Tony Pulis pays a big compliment to Bielsa’s Leeds United

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Pulis’s Middlesbrough managed to remain unbeaten in the Championship against Leeds United last season.

Tony Pulis has admitted to Sky Sports (2 October, 10pm) that he was forced to change his tactics when facing Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United last season – something he very rarely does.

The 61-year-old Welshman was one of the few Championship manages who remained unbeaten against The Whites in 2018/19. His Middlesbrough side battled to a goalless draw at Elland Road at the end of August before only a 101st minute Kalvin Phillips strike denied them a 1-0 win in February.

While Bielsa is famed for his commitment to an attacking, free-flowing style, Pulis is something of the arch-pragmatist, a man whose success has been built on a solid defence and an organised approach.

But even Pulis, a coach with over 30 years of experience under his belt, was forced to adapt when facing a Leeds side who dominate possession and create chances like no other Championship team in recent memory.

“I never change very much for what I do against teams but we changed against them (Leeds). What I didn’t want to do, and they do it brilliant they push their two full-backs right up high, if you play four in midfield they actually push your wide players back,” Pulis said.

“What we did which was very important is we made sure then that we still had bodies on the opposite side of the pitch. What they do really well is they get the ball out and switch it.

“(Jack) Harrison gets it and in one-on-ones they are very good and they fill the box. They get a lot of chances from overloading one side and then switching the ball.”

Leeds managed just seven shots on target in two games against Pulis’s Middlesbrough, scoring once, so the former Stoke City and West Brom boss can look back at a job well done.

Unfortunately for Bielsa, it seems that a number of second tier clubs have come to the conclusion that packing the defence is the best way of dealing with Leeds. In four home games so far this season, the Championship favourites have won one.