Leeds United v Wolves - Marcelo Bielsa press conference, every word, team news and 12-minute answer on difficult week for Whites

There are a lot of arguments. The arguments I have been talking about have been in the measure of the problems that have been occuring. But I always try to listen to the principal reasons of why this is happening. I have desire to be wrong or proved wrong in my diagnostic because if I find out that I am wrong I have the option to correct and to learn from the error. So the principal arguments are that the squad is too small. I already gave the response in the previous question and also that there are not alternative plans in the way of playing. I think the way of playing is generic and it is very difficult to imagine the game in a different type of way. We try to have the ball more than the opponent. We try to take the ball from our half to the opponents’ half without putting the ball too much at risk and try that the possession in the opponents’ half generates danger. So that is part of all models. What can change is whether you are the protagonist or you speculate. I always try to choose to be the protagonist and not to speculate. I don’t know if it makes sense to continue answering because I can continue giving you arguments for ten minutes more and I would be repeating things I have already said. But you asked me a question that I have been answering periodically so to the same question I can’t invent different answers and I feel bad answering the same thing that you have had previously. Of course I don’t ignore that the last game wasn’t just another game. It was a game in which we were very far from playing how we try to play and the goal was produced from a counter attack which is also one of the other criticisms the team receives. If you evaluate this last goal, I would be totally in agreement that in this action that unbalanced the game, we had equal numbers defensively to take advantage of a counter attack and as I am the main person who wants to know what our errors are, every chance that we suffered, if we go we suffer, I interpret it, I classify it, I position it with regards to the different ways of proceeding danger, long distance shots, set pieces, chances coming from throw ins and in our own half, chances where the play is built and also counter attacks. With all the chances that we concede, the lowest percentage is from counter attacks. So of course all these types of things, what sense does it make for me to argue about it but I don’t find any other way of answering your question without going in deep into this subject in football.”

I think about it. But you guys are in conditions to verify it, without needing my opinion. Last season, Leeds was the team who used the least amount of players, they were the team who changed the least amount of players to form their starting XI and they were the team who ran the most in all the values that are evaluated and we suffered a lot of injuries and sometimes simultaneously and in the same position so it doesn't matter my opinion because my opinion can be mistaken but there is an evidence that allows you not to make a bad or wrong conclusions

Firpo is evolving quickly and well, I couldn't tell you exactly how long he has left but the next two games no. But from Norwich onwards he has chances of being back in the team

Ayling and Bamford are not going to be here for the next two games. Raphinha is back but has acclimatised back to his return to England. And Koch still has at least one month to go.

Kalvin is healthy. But he hasn't competed for three weeks. If he played on Saturday it would be far too quick. After three weeks out it is necessary for some more football training and in this stage he has done training sessions for recovery and physical preparation and progressive work with the ball and I think that to think of him for Saturday would be to bring him back too soon before he is back at his complete best.

“English football is normally characterised by accepting or waiting with the long processes. Since I have been here, there have been solid cases, for example the one of Norwich. That characteristic is perhaps not as stable as it used to be. With respect to the psychological health, whenever that type of help is needed, it is natural to look for the specialists. There are those who need it or who think they need it and there are those who don’t need it or think that they don’t need it. And as that resource can then be forced on someone, only suggested and accepted, it depends on each person.”

Marcelo takes his seat

The media are gathered via Zoom waiting for Marcelo

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa will be speaking to the media at 1pm today and the various injury updates are clearly top of the agenda. Stay tuned here for all the very latest from 1pm.