Hull City v Leeds United: Bielsa unsure what to expect from Tigers

LEEDS UNITED head coach Marcelo Bielsa is unsure of what to expect from tonight's Championship hosts Hull City, declaring: 'they can play like Middlesbrough or they can play like Derby County.'
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa’s Whites have faced teams of differing styles in the Argentinian’s first ten Championship games in charge with Bielsa able to predict the varying threats posed by clashes against the likes of Millwall, Middlesbrough and Derby County.

But United’s head coach admitted there was a huge air of uncertainty as to what expect from Tuesday night’s hosts Hull who sit fourth-bottom but held highflying Middlesbrough to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

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Hull have won only twice all season with those victories coming through a 2-0 success at home to third-bottom Ipswich Town and a 3-2 verdict at 18th-placed Rotherham United.

Asked what he was expecting to come up against at the KCOM, Bielsa admitted: “I couldn’t really tell you. For some teams it’s obvious, like Middlesbrough or Millwall.

“Against Hull, they can play like Middlesbrough, they can play like Derby County or maybe it will be a mix of both styles.

“This is what you say when you don’t know the answer!”

Bielsa also said it made no difference that Hull were languishing down in 21st place with the head coach highlighting the fact that United’s sole league defeat so far this season came against a Birmingham side at the wrong end of the table in 16th and still with only one win to their name.

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Garry Monk’s men chalked up their first Championship victory of the campaign with last month’s 2-1 win at Elland Road but failed to back that success up with another win as they were held to a 2-2 draw by visiting Ipswich Town on Saturday. Ipswich are the only team in the division without a win.

Bielsa reasoned: “The difference between the leading teams and the other teams, you don’t see that difference when they play one against each other. We all know that games that we are going to play will be more difficult than the table indicates.

“We lost a game against a team that was not in the upper part of the table.”