Marcelo Bielsa proved right, centre-back concerns and first impressions of Raphinha - Leeds United Talking Points

A costly dip in efficiency

Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa said after United's opening games against Liverpool and Fulham that Leeds would not realistically be able to maintain such high goalscoring efficiency levels.

“This won't be a constant all year. It is very difficult to maintain the efficiency (in front of goal) we have had in these first two games.”

Not that you ever doubted him but once again Bielsa was right and as such, the head coach always knew that shoring up United's defence would be crucial after conceding seven goals in their opening two games.

Having kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United and then leaking just one goal in the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City, Leeds were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet against Wolves with Raul Jimenez's strike only beating Illan Meslier after an enormous deflection off Kalvin Phillips.

But really United had the chances to have still won the game even allowing for that misfortune with the Whites having nine attempts at goal during a dominant first half compared to Wolves' two.

No individual was particularly more guilty of missing chances than any another with probably the best opportunities falling to Helder Costa and Rodrigo who were both very good in the first half.

But the failure to convert at least one of the opportunities created in not just the first half but the second period too ultimately cost Leeds dear in a game in which they deserved to at least draw though it has to be said Wolves were well on top for most of the second period in a real game of two halves.

Centre-back concerns

Leeds already knew they would be without Diego Llorente for Monday night's encounter and Bielsa admitted in his pre-match press conference that skipper Liam Cooper was also at risk of missing the game with the defensive duo both carrying groin knocks picked up on international duty.

It was therefore a bit of a surprise to see Cooper in the starting XI but even then it proved a false down with the skipper clearly struggling in the warm up and forced to pull out of the match day squad altogether.

That meant a late call for Pascal Struijk to line-up alongside the continually impressing Robin Koch as United fielded the same centre-back pairing that started the season opener at Anfield and the duo performed extremely well.

But it all went a bit wrong for Struijk in the 70th minute when his slip led to Jimenez's albeit very lucky goal and Struijk also appeared to pick up a knock.

The young defender was then taken off for Pablo Hernandez as Kalvin Phillips shifted back into defence and the worry now is that there are fitness question marks over not two but three centre-backs in Cooper, Llorente and Struijk ahead of Friday's clash at Aston Villa.

Even though Phillips moved to centre-back, Luke Ayling would likely be the next port of call with Phillips surely needed in the holding midfield role.

Koch, meanwhile, is already looking like a very good defender and a bit of a snip at around £12m.

Raphinha's debut

Bielsa revealed in his pre-match press conference that United's final recruit of the summer Raphinha had settled quickly into his new surroundings and demands with the head coach describing the Brazilian winger's adaptation process as instant.

It was therefore no surprise to see Raphinha immediately take his place on the bench, or to see the 23-year-old winger brought on as United's final sub with the Whites 1-0 down.

Raphinha had only eight minutes to make an impression but he certainly made one and created a decent chance for fellow substitute Ian Poveda within seconds of coming on.

Raphinha looked quick, skillful and definitely ready for the Premier League and with his fitness seemingly not an issue it is already debatable about who should now start out wide with Costa very good in the first half but so much in the second and Jack Harrison playing the full 90 minutes on the opposite flank.

Bielsa said last week that Raphinha could play on either wing and that eventually he hoped he would be an option for the no 10 role too - a position record signing Rodrigo filled against Wolves to much success in the first half but not as much in the second.

Top-half

Monday night's defeat was obviously disappointing, more so because United could really have been out of sight by half-time.

Victory would have taken Marcelo Bielsa's Whites third - above Liverpool - and set up the prospect of going level on points with leaders Everton if winning Friday night's clash at second-placed Aston Villa.

But despite United having made a very impressive start to life back in the Premier League, the primary objective first and foremost has always been to consolidate top-flight status in United's first season back.

Leeds clearly look capable of achieving more than the initial goal but in a very strange and seemingly wide-open Premier League in even stranger times, Leeds sit tenth after five games played as one of seven teams on seven points.

Bottom three Burnley, Fulham and Sheffield United have just one point apiece whilst fourth-bottom West Brom have just two and United just need to ensure they keep ticking along and recording a healthy enough return of three-point hauls whilst also naturally learning, developing and progressing as each game passes.

Even after Monday's defeat, the Whites are still only two points off third and three adrift of sixth spot - now occupied by Wolves who will probably go reasonably close to a Champions League spot with Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Romain Saiss looking particularly good against Leeds and with Conor Coady fast becoming one of the best centre-backs in the division next to a very promising Max Kilman.

Quite where Friday night's hosts Villa will finish is impossible to predict with Dean Smith's side staying up by a point last season yet now having won four out of four and conceding only two goals.

Jack Grealish versus Phillips should be some battle and the contest as a whole should be another one to savour and you can only imagine just what the atmosphere would have been like inside a packed Villa Park for a Friday night live.

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Thank you Laura Collins