Marcelo Bielsa responds to criticism, launching fierce defence of Victor Orta, Leeds United's striker hunt, FFP position and Elland Road groundsman

Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t do boring press conferences on January 16.
Marcelo Bielsa had plenty to say in his press conference (Pic: Bruce Rollinson)Marcelo Bielsa had plenty to say in his press conference (Pic: Bruce Rollinson)
Marcelo Bielsa had plenty to say in his press conference (Pic: Bruce Rollinson)

A year to the day that Leeds United’s head coach gave a 70-minute presentation amid the Spygate furore, Bielsa launched a fierce defence of Victor Orta, the club’s efforts to sign a striker, their position on financial fair play and even the Elland Road groundsmen, whose work he defended, unprompted after the press conference had already finished once.

Bielsa was in spiky form and his 50-minute briefing gave an impression of a man with many things on his mind.

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It became quickly apparent that he has read or heard criticism levelled at his team in the wake of Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.

And he made it clear, he is not a man to be swayed by the very latest events in what is a long Championship season.

“What I cannot do is adapt myself to what happened in the last match,” he said.

“After the match of Arsenal, Leeds was a Premier League team and after the match against Sheffield Wednesday, we won one of the last six matches.

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“We are not a Premier League team and even if we won one of the last six, that doesn’t show the reality of the team.

“After having the best defence, now it looks like we are weak in defence.

“Or we think [Patrick] Bamford is a great goalscorer when he scored 10 times and when in some matches he doesn’t score we doubt him.”

Bielsa understands and accepts that people will have doubts, he doesn’t ignore it, opting to analyse criticism, looking for beneficial contributions.

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But there were notes of weariness in his lengthy discussion of how he treats such feedback.

“We try to analyse if the messages we receive are right or not.

“Everyone knows about our high points and our weak points.

“We analyse, we try to correct and adapt ourselves to the situation.

“What we have to do is describe how things are and accept that supporters and the press judge us how they think we have to be judged.

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“Every time the team doesn’t win, there is something around the club, some feeling, some doubt, a lack of confidence and we understand this, but we have to know if we deserve it.

“I am forced to analyse and to analyse you need arguments. We try to confirm what supporters and press say is true or not.

“It is very important to say this clearly.

“To the supporters, we are forced to give to them, not to demand something of them. We have to listen to them and not answer to them. We are grateful to the supporters, we consider them and of course we respect what they say.

“It is the same with the press but at another level. If what you say is real, of course it is a contribution for us.

“If it is not right or true, it is a mistake.”

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For a man who prefers to answer questions with brevity, Bielsa was having to do a lot of talking.

He brought up Arsenal’s treatment of Leeds over Eddie Nketiah’s situation, reiterating the disappointment he feels, given his belief that United stayed true to their word and didn’t make or break any promises over guaranteed playing time.

Bielsa unloaded his feelings on the criticism the club will receive if they don’t sign a player or get the wrong player.

He also explained in detail that he, more than anyone, knows what teenage striker Ryan Edmondson – yet to make a concerted first-team breakthrough – is or isn’t capable of, perhaps the time wasn’t right for a question about whether or not Bielsa is easy to work with, or if he demands the best from those around him, like Orta.

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The head coach, now animated, perceived an ulterior motive in this writer’s line of questioning and listed Orta’s successful signings before – ironically just hours before Derby County were charged by the EFL over excess financial losses – demanding recognition for Leeds’ adherence to profit and sustainability rules.

“The question you asked is not an innocent one.

“It has a second objective – players don’t arrive because I am very selective or very demanding, the opposite is players don’t arrive because Victor doesn’t give us options. One is guilty or the other one is guilty.

“You have a third option, the club doesn’t invest. You can take conclusions without asking me.

“This group of players that is second in the table, it is a result of the work of Victor so what we have to do is say the reality.

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“We should analyse the work of Victor, you have to analyse if he did good or bad contributions, analyse the club, the club’s efforts, always with the limits of the rules, I don’t want to put excuses, but another club doesn’t like this economic rule and they bring players and then do different things to avoid the punishment.

“Leeds accept the rules and fulfill the rules, and other teams don’t accept the rules and do whatever they want.

“For me, it doesn’t matter that other teams don’t accept the rules, it doesn’t worry me.

“I am not demanding to punish clubs that don’t accept the rules. What I am demanding is that you recognise the people who accept the rules.

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“It is easy to say that the club doesn’t invest, the director of football doesn’t do his work or that I am too demanding and I say again, three answers – it was Victor who built this team; secondly, I accept all the options he gave me and thirdly after last season, Leeds sold players by £30m and took off 30 players to adapt to [financial fair play].

“We are doing the best we can. We have a big, big hope that we are going to get what we are looking for.”

Enough said.