Here is your Leeds United morning digest for Saturday, October 24.
Bamford hat-trick lights up Villa Park
Leeds begin the weekend sitting third in the Premier League table after their comprehensive 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Friday night.
Patrick Bamford hogged the headlines after he netted a 19-minute second half hat-trick to ensure Leeds quickly bounced back from Monday's Elland Road defeat to Wolves.
He was not the only player to draw plaudits though, as a host of Leeds players turned in excellent performances in what was a comprehensive win over a Villa side that went into the clash with a one hundred per cent record this season.
Here are Beren Cross' player ratings from Villa Park.
Leeds facing own van Dijk injury headache
With Virgil van Dijk suffering a potentially season-ending knee injury last weekend, Liverpool’s title odds lengthened substantially. Such is the importance of the Dutch central defender, his long-term absence significantly hampers Liverpool’s expectations.
Leeds have suffered similarly crucial injuries already this season, too. And the latest of them, a multi-week absence for defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips after he ended last weekend’s loss to Wolves clutching his shoulder, is similarly detrimental to the team’s prospects.
As Nestor Watach writes for Leeds Live , Phillps has been integral to the Leeds system throughout the Bielsa era, starting 81 of 92 Championship games across two seasons. Adam Forshaw is still out injured, while Ben White, the player who replaced Phillips when he missed time last season, has returned to Brighton.
It leaves Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds in a tricky situation, especially with matches against Leicester, Arsenal and Everton looming.
You can read Watach’s full analysis of Phillips’ absence here.
Paraag Marathe explains 49ers’ role in Bielsa hire
The president of the San Francisco 49ers’ investment arm, Paraag Marathe, has revealed that the NFL franchise played a small part in Andrea Radrizzani’s decision to hire Bielsa two years ago. The 49ers own around a 10% share in the club.
Speaking with the Telegraph, he said: “We had put a process together in the selection and hiring of our head coach Kyle Shanahan and that has gone tremendously well.
“We looked at certain things, identified certain traits and went through a process that were good indicators of success for a head coach – things like leadership, vision, personality. Then we interviewed and measured candidates measured on those traits.
“And, yes, I shared all of that with Andrea and in detail as to what the secret sauce was for us, but I know Andrea was absolutely committed to bringing in Bielsa."
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