The answer to Leeds United turning fallow period around and reminder of where Whites have come from - David Prutton

Leeds United are a team that desperately need their best players back.
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There are question marks about the depth of the squad starting to arise again, something that has already been spoken about when it came to the transfer window.

It’s a question of whether you stack your squad with two first-choice XIs and I think that is slightly untenable from a manager’s point of view.

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That’s never been the way that Marcelo Bielsa has worked either.

SORELY MISSED: Leeds United struggled in a big way in last weekend's defeat at Southampton for which star winger Raphinha, above, was not risked after jetting back from Brazil. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.SORELY MISSED: Leeds United struggled in a big way in last weekend's defeat at Southampton for which star winger Raphinha, above, was not risked after jetting back from Brazil. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.
SORELY MISSED: Leeds United struggled in a big way in last weekend's defeat at Southampton for which star winger Raphinha, above, was not risked after jetting back from Brazil. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.

Sometimes you can see a match and then the stats are thrown your way and you might think slightly differently about it.

But the Southampton game last weekend was a case of what you saw was what you got.

Marcelo has been very pensive, thoughtful and measured in talking about the game this week.

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He seems to take things like this quite personally and takes it on board as his responsibility as manager.

But there’s an awful lot of players that need to pull their fingers out.

The answer to it is getting that first-choice XI back together as soon as possible and in the interim, the players that are in that squad performing to a level that is acceptable for Leeds.

It’s a tough time undoubtedly but it wasn’t always going to be one continued upward trajectory, not under any manager.

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There were always going to be fallow periods and they are very much in one now.

Southampton needed to prove something last weekend and they did and today’s visitors Wolves had a wonderful last 10 minutes against Aston Villa last weekend so they will be on an absolute high.

It’s just going to be tough.

Sometimes when you have got players coming into the side when the other ones are out injured then some players fall into that category of plugging the gap whilst some come in and are fantastic.

It’s a bit of a mixture of both whilst you are also looking at the more experienced players to steady the ship and see them into calmer waters.

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Leeds have now had another week more for Raphinha to recover and it’s strange that they moved heaven and earth to get him to St Mary’s and then didn’t use him.

And it was a strange one taking Kalvin Phillips down too.

I understand Kalvin’s worth to the squad from a personality point of view but if you are not going to use him, what’s the point?

But hopefully the Southampton display is a Premier League kick up the backside.

Southampton played in a way that negated the way that Leeds play.

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They got outpressed and outran and quite simply beaten by a better side on the day and Leeds are now going to be playing a team that is bang in form in Wolves.

It’s a hell of a game.

We looked at the Watford game and said Leeds should get something from that and same again with Southampton.

But Leeds will always have a chance of winning any game they play in the Premier League because of the way they play – as they showed against some of the bigger boys last season.

That’s the mindset they have got to have but they are undoubtedly in a testing period. If you are Leeds fan you are hoping that this is going to be the making of this young squad.

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In the interest of balance and fair opinion, when Leeds have been great and wonderful they have been shouted from the rooftops.

When they are not so good, then that needs to be broken down and discussed. It’s not balloons and songs around Marcelo all the time.

Leeds have got a team built in the image of the manager which is hard working, honest and has been very reliable and has been successful.

But bad days in the office in the Premier League will get absolutely pulled apart to the absolute nth degree.

That is just the nature of it all.

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You want it to be considered, measured and appropriate but it’s far better than playing a football match that nobody gives two hoots about.

I can tell you that having been in different dressing rooms across different leagues the scrutiny is what makes you feel alive.

It means something to you and it means loads to an awful lot of other people, not just in Leeds and in Yorkshire but because of the size of the club, around the globe.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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