A number of Leeds United fans have taken to social media to rave over news that manager Marcelo Bielsa has chosen to stick with the same league XI for the club’s clash against Rotherham on Saturday (18 August).
The Whites confirmed their starting XI via their official Twitter account, revealing that the Argentine manager making eight changes from the side which beat Bolton Wanderers in midweek, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Barry Douglas, Liam Cooper, Gaetano Berardi, Mateusz Klich, Ezgjan Alioski, Pablo Hernandez and Kemar Roofe coming into the line up for Jamal Blackman, Jamie Shackleton, Pontus Jansson, Tom Pearce, Lewis Baker, Jack Harrison, Tyler Roberts and Patrick Bamford..
? | #LUFC Starting XI presented by @Ladbrokes:
Peacock-Farrell, Ayling, Douglas, Cooper (c), Berardi, Phillips, Klich, Alioski, Hernandez, Saiz, Roofe pic.twitter.com/90lwEduV3p
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 18, 2018
However, it was the same team who have beaten both Stoke City and Derby County in the league, and it was the decision to go with an unchanged XI which has the Elland Road faithful delighted on Twitter.
This is Futbol has gathered a selection of the fans’ best tweets:
https://twitter.com/luke_hallas/status/1030801732949950464
https://twitter.com/Olly_Ford_/status/1030801654696820742
Perfect!!
— Donna@LS11?? (@DonnaL75) August 18, 2018
Didn’t expect that to be fair ?
— Dom (@Dom_LUFC89) August 18, 2018
Going up
— Matt (@mattlittleLUFC) August 18, 2018
Love if #LUFC
— Nat Dufton (@NatDufton) August 18, 2018
Cmon the boys easy 5-0 today #Lufc
— Addy G (@AdamGoldthorpe) August 18, 2018
Opinion
As some of the Leeds faithful say, if it is not broke, then do not fix it, and that is exactly the way of thinking Bielsa seems to have gone for. It makes perfect sense – the Whites have looked dominant in their first two league games of the season and the players he has chosen seem to have the ability and mentality to carry out his instructions exactly the way he wants them to. Perhaps a couple of players can consider themselves unlucky not to be given the chance after their displays against Bolton – Patrick Bamford one of those – but at the same time, they appear to be ready to pounce on any opportunity that comes their way, be it through injury, suspension or form. That sort of fierce competition can only breed success in the squad, and it is great for Bielsa that that is the case at Elland Road.