‘Did he really just say that?’ – Graham Smyth left aghast at Bielsa comments on Leeds
Everyone’s an armchair manager and every Leeds fan knows exactly what the problem has been this season – not converting chances.
What to do about it, though?
Bielsa’s solution is just to keep on keeping on. The stats show that Leeds are dominating games and the thinking seems to be ‘the goals will come’.
99% of Leeds fans are still on Bielsa’s side too, although there were the first murmurings of discontent after the 1-0 defeat to Wigan.
And Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth was left aghast at the comments Bielsa made after the Wigan defeat.
Talking on the latest episode of the Inside Elland Road podcast, Smyth said, “I think Bielsa is almost trying to swim against the tide a little bit with what he says after the game because it flies in the face of… well, he said it himself, ‘What I’m saying doesn’t sound logical’.
“In fact, the oddest thing he said was giving value to losing only 1-0 and not losing by a bigger scoreline.
“Which I had to sit and think, ‘Did he really just say that?’
“But it was one of those press conferences where yet again there were no absolutes apart from him saying, ‘I take full responsibility because these players are playing exactly the way I want them to play so it’s my fault’.
“But you want a little more to take the narrative forward to reassure people that yes, we know what the problems are and we know how to fix them. But the suggestion is almost that there is no fix.”
What is the fix for Leeds United?
Patrick Bamford has been getting the most criticism from fans and as the team’s striker that’s natural.
However, he’s not the only one to blame. Jack Harrison and Helder Costa need to step up with more goals. Harrison missed the two best chances against Wigan, although he was unlucky to hit the post with one of them.
And the problem for Leeds can be traced back to last season as well.
That’s a big enough sample size to say there’s an issue and that the stats can be trusted. Put simply, Leeds need someone who can finish.
Leeds fans will be hoping that’s Jean-Kevin Augustin, a player who’s yet to make his debut for the first team.
Where does that leave Bamford though? He has his plus points and can work very well in the Leeds side but not many people think there’s a chance that he will play at the same time as Augustin.
If Augustin comes in and starts scoring, Bamford’s time as a regular starter could be up.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Genuinely alarming’ – Graham Smyth describes what cameras missed after Augustin injury scare