Issues at both ends but perspective needed with Marcelo Bielsa's newly-promoted Whites - Leeds United Talking Points

YOU knew what was coming as Leeds United kicked off their long-awaited Premier League return at Manchester United.
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Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa said Leeds would be sticking to their footballing principles, even in spite of the home side’s obvious threat and pace on the counter-attack.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, take your pick.

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Bielsa was not in any way oblivious to or dismissive of the dangers within the Manchester United line-up.

CLASSY: Stuart Dallas fires home a fine strike to net Leeds United's second goal in Sunday's clash at Manchester United but issues at both ends of the pitch cost the Whites any chance of a result. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.CLASSY: Stuart Dallas fires home a fine strike to net Leeds United's second goal in Sunday's clash at Manchester United but issues at both ends of the pitch cost the Whites any chance of a result. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.
CLASSY: Stuart Dallas fires home a fine strike to net Leeds United's second goal in Sunday's clash at Manchester United but issues at both ends of the pitch cost the Whites any chance of a result. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.

There was, said Bielsa, a way to avoid the Red Devils’ counter-attacking threat - if his side stayed in their own half.

This, though, is Bielsa, and that was never going to happen. If it did, said Bielsa, there would basically be no game.

Instead, as Leeds attempted to go for the jugular, the Whites played their part in an eight-goal thriller, though one in which they left with nothing.

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Yet Bielsa insisted that Sunday’s 6-2 loss had not caused him to think about his side’s approach to games and, again, the focus instead will be on executing plan A better.

Therein, the Roses clash again highlighted the obvious usual concerns at the opposite ends of the pitch in squandering too many chances whilst being far too pregnable in defence.

Any side that concedes six naturally needs to have a deep look at the defence and the Whites have now conceded 30 goals from 14 games.

No other side in the division has conceded more.

Bielsa is not being helped by having both Diego Llorente and Robin Koch out injured and, given the way that Leeds set out, Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford was always going to provide the sternest test of their defence.

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It was one that Leeds failed, though even after a 6-2 defeat, Bielsa said himself that the loss would not change anything in terms of his side’s style.

“We will correct what was bad and try to keep the good things but we will not abandon the way we play,” said United’s head coach.

What was particularly bad was the amount of space the Red Devils were afforded on the counter as Leeds poured forward and Bielsa looked to change things in midfield at the half-time interval with Leeds 4-1 down.

Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich were taken off for Pascal Struijk and Jamie Shackleton but the pattern of the game continued.

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But, if Leeds are going to continue with the same style, then the Whites must find ways of also being harder to break down though not at the expense of creating fewer chances - the frequency of which remains a joy to behold but the conversion of which has often been a concern.

Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford featured a staggering 43 attempts at goal, 26 of which belonged to the hosts.

Fourteen of those were on target with six hitting the back of the net. But for some superb late goalkeeping from Illan Meslier, the hosts would probably have been in double figures.

Yet it should not be forgotten that Leeds also had 17 attempts at goal yet only three of them were on target and another big part of making plan A better will entail becoming more clinical at hitting the back of the net.

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In scoring six, the Red Devils put around a quarter of their attempts at goal in the net whereas the Leeds conversion rate was more like one-eighth.

The Whites had the chances to take something from the game, though not when combined with the defending at the other end.

As well as the Leeds defensive issues, the Red Devils were clinical and Leeds weren’t, not that there is any disgrace in that against a side who now find themselves third and are suddenly becoming more prominent when it comes to discussing potential title contenders.

It should not be forgotten that, contrastingly, Leeds are in their first season back and are ultimately still finding their feet back amongst the country's elite.

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Leeds sit 14th and seven points clear of the dropzone and what matters most is that the Elland Road outfit stay in the division.

That should not be a problem, and their football is clearly brilliant to watch.

Nor will it be changing.

Tackling the usual issues, though, will be key as to measuring the full extent of its effectiveness in the club’s first season back.

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Thank you Laura Collins