MX23RW : Saturday, December 14 08:16:25| >> :120:14944:14944:
[monks data]
Leeds logo
Premier League | Gameweek 38
May 23, 2021 at 4pm UK
Elland Road
West Brom logo

Leeds
3 - 1
West Brom

Rodrigo (17'), Phillips (42'), Bamford (79' pen.)
Cooper (1'), Phillips (90+4')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Marcelo Bielsa "satisfied" with Leeds United's season

Marcelo Bielsa
© Reuters
The Whites said farewell to two club heroes.

Marcelo Bielsa said he was "satisfied" with Leeds' first season back in the Premier League after their last-day win against West Brom.

Leeds finished off in style in front of an 8,000-crowd at Elland Road as goals from Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford's penalty secured a 3-1 victory and ninth-placed finish.

"It's difficult to offer a conclusion because on one side I'm very satisfied with what the team achieved, but on the other I feel like we could have added a few more points," said Bielsa.

Leeds closed the season on 59 points, the most by a promoted top-flight club since Ipswich in 2000/01, but the Argentinian feels they should have got more.

"If we divided the competition in two, in the second part we received 50 per cent less of the goals conceded in the first part," he said.

"If we had that security defensively for the whole campaign, we could have added the points I would have liked.

"Anyway, I'm satisfied with what we achieved. It's very difficult to win a game in the Premier League, very difficult. On the other side, we could have had a few more points."

Leeds scored 62 goals, a record-extending total for a promoted club in a 38-match season and became the first promoted club to win their final four Premier League games.

"Sincerely, the evolution of the team has been very big," said Bielsa, who has yet to confirm he has committed to a fourth season as head coach.

"This is linked with the rush of the individual and the team to be better.

"It's very common for a human to say they want to be better, but it's not very common a human puts himself in the surroundings to be able to grow, to make all the effort demanded and manage to reform the highest possibilities each one has."

Bielsa paid another tribute to both Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi, who both bade farewell in their final appearances for the club.

Phillips missed the players' lap of honour after the final whistle having appeared to have sustained a shoulder injury in the closing stages.

The midfielder is hoping to be named in England boss Gareth Southgate's 26-man Euro 2020 squad on Tuesday.

"Sincerely I haven't received any information to the gravity of the injury," Bielsa added. "We all hope that it's something that can be resolved quickly.

"Knowing the fortitude of Kalvin, I know he has the resources to quicken any problem he may have."

West Brom boss Sam Allardyce's final game in charge ended in disappointment as his side lost their final four matches.

"It's very much us in a nutshell today," said Allardyce, who experienced defeat for the first time as a manager at Elland Road.

"Always in the game, but missed a chance to go 1-0 up in the first minute, a free header in the six-yard box wide and other chances after that and we conceded tow very sloppy goals."

The Baggies' relegation straight back to the Championship was confirmed two weeks ago, but Allardyce feels his replacement will not be inheriting a broken squad.

"They've got the basis of a very talented Championship squad, needs some additions obviously and I think the experience they got this season will make them better when they go back down."

ID:448792: cacheID:448792:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4461:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrates after the match on May 8, 2021
Read Next:
Sunday's Premier League predictions including Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace
>
Read more about Marcelo Bielsa Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
13Millwall196762017325
14Derby CountyDerby216692626024
15Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
16Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
17Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth193882134-1317
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!