"They've paid the price now" - Gus Poyet heaps praise on Leeds United and hails Marcelo Bielsa's Aston Villa decision

Former Leeds United assistant manager Gus Poyet says the Whites "deserve" Premier League football and hailed Marcelo Bielsa's decision to allow Aston Villa a walk in goal.
Former Leeds United assistant manager Gus Poyet.Former Leeds United assistant manager Gus Poyet.
Former Leeds United assistant manager Gus Poyet.

United once again dominated headlines over the weekend following Mateusz Klich's controversial opener in the 72nd minute against Dean Smith's side at Elland Road.

The Pole continued playing on after the visitors seemingly stopped due to an injury to Jonathan Kodjia in the centre circle.

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Klich found the back of the net with a neat finish after a pass from Tyler Roberts in the resulting attack which sparked ugly scenes between the two teams as a melee ensued.

Anwar El Ghazi was sent off with Patrick Bamford and Conor Hourihane both receiving yellow cards in the aftermath.

The 23-year-old winger saw his red card rescinded upon appeal and United striker Bamford has now himself been charged with 'deception of a match official' by the Football Association following his role in the dismissal.

Bielsa responded by allowing Villa to score unopposed in the 1-1 draw and the decision split opinion with many believing that Leeds did nothing wrong after referee Stuart Attwell waved play forward.

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Poyet, a former employee in West Yorkshire, revealed his belief that the decision by the Argentine was the right thing to do for the game.

"It was good for football," Poyet told talkSPORT.

"It's difficult nowadays. Marcelo Bielsa is trying to adapt to something he's never seen before in English football.

"Because he came here thinking it's football. It's the same planet. I'm going to do my bit. Spy and whatever is needed to do to win a football game.

"The problem is that they slow down. If you don't and you play on and everybody's playing on because the rules are play to the whistle.

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"It's not a head injury so you can play. They changed the rule for this reason.

"The problem is that, I don't remember who it was on the left, he slows down and looks like he saying, 'yeah, I'm going to kick it out' and then everybody stops.

"Bang. Play. The other one (Klich) forgets it. But I think it was good for football and it was especially good for Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa."

Asked about his time at the club, he said: "I worked there for a year.

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"I see things that are incredible. They deserve to be in the Premier League.

"You don't imagine how much I enjoy working there.

"You don't imagine when we started the season in League One with minus 15 points and we went first game of the season to Tranmere and we took like 10,000 people. In League One away from home!

"Then we went to Forest and we fill the back of the goal. It was a really special time.

"It's a great place and okay, for some decisions they made financially 10 or 15 years ago but they've paid the price now. It's time for them to go back."