Bielsa gives himself ‘negative’ assessment, but sends heartening seven-word message in English Marcelo Bielsa has conceded his disappointment in himself at the way the first half of the season has gone for Leeds – but will welcome four players back to action in Sunday’s crucial game against Burnley. Leeds have struggled during their second season back in the Premier League, winning just three of their 18 matches played. Indeed, their last three games resulted in defeats – the first time under his management – as injuries and illness got the better of the Whites. And having seen their festive matches at Liverpool and at home to Aston Villa called off as a result, Leeds return to action against the Clarets. Leeds though will have Junior Firpo, Daniel James, Diego Llorente and Jack Harrison all fit and available for Sunday. Despite that, Bielsa admits working with a depleted squad has been tough. “It’s common in a a group that three or four are missing,” he said in a press conference. “But when a group is missing 13 or 14, it becomes near impossible. “Collectively it’s difficult to work on tactics and improving things, but you try and get the message across with the players available. In that sense, we try and infludence the defensive mechanisms, co-ordinate them, the closeness between the whole team. ” Leeds remain unbeaten against Burnley since returning to the Premier League and Bielsa expects another tough game on Sunday. “Every game we play from here on in will be important. And the ones played beforehand position us where we are. And the game on Sunday is a great opportunity to redirect the way the club is going.” He added: “Burnley are a team that are very stable with few inclusions that are new. The base of their team is pretty much always the same. As such, their way of playing is very installed and incorporated. “As a result, we don’t imagine a different type of game to the ones we have played with them previously. The characterists and the difficulties are the same.” Marcelo Bielsa English message Bielsa was asked for how he felt the season had gone so far and, laying the blame entirely on his own shoulders, gave himself a “negative” review. “The evaluation of my task in the last few months is ‘negative’. The situations we’ve had to go through, I wasn’t able to resolve them as I would like. “The majority of the things that happened, I thought could happen. I thought I had the resources to resolve them. But clearly I did not. Even if we had the injuries, these are things you cannot pre-empt. The rest of the things that define the lowering of the performance, I wasn’t happy to resolve them.” With former TEAMtalk journalist, and current Radio Leeds presenter, Adam Pope, doing the questioning, Bielsa was wished a ‘happy new year’. Many question why Bielsa does not speak in English but that’e entirely because he wants to make sure his words don’t get diluted. Therefore, it’s something of a myth that he does not speak or understand English, when in fact, it’s something he proactively chooses not to do. Proving his grasp and understanding and in reply to Pope, Bielsa replied: “Thank you. And the same to you!” READ MORE: Bielsa looking to red-hot €18m striker with view to future move The post Bielsa gives himself ‘negative’ assessment, but sends heartening seven-word message in English appeared first on TEAMtalk.

Marcelo Bielsa has conceded his disappointment in himself at the way the first half of the season has gone for Leeds – but will welcome four players back to action in Sunday’s crucial game against Burnley.

Leeds have struggled during their second season back in the Premier League, winning just three of their 18 matches played. Indeed, their last three games resulted in defeats – the first time under his management – as injuries and illness got the better of the Whites.

And having seen their festive matches at Liverpool and at home to Aston Villa called off as a result, Leeds return to action against the Clarets.

Leeds though will have Junior Firpo, Daniel James, Diego Llorente and Jack Harrison all fit and available for Sunday.

Despite that, Bielsa admits working with a depleted squad has been tough.

“It’s common in a a group that three or four are missing,” he said in a press conference. “But when a group is missing 13 or 14, it becomes near impossible.

“Collectively it’s difficult to work on tactics and improving things, but you try and get the message across with the players available. In that sense, we try and infludence the defensive mechanisms, co-ordinate them, the closeness between the whole team. ”

Leeds remain unbeaten against Burnley since returning to the Premier League and Bielsa expects another tough game on Sunday.

“Every game we play from here on in will be important. And the ones played beforehand position us where we are. And the game on Sunday is a great opportunity to redirect the way the club is going.”

He added: “Burnley are a team that are very stable with few inclusions that are new. The base of their team is pretty much always the same. As such, their way of playing is very installed and incorporated.

“As a result, we don’t imagine a different type of game to the ones we have played with them previously. The characterists and the difficulties are the same.”

Marcelo Bielsa English message

Bielsa was asked for how he felt the season had gone so far and, laying the blame entirely on his own shoulders, gave himself a “negative” review.

“The evaluation of my task in the last few months is ‘negative’. The situations we’ve had to go through, I wasn’t able to resolve them as I would like.

“The majority of the things that happened, I thought could happen. I thought I had the resources to resolve them. But clearly I did not. Even if we had the injuries, these are things you cannot pre-empt. The rest of the things that define the lowering of the performance, I wasn’t happy to resolve them.”

With former TEAMtalk journalist, and current Radio Leeds presenter, Adam Pope, doing the questioning, Bielsa was wished a ‘happy new year’.

Many question why Bielsa does not speak in English but that’e entirely because he wants to make sure his words don’t get diluted. Therefore, it’s something of a myth that he does not speak or understand English, when in fact, it’s something he proactively chooses not to do.

Proving his grasp and understanding and in reply to Pope, Bielsa replied: “Thank you. And the same to you!”

READ MORE: Bielsa looking to red-hot €18m striker with view to future move

The post Bielsa gives himself ‘negative’ assessment, but sends heartening seven-word message in English appeared first on TEAMtalk.

James Marshment