Why Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa cannot simply 'go again' after Manchester City drubbing as Arsenal clash looms

Marcelo Bielsa, no doubt buoyed by what he saw for the majority of the Stamford Bridge fixture, has had a full week to work with his players on the training ground and attempt to iron out the wrinkles.

There was some really nice stuff from Leeds, football reminiscent of the team who won promotion to the Premier League and set about it with little respect for the establishment last season.

And whilst the stoppage-time penalty, a somewhat controversial one at that, left a sour taste in the mouths of Whites, there was a little momentum generated from some of the football they played and the problems they caused the European champions. Leeds can carry that directly into the Arsenal game.

Football always affords a chance to put things right in the very next outing and that’s exactly what the visit of the Gunners is.

If only, eh? If only Tuesday night’s abomination could be wiped from not only the collective Leeds United memory but the history books. It can’t be and it can’t, as some have suggested, be forgotten. It should not be forgotten.

Stuart Dallas was right when he said Leeds cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves and sulk, because that will only bring another doing at the hands of Arsenal and another at Anfield on Boxing Day. They can’t let it drag them down, but they can’t forget it either.

A very natural reaction to bitter disappointment and embarrassment is to focus solely on the future. We go again, as a footballer might say.

What Leeds have to do is embrace the painful memory, pour over it in detail and talk about it openly amongst themselves until it becomes useful and instructive.

Why were there so many individual errors? How can they be avoided in future? Why was the man-marking system so easily bypassed? How can Leeds tighten up against elite ball carriers? Why couldn’t they cope with Manchester City’s press? How better could they have moved the ball to build from the back and keep possession?

“Talk and try to understand,” is what Bielsa said they would do.

Perhaps the reason why the Leeds head coach was so dismissive of Manchester City’s performance as a chief factor in the Etihad horror show was that it would leave little room for reflection and improvement.

Simply accepting that Manchester City were too good firstly wouldn’t be entirely honest because Leeds did play a part in their own downfall and, secondly, it would allow defeatism to creep in ahead of two more games against very good teams. That is not the Bielsa way. He goes into each game believing a result is possible and, although on Tuesday night his demeanour was that of a well-beaten, almost crushed man, he has a record of coming back from adversity and disappointment.

His Leeds team have a proud record of doing just that. In February 2019, Bielsa was pictured by YEP photographer Bruce Rollinson, hunkered down in the corridor at Loftus Road after a disappointing 1-0 defeat by QPR. He looked like a crushed man.

Three days later, he rose again and Leeds crushed West Brom 4-0, Pablo Hernandez scoring after 16 seconds.

Adversity, he said recently, makes him fight harder. What Leeds need right now is fight and a measure of anger.

The team can expect that from the Elland-Road crowd on Saturday night and must respond in kind.

Asking for a goal inside a minute against Arsenal might be a bit much but there’s no reason why the tone cannot be set or why intentions cannot be made clear in the initial seconds. It can be done with an aggressive press, a big tackle or some bravery in possession.

Leeds are better than Tuesday night but they have to get better because of it. Humiliation at the Etihad can be fuel and Leeds should be angry with themselves.

Arsenal should feel that anger from the start.

Whether Bielsa likes it or not, and we know he doesn’t, there will still be a debate over the squad’s size, its ability to cope with injuries and whether or not January signings are essential.

But no one is coming to help Leeds this week. They spoiled a fine performance at Chelsea by shooting themselves in the foot, then dug themselves a hole at Manchester City. Saturday is a chance to redeem themselves and cover themselves in a bit of glory. They owe it to the supporters who defied the embarrassment to sing for 93 minutes at the Etihad. They owe it to themselves.