Tactics view: Leeds United must eradicate this from their game against Man Utd
Marcelo Bielsa will not be best pleased with the way Leeds United defended against Everton as they were comfortably beaten 3-0 at Goodison Park.
Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane and Anthony Gordon all breached Illan Meslier’s goal on Merseyside and the Whites are being dragged back towards a relegation battle as a result.
The visit of old rivals Manchester United to Elland Road on Sunday (20 February) offers the layers a great opportunity to eradicate the mistakes made against the Toffees.
But if they make the same errors against the Red Devils as they did away at Everton, they can expect to endure a very long afternoon in the ‘War of the Roses’ clash.
The defence didn’t actually do much wrong for the goals despite three being shipped behind them as they weren’t helped by the midfield and attack.
As everyone knows, you defend as a whole team but there was a lack of unity from defence to midfield and then onto the attack.
The first goal all starts from Luke Ayling failing to either track his man properly or offload him to another player as Gordon was given far too much space on the edge of the area.
He had all the time in the world to play a simple round-the-corner ball to the onrushing Donny van de Beek, who wasn’t tracked at all.
Coleman eventually bundled in after Dominic Calvert-Lewin couldn’t convert the cross but the warning signs were there.
The third goal is perhaps the worst to concede because not one, but two players were allowed far too much freedom of the Goodison Park grass.
Even though van de Beek is only on the halfway line here, he still has too much time and a player of his quality can make teams pay from anywhere.
The midfield has to be closer to their opposite numbers to stop being opened up so easily.
Two passes later and Allan was even more open and closer to the goal. Bielsa has to see this and make sure he stops it from happening immediately because Leeds could be in for a beating of epic proportions from Manchester United.
The Red Devils have both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba who, given this much time, will tear the Whites defence to pieces and it could be a rout at Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, a pundit wants this Whites starlet to play more often in the absence of a senior starter.