YEP journalist makes prediction about first Leeds XI Bielsa will name in PL
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth has predicted that Marcelo Bielsa’s first Leeds United starting line-up in the Premier League will be similar to what he used in the Championship.
Over the last couple of years, Leeds fans have grown accustomed to the consistency that Bielsa employs in his team selection.
At one point last season, the Argentine even revealed his whole starting line-up in pre-match press conferences.
YEP reporter Smyth believes that we’re going to see the same sort of consistency going into next season, even though Leeds will be a Premier League club and have the opportunity to improve several areas of their squad.
Writing on his personal Twitter account on Thursday, Smyth said: “I can’t see anything (transfers) happening so soon. I can see a very familiar line-up for the first game.”
That’s another thing we have learned about Bielsa. He likes to give players plenty of time before implementing them in his starting line-up.
Jean-Kevin Augustin failed to start a single match for Leeds after arriving on loan in January because Bielsa didn’t feel as though he was ready.
We also saw it last summer when Helder Costa arrived on loan from Wolves on July 3.
Costa was clearly seen as someone Bielsa wanted in his starting line-up but the Portuguese winger had to wait until September 28 to get his first Championship start.
Bielsa was biding his time with Costa and it is likely that anyone he brings in this summer is going to have to wait some time before they can start in the Premier League and displace any of the star players who helped win promotion from the Championship.
In other Leeds United news, this English striker is open to joining the Whites this summer.