No doubt someone will correct if I'm wrong, but ever since the "Spygate" hoo-hah blew up before the Derby match, Bielsa seems to have developed a habit of naming his starting line-up at least 48 hours before the next match. He may have done this earlier in the season but I certainly don't recall him having done so. He did it before the games against Stoke, Rotherham, and now Norwich.
There are two ways of looking at this.
The first way is to say that the squad is down to the bare bones with all the injuries we have, and so the starting 11 picks itself and there is nothing to be gained by not disclosing it so early.
The second way could be to suggest that, despite no apology from Bielsa over the spying missions because he didn't think he was doing anything wrong, he is both surprised and embarrassed by all the criticism and wants to compensate for what has happened with some form of contrition by being open.
It practically falls into the category of reverse psychology. While the football world bleats about conducting training sessions behind closed doors and wanting players and plans for the match to be kept under wraps until the day, Bielsa seems to have gone the other way. "Cards on the table - this is my team for Saturday. Do your worst". He's not bothered because he believes that even if the opposition know what to expect from the team he has selected, we'll still come out on top. In another way it underlines the minimal value of knowing the personnel and tactics to be employed by the opposition in advance.
I believe Bielsa to be an intelligent and highly principled man (despite all the recent fuss), and I believe integrity is important to him. However, I also believe he is a sensitive soul underneath and that the backlash over "Spygate" shocked him and matters to him. Otherwise, why go to the lengths of the Powerpoint masterclass to justify the insignificance of watching an opponent's training session? He was genuinely taken aback by all the fuss and wanted to set the record straight and be as open and transparent as possible. There will be many people who disagree with the above - those who have been quick to condemn him for the surreptitious way he has gone about preparing for matches. It's important to remember though, that this behaviour is nothing out of the ordinary in the country he comes from, as he himself has stated.
We have a unique and very special head coach leading our team and his record so far speaks for itself. I hope that, despite his own assertion that he is not a successful head coach, he goes on this season to achieve what others have failed to do for the last 15 years - that is, to take this club back to the Premier League and to lead us there successfully next season and beyond.
LUFC have been at the forefront of the news at the start of 2019 with "Spygate" and now the fiasco surrounding the collapsed transfer of Daniel James from Swansea - headlines we could have done without. Let's hope for a great game and a massive 3 points against Norwich tomorrow and let's get back to people talking about our football again - for the right reasons.
MOT
Coincidence or contrition?
posted on 2/2/19
comment by Lubo - Get Excited for Leeds United (U14008)
posted 9 minutes ago
He's done it all season.
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I must be going mad, or senile, or both. I have no recollection whatsoever. Thanks for putting me right. Kind of renders the article pointless. Oh well, back to the late night Stella and wait for the backlash
posted on 2/2/19
I think I might love him more than Emma's puppies
posted on 2/2/19
We seem to be seeing less of her this season, hopefully she’s getting in shape for a “calendar girls” style photo shoot with the Championship Trophy.
posted on 2/2/19
She got a few other jobs now.
posted on 2/2/19
I think he does it because he doesn’t give a monkeys what the opposition know
posted on 2/2/19
comment by Lubo - Get Excited for Leeds United (U14008)
posted 9 hours, 56 minutes ago
He's done it all season.
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Any games he didn't do it? Seem to remember Derby as was surprised when Hernandez made the team.
posted on 2/2/19
The first game he pre-announced the team was the QPR cup match, the game before Derby (press conference on 4th Jan).
posted on 2/2/19
comment by AndDonRevieistheKing (U7852)
posted 4 hours, 39 minutes ago
I think he does it because he doesn’t give a monkeys what the opposition know
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When we play at our best, there's feck all other teams can do about it. We are a man city of the championship when it clicks. Klichs I should say
posted on 2/2/19
I thought he pre-announced our first match, v Stoke
posted on 2/2/19
comment by Long Short Tall 666 (U19233)
posted 23 minutes ago
I thought he pre-announced our first match, v Stoke
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If he did I missed it.
http://www.ja606.co.uk/comments/viewAllComments/394050/3