Marcelo Bielsa issues Sheffield Wednesday warning ahead of Leeds United's visit to Hillsborough

HEAD coach Marcelo Bielsa has warned that Leeds United will face an improved Shefield Wednesday side in Saturday’s Yorkshire derby and an outfit who can force mistakes under former Whites boss Garry Monk.
WARNING: From Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images.WARNING: From Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images.
WARNING: From Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images.

United and Wednesday will lock horns at Hillsborough for a lunchtime showdown with just one point separating the second-placed Whites and third-placed Owls who are already four points better off than at this stage last term.

Wednesday’s 2018-19 ultimately ended with the Hillsborough outfit finishing 10 points off the play-offs in 12th but the Owls have made an impressive start to the new campaign under former Whites head coach Monk who replaced Steve Bruce in September as Bruce departed for Newcastle United.

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Monk’s newly-inherited side have since suffered only one defeat through a 1-0 setback at Hull City and Bielsa is expecting a different beast to the one Leeds tackled twice last term in September’s 1-1 draw at Hillsborough and April’s 1-0 triumph for the Whites at Elland Road.

“It’s a team that has improved,” said Bielsa. “As I always say, all the matches are difficult for everybody.

"When the teams that are in the bottom of the table play us they want to make sure they are not there in match 46 of the Championship, and the players who are in the top of the table, they don’t want to lose this position.

“So even if you play with one of the teams at the top of the table or the bottom of the table, you play almost in similar conditions.”

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Reflecting on what way the Owls have improved, Bielsa said: “You can realise one style. They are following full results, the team have the feature of the coach, of the manager.

"They are not easy to play against. They force the opponent to make a mistake. They take decisions to avoid making mistakes. And when the team responds to the manager’s order and style, that means something, that they have improved.

“And also they are a team that have more than one player per position.

“They have a substitutes in midfield, substitutes in the wingers position and also at full-back and centre forward as well.

“Maybe they have a lack of centre-backs but the centre backs that are playing are efficient.”