Marcelo Bielsa admits Leeds United could not cope with the buccaneering Joel Matip during their 6-0 Premier League hammering at Liverpool, speaking to Leeds Live.
If the Louvre ever need a new team of security guards, then we wouldn’t recommend accepting CVs from Elland Road.
Because, as Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Reds racked up the goals on Wednesday night, you got the feeling that Mohamed Salah could just saunter into one of the world’s most heavily-guarded galleries, steal the Mona Lisa and stroll out the front door, a priceless painting under his arm, all the whistling a jaunty tune and giving a cheeky nod to Junior Firpo on reception.
Three days after conceding four at home to bitter rivals Manchester United, Leeds were left punchdrunk once again, Bielsa facing the unenviable task of dragging his weary charges off the canvas ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Harry Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur.
Are Leeds United doomed?
Of all the goals Leeds conceded at Anfield, which one was the worst? That must feel like trying to pick out the most ridiculous instalment of a bafflingly bloated Fast and Furious franchise.
The two penalties gifted to Salah? The dreadful Ilan Meslier pass that led to Sadio Mane’s tap-in? Mane’s second of the night, ten minutes later, the ball bundled into his path by an unwitting Pascal Struijk.
The most free of free headers nodded in by Virgil van Dijk in stoppage time, Meslier’s wrists looking about as sturdy as a daisy chain?
One suspects the goal that will haunt Marcelo Bielsa’s dreams more than any of the others, however, was in fact, Liverpool’s second of the night.
Joel Matip exchanging passes with Salah, wandering into the penalty box completely unmarked before clipping into the back of the Leeds net.
Can Bielsa turn the ship around?
“A problem of the centre-backs driving with the ball has become very evident,” says Bielsa, suggesting that Matip’s 30th minute strike was indicative of a wider problem.
“The solutions are very clear. When a centre-back drives (forward), he passes the winger on the side he goes up, the central attacker and the defensive midfielder.
“Eventually, they come up against our centre-back not marking or our free man.
“Clearly, I have not been able to solve that problem.”
That’s not the only issue Bielsa needs to fix.
At the moment, Leeds look like a side with more problems than Jay Z on a bad day. And with Burnley and Newcastle both picking up points, Leeds can almost smell the foul breath of the Championship’s gaping maw over their shoulders.
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