Daniel James shares ‘second to none’ Leeds United training truth
Leeds United winger Daniel James has opened up on the learning he has done already during his short spell under Marcelo Bielsa.
The Welsh international made the move from Old Trafford to Elland Road on deadline day in the summer.
James admitted he still has a lot of learning to do under master tactician Bielsa at Thorp Arch.
“The detail is second to none,” he told BBC Radio Leeds.
“Everything is so fine and detailed. The one-to-one meetings and everyone’s obviously got their individual clips to look at, which he goes through with you.
“The detail of it. I’ve learnt so much here already and I’ve still got so much to learn, but he’s been absolutely brilliant since I’ve come in.
“There’s times where he’s had to reiterate things, but there’s stuff in the games you do which maybe doesn’t get seen, as you said, off the ball I find myself doing without even thinking anymore because we do it in training every single day.
“I’ve taken so much out of it.”
Tactical genius
Everybody knows by now just how detailed and intense Bielsa’s training is. it would be impossible to play the expansive, attractive brand of football the Whites do without paying attention to the fine details.
The rise in quality at Thorp Arch would have been huge for James having spent three years under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who is hardly renowned for his tactical genius as a manager.
As he admitted himself, the winger still has a long way to go but he has made an impressive start to life at Elland Road.
Four goal involvements in 19 Premier League games doesn’t exactly scream a good start but that isn’t the most important thing for a Bielsa player.
It is vital they like a sponge in training and can pick up the Argentine’s tactics and style of play quickly which James has done.
Players need a little more time to find their feet at Leeds, but the 24-year-old has had an excellent start.
In other Whites news, MOT view: Leeds United ace Pascal Struijk can now bury Harvey Elliot horror memory.