Leeds United news: Marcelo Bielsa now dealing with ‘crisis’ – former manager
Alex McLeish has claimed Marcelo Bielsa is facing a “confidence crisis” at Leeds United after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Everton.
The former Scotland manager, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed a lack of form and missing players is having a huge impact on the squad at Elland Road.
Leeds have picked up seven points in their last five games, although they are winless in their last three.
The Whites have also had to contend with several injury problems.
Bielsa is currently without the likes of captain Liam Cooper, midfield ace Kalvin Phillips and star striker Patrick Bamford.
McLeish suggested the squad have struggled to cope with the big-name absences and touted a lack of self-belief at Elland Road.
“I’m just going to say the confidence is ebbing away,” McLeish told Football Insider’s Russell Edge.
“When you get up and down results, individuals start to doubt themselves. When you lose your key players, nothing exposes a manager more than that.
“This is where Bielsa is going to have to use every inch of his experience to keep a depleted team in this league.
“The fact Leeds are in an absolute confidence crisis right now. They have lost some of their best players. The team are struggling to rise to the fact these guys are out.
“The whole team, it’s almost like a virus going through the team. When you lose a couple of games, you draw a couple of games and you’ve got three points from 12 or something, then it can affect the best players in the team.”
Leeds now face Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham over the space of six days.
The Whites currently sit 15th, six points off the relegation zone.
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