Leeds United’s intense, high-energy offensive style has been rightly announced this season. His defensive acumen and consistency of late, aided in large part by Diego Llorente’s physical form, is also coming to light in an encouraging way.
The adaptability of players to play in different positions is yet another chord to the bow of a Leeds team making the long journey south today on the back of an undefeated six-game sequence at this level, the longest in the league. season.
Given the caliber of opposition they have faced in recent weeks, it is all the more laudable.
Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski have shown their flexibility alongside German international Robin Koch, who showed his credentials as a defensive midfielder in the weekend’s draw with Manchester United at Elland Road.
Head coach Bielsa said: “What Robin Koch has done previously is show that he can play as a defensive midfielder and as a central defender. It is an excellent option in either of those two positions.
“He has already played very well as a center-back and can also play well as a defensive midfielder.
“He’s being considered for any of those roles.”
Another player capable of operating in various positions and whose playing intelligence has been expertly honed under Bielsa is Kalvin Phillips, leading to suggestions that he could operate in a more advanced midfield role, with players like Koch and Pascal Struijk providing. defensive midfield coverage.
For his part, Bielsa has no immediate plans to take a look at the English international in that ‘number eight’ position, but he represents a possible future option anyway.
“It is an option, but it will take longer to verify,” said Bielsa.
“For Kalvin, it’s easy to play as a defensive midfielder or to defend as a center-back.
“But playing as a mixed midfielder, which means in front of the defensive midfielder but behind the offensive midfielder, is a position that he has already played. He has also done it for the English team.
“For us it is also an option, less verified for us because in that position we have Dallas and (Mateusz) Klich, whom I have positioned in front of him in this position, but of course it can be an option here.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-30 21:50:08
