Leeds United v Millwall: Marcelo Bielsa positive about promotion prospects but home comforts are key

MARCELO BIELSA remains positive about Leeds United's automatic promotion prospects but admits of Saturday's Elland Road showdown with Millwall: "We have to change the reality of losing at home.”
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa's Whites will return to Championship action with Saturday's clash against the Lions with United's automatic promotion destiny now out of their own hands following the 1-0 loss at home to Sheffield United before the international break.

That result dropped Leeds down to third and one point behind the Blades and now five points behind leaders Norwich City with eight games remaining.

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The second-placed Blades host ninth-placed Bristol City on Saturday while leaders Norwich visit fifth-placed Middlesbrough in the tea-time kick-off.

The prospect of still having another 24 points to play for is keeping Bielsa in a positive frame of mind, with the Whites head coach taking heart from the first 35 minutes against the Blades which the Argentinian felt was "maybe the best minutes from the team this year."

Yet Bielsa admits his Whites are now ultimately left feeling the effects of two important home losses following also the recent defeat against Norwich with Bielsa stressing the importance of restoring fortress Elland Road against the Lions.

"Another thing we have to solve versus Millwall is the effect of the last loss," said Bielsa.

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"We lost playing here at home against the two teams in front of us in the table. It’s something very important.

"We have to change the reality of losing at home."

Assessing if the psychological advantage was now with Sheffield United, Bielsa reasoned: "Always I feel uncomfortable when he has to evaluate the other teams.

"I am making this analysis, but I don’t want to take merit away from the performance of the other team that won the last game. At the end, they came to Elland Road and won in an important game.

"It’s difficult to think that after their win it can be a situation that they feel a disadvantage.

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"The thing which creates an optimistic feeling for me is every game we have to leave forgetting the next games we are going to play.

"Before any game we have to ask if we are in good conditions to win the game, then you find this answer while watching what the team is able to do.

"The last message was a positive one from the team.

"Maybe the first 35 minutes against Sheff United were the best minutes from the team this year, considering what we produced and considering the quality and the defence of the opponent team.

"It’s impossible not to feel disappointed about a game like that one.

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"The thing you can criticise is if player maybe don't feel this disappointed feeling.

"Knowing we have 24 points more to play for is positive. So we didn’t lose any of our optimism or the positive feelings that we have. Our obligation is to play well to win the games.

"And try to do the things we can control in football and make sure things don't go against us. We know that there are some things in football that we cannot control.

"That's why football is the best sport in the world. Because before the games you can have one feeling but after the games the feeling is different with the result from the one you had before the games."

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United's visitors Millwall are fifth bottom and just one point above the dropzone.

Bielsa warned: "Millwall are a team who are difficult to face. They have a very clear style. They came from two important games. It’s going to be a hard game, they will use counter-attacks and they are efficient in defence."