Bielsa Press Conference: Pre-Preston

[Pablo has new injury]


12.20pm: Good afternoon from Thorp Arch

Marcelo Bielsa will be with us from 12.30pm.
An intriguing clash this one - the best home record in the division against the second best away record. The injury latest with Pablo Hernandez, Liam Cooper, Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton set to be top of the agenda.


Here we go...

Marcelo takes his seat


Team news...will Hernandez feature?

The team for tomorrow is the same team. Pablo we think is not going to be able to play this week. It's a different injury, the latest injury was in the calf and now it is behind the knee in the hamstring.


On beating Birmingham

Of course the 15 days after a defeat, we had a good amount of time to be better after this loss.


On Nketiah's impact as a half-time sub

The performance of both of them was quite similar, we played better in the first half than in the second one, and when the team played better the centre forward takes advantage of that situation. Nketiah has played in the moment when the team's performance decreased which is more difficult trying to make an impact. But I have to saw how they played, both of them, was quite a similar level.


On Preston at Deepdale

Preston in the last season was one of the teams who played better in the Championship. I like their style of play, their players have good skills to manage the ball, they have a great midfield, and it's a team that in front of the midfield they have players of a good level. What is important for me is that they have good players and a good level as well. It is no surprise for me (how they have done) after what we saw last season.


On racism in football - is it a bigger problem now or the spotlight on it?

I can say that every try to avoid racism has to be welcomed by society.


On discipline at Leeds - improving

I always say to the players that we have to avoid making a foul and try to accept all the decisions or mistakes of the referees even if we think it is good or bad. They have to let the referee decide how he interprets the situation and we have to adapt to the referee's decision and we don't have to talk with the opponent about bad behaviour or play. It is easy to say that when you are not playing because afterwards players have a lot of difficulty to act like that. I think that acting with good behaviour and good intentions is always positive when you play like that, with good intentions. It's not just morals or the rule questions, I think it is better for the team to play with good intentions.


On dealing with Preston

The most of the things are not changed by managers. A manager's function is to try to achieve that the players feel comfortable, that they can go ahead with their function as players, they can play their function in a comfortable way and after they play with a good level of fitness and a good mental attitude - for all of the matches. After some details don't make the real difference, there is a high percentage that is common to all the matches.


On the quick turnaround

The most important is resting for the players with some brief stimulus and powerful stimulus on the pitch which is also necessary. And trying to make sure that the player doesn't feel that he is always demanded. When we have more days we have more possibilities to give more messages because you can put those messages in a longer period of time. In a brief period if you give a lot of messages afterwards the players could be a little bit more tired, to compete in the Championship you have to be well in the fitness state but also in the mental one, not only in the Championship but in professional football.


On corners and attacking

If you achieve to score and to avoid the opponent scoring, this factor is very important. You have seen in some moments last season that we had some difficulty resolving problems in aerial situations and a little but less this year and for our team that doesn't have the ideal efficiency to score, to score at set pieces is something very important.



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