Marcelo Bielsa is prone to over-thinking.
The Leeds United boss has a reputation for considering every single detail attached to a game of football.
It is that selfless quality that makes the Argentine so highly regarded, and has so far guided Leeds to the top of the Championship table. The Whites are slowly creeping towards the Premier League with five games to go, the first of which takes place against Stoke City this week.
Bielsa will need to manage his squad effectively during that period. One of the main changes during Saturday’s win at Blackburn saw Barry Douglas replace the injured Stuart Dallas. The Scot joined Leeds from Wolves in the summer of 2018 but has been limited to just 13 league appearances this season.
“After Dallas was one of the players with more impact in the team, he couldn’t get continuity playing,” Bielsa said of Douglas. “Maybe this was the reason that he didn’t play as much as he imagined.”
Douglas could be in line for more action after his showing against Blackburn, however, with the data behind his performance making for an interesting read. The defender has recorded a 52.4% win rate for defensive duels per 90 minutes this season, but that figure rose to 75% against Blackburn (source: WyScout).
He was also incredibly careful in possession compared to his usual showings. This season Douglas has averaged 10.91 ball possession losses per 90 minutes, but at Ewood Park, that figure dropped to just four.
There was a similar improvement in Douglas’ ball recovery numbers -- an essential aspect of Bielsa’s style. Douglas has averaged 6.91 ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season, and that jumped up to 16 against Blackburn, with half of that number coming inside the opposition half. If Douglas can maintain close to that level, it should give Bielsa food for thought with those kinds of recoveries key to the counter-pressing style he prefers.
It would appear the 30-year-old felt like he had a point to prove as his passing game showed a similar growth compared to his season totals. Some of that improvement may be down to the fact he received fewer passes against Blackburn (36) than his average per 90 minutes this season (43.45).
To his credit, however, he recorded an 85% success rate for forward passes compared to his usual total of 74.3% with his overall passing game producing an expected assist total of 0.67, a marked improvement on his season average of 0.08.
The former Dundee United man came close to notching an assist with a corner in the 38th minute that Luke Ayling turned goalwards.
Stuart Dallas has been the starting left-back for Bielsa of late, and it was only a minor injury that allowed Douglas back into the team, but his performance on Saturday did not go unnoticed.
“In defence, he had a good match, an efficient match. We were playing out, he is always correct,” Bielsa said. “And even (though) he didn’t attack a lot, he chose the right moments to attack.”
That stats would back-up Bielsa’s evaluation, with Douglas a strong defensive presence and a positive attacking influence, albeit with a less involved role in terms of possession.
Ultimately, the Scottish international has done his chances of more playing time no harm whatsoever. In fact, it’s fair to say he has given Bielsa a selection headache going into the final stretch of the season - which is just one more thing for the Argentine to pour over before the team’s next game.
