Leeds United’s thorough preparation for their game against Manchester City at the weekend went as far as rehearsing having to play with 10 men, the Athletic report.
Marcelo Bielsa actually came out after the game and stated that Leeds do not practice being solely defensive in training.
However, the Athletic suggest that the Leeds boss may have just been being humble.
They say that Leeds underwent plenty of work at Thorp Arch to make sure they were fully versed in what should happen if they had a red card given to one of their players against City.
The preparation certainly paid off, as Leeds won with 10 men at the Etihad Stadium, with Liam Cooper sent off just before the break.
Leeds’ coaching staff refused to panic at that dismissal and reportedly spent the half-time break telling the Whites players to mark potential receivers of the football, rather than actually going to press the ball too heavily.
It meant that Leeds kept their defensive shape in a low-block, which limited the spaces and options for City to attack.
Leeds’ plan worked perfectly, as City had a lot of the ball, but it was often the likes of John Stones and Nathan Ake who were asked to create, which helped to limit Pep Guardiola’s side’s attacking threat.
Leeds’ win is surely their most famous since their return to the top flight, and the latest report just serves to highlight once again what a wonderful manager the Whites have in charge right now.
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