Wigan Athletic v Leeds United – Marcelo Bielsa aiming for a happier sequel

Today’s trip to Wigan Athletic is the first of the club’s fixtures this season not to be shown live by Sky Sports.

Considering this is the fourth game for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and that Wednesday’s home fixture with Brentford will also be broadcast live to the nation, this perhaps underlines why Amazon felt the Elland Road outfit to be sufficient Box Office to commission the six-part series that was released yesterday.

Leeds fans, of course, do not need any reminders as to the huge role Wigan played in ensuring last season did not get the Hollywood-style ending imagined by the American tech giant.

Derby County may have inflicted the fatal blow to those promotion hopes at the end of the final episode via a dramatic second leg in the play-offs.

But Wigan’s Good Friday blockbuster triumph at Elland Road was the one that, combined with Sheffield United beating Nottingham Forest earlier in the day, changed the course of both the season and the narrative of the six-part series ‘Take Us Home’.

Bielsa appreciates that better than anyone. Not that he plans to dwell on the point either ahead of today’s trip to the DW Stadium or going forward this season.

“I did not watch it (Take Us Home) because it is uncomfortable to watch what I am involved in,” said the Argentinian. “I know it is high quality (production). The fans have to evaluate it.

“Of course, these type of films have a link with success. Success is what we did not have last season. Maybe, it looks like the documentary is out of time.

“But I think Leeds is over the lack of success from last season.”

Proof that United have put last season’s disappointment behind them can only come via how the club fares in the quest to go one better this time around.

Four points from the opening two games is a decent haul, albeit with the caveat that the familiar failing of capitalising when on top cost Leeds victory last weekend at home to Nottingham Forest.

Bielsa’s side had 15 efforts on goal to just four by the visitors, statistics that frustrated the club’s head coach.

“Growth is something we have to show,” said the Leeds chief, whose side eased into the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night by beating Salford City.

“In the two games we won, scoring six goals, we received 16 chances on goal. If the opponents had our efficiency in these games, we could not have won.”

United’s attempts to improve on that return in front of goals saw Eddie Nketiah brought in from Arsenal on a season-long loan.

“He can play elsewhere but his best (position) is as a striker,“ said Bielsa after the 19-year-old marked his debut on Tuesday with a goal.

“In the last game he had contact with the goal scored and missed, too. He performed like the team – medium. But in the goal, he showed his skills.”