Good evening, Leeds fans. Here are your evening headlines for Monday, November 16.
Bielsa struggling to cover Phillips absence - Robinson
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson claims Marcelo Bielsa is “really struggling” to structure his midfield without the injured Kalvin Phillips.
The Whites have been without the 24-year-old for the last few weeks, with the England international absent due to a shoulder injury.
Without Phillips in the side, Leeds have struggled for form and lost back-to-back games by a scoreline of 4-1 before the international break.
“The last two games have highlighted just how important Kalvin Phillips is to the way that Bielsa plays,” Robinson told MOT Leeds News.
“Leeds were without Phillips for two spells last season, too. The first, they really struggled. The second time, Ben White had adapted to the role and there was no issue there.
“Now Ben White has gone, he [Bielsa] is really struggling to find someone who can fill in there. He’s played (Mateusz) Klich there, he’s played (Pascal) Struijk there, he’s rotated during the games and he’s still nowhere near finding the perfect solution.
“Phillips is an absolutely vital player for Leeds and the way they play, and if they are going to be without him for any length of time they are going to have to find a replacement for him in the January window.”
Alioski injury highlights growing problem
After helping North Macedonia qualify for their first-ever major tournament last week, Gjanni Alioski has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a hamstring problem.
Given he has rarely struggled with injury over the course of his career at Leeds United, this illustrates the stress the game’s top players are currently under, with the fixtures coming thicker and faster than ever before.
Alioski’s injury hints at a growing problem for Leeds as they head into the packed winter period, as discussed in greater detail here.
The Whites'' players had very little time for rest and recuperation between the end of last season and the start of this. And that, coupled with the packed schedule, could see more players break down with injuries in the coming weeks.
Bielsa told to ignore critics after back-to-back defeats
Former Leeds United defender Ben Parker has told Bielsa to ignore any critics and stick to his methods after the Whites suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.
Leeds entered the international break following 4-1 losses to Leicester City and Crystal Palace, prompting analysis of Bielsa’s coaching. But Parker insists the Argentine should brush off comments from pundits.
“To be fair, I think a lot of groups of teams so far in the Premier League, they are in the same situation as us, done well in parts, could improve in others and it is going to be a season like that,” Parker told LUTV.
“But as long as we just keep remaining true to ourselves, what we like to do, our philosophy, closing down working hard.
"Do not change because you have a couple of bad results, you are going to get that throughout the course of the season. But focus on the positives, and just tweak a little bit of those few negatives as well.”
