After the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday evening, many were unsurprised to see an unchanged XI to face Everton on Saturday. However, there were some who felt that a change in midfield could be worth making.
Rodrigo and Mateusz Klich have started the last three games as the central midfielders, positioned in front of Robin Koch as the defensive midfielder. This has been Marcelo Bielsa's preference after Adam Forshaw - who has been one of Leeds' most consistent players since returning from his two year long injury - picked up an hamstring injury against West Ham United in January.
However, he was fit and available for the match at Goodison Park and Bielsa revealed after the game that he made an error in his selection as Everton's 4-4-2 shape forced Leeds into a 3-3-1-3, meaning Klich was in more of a defensive midfield role that did not suit him. Everton were comfortably 2-0 up at half-time and the Pole was withdrawn for Forshaw.
"The position of Klich was an error on my part," Bielsa said in his post-match press conference.
"The midfielder that was positioned in front of our three centre-backs had to defend too much, he couldn't do what he does best which is to make runs in attack.
"Sincerely I assigned a task to him that didn't fit his characteristics. It was difficult for us to maintain and for us to recover the ball. If you recover the ball well it's easier to retain."
Bielsa was then asked what he should have done instead.
"Put a player in that position who had a bigger capacity to recover," he replied. "The best things Klich does he does in attack, make runs and he's got good resources defensively but not to be the most defensive midfielder in the midfield.
"That's the job he had to take on during the first half where he was forced to not to do the best things he does."
Against Villa in midweek, Klich was able to make many of those attacking runs, whilst also linking well with Rodrigo but the warning signs were there as he struggled to cope with the attacking runs from Jacob Ramsey as the teenager scored twice in the first half.
With Forshaw on in the second half, Leeds had greater control against Everton but the Whites still struggled badly in attack, with the final score ending 3-0.
It would seem incredibly unlikely now for Bielsa not to pick Forshaw in the upcoming run of fixtures as Leeds come up against Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City in the space of 13 days.
In Forshaw, Leeds have a player who is more able to 'recover' the ball as Bielsa mentions but he also brings greater ball retention, which Leeds will need as those four teams will be far more clinical than Leeds' recent opponents if the Whites turn the ball over in midfield areas.
Both Klich and Rodrigo are more aggressive with the ball. This can lead to big chances but it can also mean giving the ball away often. Leeds can afford to have one of these players doing this, particularly as Raphinha's ball retention is even more high risk. As such, Bielsa needs choose between one of his more attacking options and the other slot in central midfield should be taken by Forshaw.
Of course, Forshaw could drop to the defensive midfield position which Koch had been filling but Leeds will have far great solidity with Koch and Forshaw both in the team and one of Klich and Rodrigo ahead of them. Bielsa knows that if he takes the same risk against the upcoming opponents that things could get ugly. He is highly unlikely to make the same mistake again.
