Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United will not be relegated from the Premier League despite Wednesday’s 6-0 thrashing at Liverpool, Simon Jordan tells talkSPORT (24 February, 10am).
Last season, as Liverpool went runaway champions to mere top-four chasers, the men from Merseyside discovered just how debilitating an injury crisis can be.
So while it would be churlish to suggest that Leeds were powerless to prevent stop Jurgen Klopp’s side racking up the goals at Anfield – every one of Liverpool’s strikes fell into the ‘avoidable’ category – it’s tempting to wonder how differently the game, or the season as a whole, might have transpired if Bielsa had a full squad of players to choose from.
Patrick Bamford, last season’s 17-goal top scorer, hasn’t started a Premier League game since September. Liam Cooper, Leeds’ captain and most reliable centre-half, was also unavailable at Anfield.
So was talismanic midfielder Kalvin Phillips. And the versatile Robin Koch.
Hit for six
“They’ve had a depleted squad for half the season,” points out Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner. “These key components being out of the side effects the whole axis of how this team plays.
“Liverpool are pretty good at the moment, let’s be honest about it. (Bielsa) some would say, is a bit hari kari. He’s going over there (to Anfield) saying; ‘I don’t care, I’m gonna commit football suicide by playing in this game the way I want to’.
“But this is the style that they play. This is how they play. It’s laughable to suggest that Leeds United need to be replacing Bielsa.
“He’s an excellent coach. If you believe fundamentally in a philosophy that has got you to a certain point, what do you do? Change?”
Can Marcelo Bielsa turn Leeds United around?
Leeds have now won just three of their last 15 league games. And with a tally of 56 in the ‘Goal’s Against’ column, no one has conceded more than Bielsa’s increasingly fragile side.
But Jordan believes, in this Premier League season, there are still at least three teams worse than a side who hope to welcome Bamford and Phillips back against Aston Villa on March 10th (Athletic).
Bamford’s return can’t come soon enough
“There are other teams in this division far worse than they are,” Jordan adds.
“Leeds United are a very compelling football team. I think they’ll come through this situation and then they can consider whether Bielsa is able to kick on based on (owner Andrea) Radrizzani’s ambitions for the club.
“I do not sit here and think Bielsa should be changing things. He doesn’t have the players in this group who know how to change. There’s going to be be a few sides that are gonna get a spanking off Liverpool.
“They won’t get relegated. I’ll tell you who’s in trouble, Brentford are in trouble.”
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