‘Great player’ – Jermaine Beckford hails Leeds ace who is ‘exactly’ what Bielsa wants
Jermaine Beckford has claimed that Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich is “exactly” the kind of player that Marcelo Bielsa loves.
The 30-year-old has been a mainstay of the Argentine’s tenure at Elland Road over the past two seasons, and scored the opener in the 5-0 victory over Stoke City on Thursday night.
The Poland international has started every Championship game for the Whites this term, and Beckford has been quick to emphasise his importance to his former club.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ coverage of the clash against the Potters (Sky Sports Football, July 9th, 4.30pm), he said: “He [Klich] does exactly what Marcelo Bielsa wants in one of his central midfield players.
“He’s got a great engine on him, he gets up and down the pitch relentlessly, consistently right the way from the beginning of a match to the end.
“He frees up a lot of space in there for Kalvin Phillips and Tyler Roberts. If he’s not in there, it doesn’t quite work the same way.
“For me, he’s a great player, great energy.”
Klich’s significance to this Leeds side was laid bare in his two recent outings against Luton Town and Blackburn Rovers.
The Pole had a rare off-day against Luton, and his side dropped two points.
By contrast, against Rovers, his pass completion shot up by 15%, his dribble success and shot accuracy rates were both 100%, as per Wyscout, and Leeds picked up all three points.
That’s not to say that he alone is key to the Whites’ fortunes, but there’s no denying that Bielsa’s men have a much better chance of winning when he is on song.
He may not be the most glamorous or eye-catching player on the field most of the time, but there’s a reason why Beckford has picked Klich out for praise, and why Bielsa trusts him so implicitly.
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