Marcelo Bielsa highlights threat of Tyler Roberts and explains 'extreme decision' for Izzy Brown's late Leeds United debut

LONG AWAITED: Izzy Brown is finally handed his chance as an 81st-minute substitute for his Leeds United debut in Tuesday night's 1-0 loss at Queens Park Rangers. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

The Whites head coach has also praised the performances of no 10 Tyler Roberts who the Argentinian said was the player to take the Whites "closer to the goal."

Third-placed Leeds blew their opportunity to move top of the Championship with Tuesday night's 1-0 loss in their game in hand at Steve McClaren's Rs who had lost their last seven league games.

Luke Freeman's clever strike four minutes after the break proved the only goal of the game with Bielsa then bringing on Barry Douglas for Kalvin Phillips five minutes after the hour before Stuart Dallas was then introduced for Luke Ayling with 17 minutes to go.

Following a 13-month absence through an ACL injury, attacking midfielder and Chelsea loanee Brown was then finally handed his Leeds debut when brought on for Gjanni Alioski as Bielsa's final change with nine minutes left.

But Bielsa insisted the pattern of the game left him sure that he was right to only introduce Brown with just nine minutes to go.

The head coach also said he was surprised at suggestions Brown should have been brought on with more of the contest remaining.

Asked if he should have brought Brown on sooner, Bielsa said: "No.

"In this kind of game, it was hard for Izzy Brown to play well.

"With short spaces, he couldn't combine and use the association play and the minutes he played showed clearly that this kind of game was not for his features.

"Of course, I am not saying he is responsible for it but I am surprised you are asking me this question because Tyler Roberts and Pablo Hernandez were leading the team after the first minutes of the second half and the decision to put Izzy Brown in was an extreme decision to try to change the result.

"But I don't think I should have put him on before.

"I did the change to try to make something different but I think he had few possibilities to change and develop the game.

"If you look at the game, the player who took us closer to the goal was Tyler Roberts and he has completely different features to Izzy Brown."

Brown was booked four minutes after coming on and the 22-year-old had just one touch of the ball, fouling twice.