ten minutes. If you listen to my previous answers on the subject you will see all the arguments I have made. I always try to give conclusions upon reflection. We have clearly lowered the amount of dangerous chances that we have created. Of course, if Bamford was here his presence would be valued but the fact that we haven’t been creating as many chances is not linked solely to Bamford.”
On the injuries to Bamford and Ayling
“They can’t be calculated exactly, they are all subject to their evolution and they have a margin for their recovery that is very flexible and very big.”
On Harrison’s start to the season
“You ask me a question where you know that I can’t praise his performances up until now. But what is happening to Harrison is happening to all the players in our squad where they have better or worse moments and nobody is able to maintain a regular consistency in their performances, especially when they play in attack. Harrison is a player with a lot of resources to be able to play on both wings and we have enjoyed his contributions. Harrison will continue to shine or will shine again in proportion to the faculties that he has and it is my job to put him in situations in the game where he is able to shine and to make him feel as important as I feel that he is. Of course, any question that invites public criticism of my players I reject.”
On Norwich - what do you see in them? Have they been as poor as the results so far?
“I am not in the best position to evaluate the opponents. It is a team that you can divide in two parts so far in the competition. In the first half of their games, they are a team that wanted to protagonists and in the second half of their games they have tried to be solid defensively and that defeat to Chelsea was linked to the fact that they played a large amount of the game with a man down and sometimes the differences against the big teams, it is very difficult to shorten them for a lot of the other teams in the Premier League.”
On the under 23s players - do you do anything in particular with them to prepare them for Premier League games
We use all the resources that we use for a player that usually plays in the Premier League. It’s the same that we use for the development of the youngsters. The treatment that a player from the under 23s receives is the exactly the same as that as a first team player. I am referring to training, nutrition, control of their performances, theoretical preparation, evaluation of their physical performances, all of the evaluations and all of the things that we could do are identical.”
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