Hauling Tyler Roberts off Leeds United’s Elland Road surface after just 30 minutes of Tuesday’s second half reminded Marcelo Bielsa of Emile Heskey, strangely.
In a roundabout way, anyway. It was Heskey, on his first England start no less, who forced Bielsa to remove his Argentina captain in February 2000 inside 34 minutes.
Heskey’s physicality and height was too much for Roberto Sensini, just as West Bromwich Albion’s attacking play was too much for the Whites in the second half.
Roberts was the lamb Bielsa felt he had to sacrifice in an effort to correct his own mistake, his own poor judgement from half-time.
Roberts looked hurt as he headed for the bench on Tuesday and Bielsa knows it, knows the Wales international has been generous in his understanding of the decision.
Bielsa has been at such pains to explain the decision, mistake, he spoke at length to Sky Sports and then the press on Tuesday night before spending another 25 minutes explaining himself to the whole group at Thorp Arch on Thursday morning before training.
“He shows a lot of generosity with me, but he knows my decision touch him and even he understood the situation, but I know with this decision I hurt him and it is difficult to overcome in a short time, this,” said Bielsa.
Bielsa went to such lengths to put his player at ease because he has been before, not only with Sensini, but with Andrés Guglielminpietro, or Guly for short.
March 1999 and Guly was sent on for Argentina as a half-time substitute, like Roberts, before being removed 36 minutes later, like Roberts.
“I have cleared this concept a long time ago,” said Bielsa. “Fifteen (20) years ago I took one similar decision and after 15 years the player who I take off of the pitch, he is a very good person, he couldn’t assimilate this moment even after 15 years.
“What he said in the press is he regrets himself in that moment to say nothing to me, to give me a strong message.
“That means for him, a footballer, it is difficult to accept these kind of decisions. What I can explain is I made a mistake after the first half (on Tuesday night).
“I interpret one situation in the game and that moment did not happen. I thought if we were going to put one player more offensive we were going to be able to adapt to this moment.
“After the match it was more difficult than I thought and the player had to try to resolve some situation.
“That is not my high point and after, if I don’t take a second decision, there is going to be a second mistake, but if I correct the mistake, I will hurt the player.”
