Marcelo Bielsa has admitted he struggles to implement his famously detailed tactical preparation when Leeds United have fixtures in quick succession.
Fewer than 72 hours will have passed between United’s 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday night and the trip to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday to face Stoke City.
The Potters suffered a demoralising 3-1 defeat to Preston in midweek, and Nathan Jones has suggested he’ll switch things up tactically in order to sure things up at the back.
In the pre-match press conference, the Leeds manager was asked whether he’s been able to prepare anything specific for the match.
“It’s impossible to prepare very well for a match, when you play Wednesday and Saturday,” he responded, with a smile.
“Just for this reason, we’re focusing on the recovery of the team.”
Stoke come into Saturday’s fixture bottom of the Championship, with just one point from four games. They’ve conceded ten goals in total, the most of any side in the division.
Bielsa was very complimentary about Stoke when they suffered a 2-1 defeat back in January, and he played down their current poor form ahead of Saturday’s clash.
“The league shows that all the teams suffer bad and good results, and in different parts of the season, these situations happen,” he said.
“No, I don’t think Stoke will maintain these results, it’s just a moment in the league. It’s a moment that all the teams suffer.”
