Four Leeds United players stood out for Marcelo Bielsa in Saturday’s 1-0 Watford win including substitute Tyler Roberts.
While the Whites may have only won the game by one goal, the scoreline did not accurately portray proceedings at Elland Road.
United dominated nearly 67 per cent of possession and fired off 20 shots in reply to the Hornets’ five.
The bottom line was the three points, though, after a poor run of six matches without a victory equalled the worst start to a campaign in the club’s history.
“There was a lot of positive things,” said Bielsa. “We didn't make errors. We didn't allow counter-attacks.
“We didn't let their forwards stand out. In the first hour of play, we created a lot of danger. In the last 30 minutes, perhaps a little less.
“It was a fair, deserved win. The difference [in the scoreline] could have been bigger. There were some players who shone. That was it.”
Pushed on who specifically stood out for him, the head coach picked out two players not known as two of his key players when everyone in the squad is fit.
“I thought that [Jamie] Shackleton evolves,” he said. “Diego Llorente came back well. [Kalvin] Phillips had influence.
“Tyler Roberts came in very well. The rest were all at a level from medium to high.”
Shackleton has started the last three matches in all competitions. If he starts at Southampton in a fortnight he will match the longest run of starts he has had at Leeds.
The 21-year-old’s performances have been one of the few silver linings in what’s been a choppy start for the club.
Llorente and Phillips’s qualities are well reflected in the confidence Bielsa puts into them with starts, but Roberts has proved a divisive figure among fans.
The 22-year-old has not always caught the eye or changed matches from the bench, but Bielsa ensured he was mentioned after seeing two consecutive attempts cleared off the line in the latter stages of the game.
Roberts’s only starts this term have been in the Carabao Cup.
