, Leeds United can procrastinate no longer – player involvement totally necessary

Leeds United can procrastinate no longer – player involvement totally necessary

Look, let’s be honest, Marcelo Bielsa is the best thing to happen to Leeds United in a long, long time. Don’t even try to look for alternatives over recent years – there are none!

It was an audacious move to bring in Argentinian coaching legend Bielsa. The guy is world-renowned for his knowledge and has influenced the likes of Premier League managers Mauricio Pochetino and Pep Guardiola, alongside a long list of others.

What Bielsa has done only needs a cursory glance at the Sky Bet Championship table at the moment, and another cursory glance at the same table but from May 2018.

Bielsa, with largely the same base of players, with a couple of new additions, and an increasing smattering of young players, has turned Leeds United from 13th place loungers to table toppers. Pundits, often scathing of the Whites, have had to choke on chunks of humble pie and admit that this side could get promoted.

Bielsa’s system has been made to work at Elland Road. The early season hard yards have seen the Whites turned into a high-pressing, play-from-the-back unit that punish teams. The players are so well conditioned that they seem to be able to run like the Duracell bunny.

All is looking rosy at this moment in time. topping the table, looking at an easier couple of games coming up, Leeds could really consolidate their place in the automatics. The crippling injury list seems to be showing signs of recovery, with long-term absentees Gaetano Berardi and Stuart Dallas making 30-minute appearances last night for the Under-23s.

Another player making great strides is Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown, an attacking midfielder who arrived for his loan spell at Elland Road already injured. Leeds were seen to be a part of his rehabilitation, brining him back from a serious leg injury to match fitness.

That time is now. It has arrived. Izzy Brown is fit.

The Chelsea young star, as mentioned above, has been on loan at Elland Road since the last throes of the summer transfer window. He was signed injured, with Leeds United playing a key part in his recuperation and rehabilitation.

That rehabilitation has now seen him nursed back to fitness and back into football via the Under-23s and Professional Development League. Brown has come into his own, scoring regularly over his recent games and, more importantly, not suffering any reaction.

He’s also scored six goals in his last eight outings for the Under-23s. It’s this form that has propelled the Chelsea youngster into first-team reckoning at Elland Road after regaining his fitness.

In fact, he’s made the bench for the last two Leeds United games against Middlesbrough (1-1) and Swansea (2-1). Whilst that is progress, there is a need for him to go beyond just ‘making the bench’ and being an ‘unused substitute’.

Unlike Lewis Baker, who Leeds also brought in on loan from Chelsea, Brown has a degree of threat about him. In last night’s 2-1 Under-23s win against Notts County, Brown showed that degree of threat.

It wasn’t just his calmly dispatched penalty that gave Leeds United the lead. Izzy Brown looked composed on the ball and was always looking to bring teammates into play.

In terms of brining him into actual first team game time, I am reminded of a Smiths song: ‘How Soon is Now?’

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