Luke Ayling has revealed that Marcelo Bielsa starves Leeds United of the ball during the week in a bid to make sure their ‘fun’ comes on matchday.
Leeds have thrived under Bielsa over the course of the last two seasons and are now a Premier League side.
Every now and again you hear some tale of Bielsa on the training ground, which Ayling has come up with this week.
We know all about murderball and the off-field sessions Bielsa puts Leeds through, but Ayling has revealed that they don’t see much of the ball between games.
According to Ayling (who was speaking on the Mundial Giant podcast) that’s Bielsa’s way of getting them going on a matchday.
He starves us of the ball in the week, so we don’t do any keep balls like every other team, keep balls, five-a-side, it’s fun but our fun comes on a Saturday, playing football, keeping the ball and being on the front foot and attacking.
Leeds have picked up 10 points from the opening eight fixtures of the Premier League season.
After a good start, they’ve lost three of the last four, which has soured their opening third of the season somewhat.
It’s a classic Bielsa story here.
We know how strange his methods can be, but boy are they effective!
Ayling and his teammates buy into what he does and he’s got them to the Premier League, so there will be little moaning they don’t see much of the ball.
They’ve not changed in the Premier League either, which is great to see.
What Leeds do is unique on the pitch and, it appears, that’s the same on the training field.