Micah Richards has admitted that he is blown away by the work ethic that Marcelo Bielsa has drilled into his Leeds United troops.
Bielsa’s side picked up a first Premier League win in 16 years on Saturday by beating Fulham 4-3 at Elland Road.
The visitors made it a nervy final 25 minutes by scoring twice in quick succession, shortly after Leeds made it 4-1.
But the hosts held out for a huge victory and one reason for that is arguably their fitness.
Lesser sides might have buckled under the physical pressure that Scott Parker’s side were applying on United, but the Leeds boys didn’t stop running – or pressing – for the entire 90 minutes.
Bielsa subjects his team to ruthless training routines and during pre-season, the Whites are forced to endure back-to-back sessions, on the same day.
But it’s for reasons like this and Richards just couldn’t get over how fit the players are.
He said to BBC Radio 5 Live: “Leeds have been pressing all game, it’s until the final whistle. I don’t know how they do it. For Marcelo Bielsa to get his squad in this shape is unbelievable.”
As Liverpool found out last week, Leeds are a serious team and with their collective energy, they’re going to be a problem for a lot of other sides throughout the campaign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
