Ian Wright thinks it will be ‘absolutely crazy’ on Marcelo Bielsa’s part if he sets up his Leeds side to man-mark Liverpool’s players on Boxing Day, as he told Premier League Productions (18/12/21 at 7:50 pm).
The former striker suggested that Leeds need to go ‘defensive first’ at Anfield, else Liverpool might just put seven goals past them and provide them with the same medicine they have been served in recent matches.
It has been a troublesome week for Leeds heading into Christmas, with injuries to first-team players continuing to rise and heavy defeats following.
The Yorkshire side have conceded 11 goals during their last two matches and what’s worse is that it could have or should have been much worse.
The last thing Leeds wanted was facing a team that are the top-scorers in the division and are probably only behind Manchester City as the form team of, not just England, but Europe.
Wright warned Leeds about how they might set-up against Jurgen Klopp’s men and made it clear that they need to change their ways.
“He has to go defensive first at Anfield,” said Wright.
“You surely can’t go to Anfield, in this current climate, with the number of players they have missing, the young players they have got and try to go man-to-man with those players.
“It’s absolutely crazy. If he does do that then they will get beaten five, six or seven again. It will happen.”
It’s highly unlikely Bielsa will change his ways because hasn’t done so since walking into English football with Leeds.
The problem Leeds are facing, not the fact that they are getting beat, but the manner in which they are losing.
It all smacks of relegation and they will be hoping that the injury luck is with them during the second half of the season.
If the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford spend time in the treatment room when it comes to the crunch part of the campaign, then it might well be the final nail in the coffin for the Whites.
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