TBR’s View: Marcelo Bielsa must address his blind-spot and bring a centre-back this transfer window

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Marcelo Bielsa has taken up near deity-like status at Leeds United since arriving at the club in 2018 and rightly so. He has transformed a mid-table Championship side into promotion chasers and only narrowly missed out on a Premier League return last season. 

This term Leeds are on the march again. The Whites are currently top of the league, nine points clear of Brentford in third, and their recent display against Arsenal in the FA Cup suggests they are worthy of their position.

Therefore, criticising Bielsa is a risky thing to do. However, there is one blind-spot that the Argentine has which could prove to be costly once again. 

Bielsa likes to have a small squad and the benefits are clear. The trust between coach and player is high, the team morale is strong and it allows for a more fluid style of football. 

However, the lack of cover at centre-back is still alarming. Leeds currently have captain Liam Cooper and the outstanding Ben White at the back. No problem there. In reserve, full-back convert Gaetano Berardi, who has proven a decent centre-back when called upon, is proving reliable at present.

But that’s it. Kalvin Phillips, Luke Ayling, and Leif Davis can cover but only two specialist centre-backs are on the Leeds books. 

Given Cooper’s ability to pick up niggling injuries and Berardi’s unpredictable temperament, it’s a risky business.

Leeds are just nine points clear and in the Championship that gap can dissolve over the space of seven days. If Leeds are left scrambling at the back, it could end up costing them crucial points. 

It has already started to happen. Oliver Casey is too young and inexperienced to take up this fight and Pascal Struijk showed against Cardiff City recently that this is not his level. 

It would go against the Bielsa grain, but Leeds need to bring in a specialized, experienced, Championship centre-back this month to ensure sufficient coverage. 

They might get lucky, and not need him. But lucky? That doesn’t sound like Leeds United.