If Marcelo Bielsa’s career at Leeds United has shown us one thing so far, it’s that he’s the master of preparation.
We saw with his infamous powerpoint presentation after the spygate scandal that he prepares immaculately for every single match his team plays, but ahead of the 2019/20 season, he seems to be severely underprepared in one key area.
Leeds are about to head into what could be one of the most important seasons in the club’s history, and their centre-back options are looking quite weak.
Last season the Whites had a centre-back pairing that both made the division’s Team of the Year, but with Pontus Jansson being sold to Brentford, their defensive options aren’t as strong.
Leeds have only brought in one centre-back during this transfer window in the shape of Brighton’s Ben White, and according to Phil Hay, they aren’t looking at getting another.
This means that either White or Gaetano Berardi will be starting alongside Liam Cooper for the majority of next season.
Bielsa is seemingly misplacing his trust at the back. Berardi has proven himself to be a liability in the past, he’s been sent off more times than any other Leeds player in history other than Alan Smith, and White has only ever played half a season at League One level, so he is an unknown quantity in the Championship.
Leeds came so close to promotion last season, but they’re going to lineup this year with a weaker back four than they had 12 months ago, and that is poor preparation from a man who is usually so good at getting ready for challenges.