Leeds United v Crystal Palace - Marcelo Bielsa backing the beautiful game to prevail

The Whites could end their first Premier League campaign since 2003-04 in the top half – a big achievement – but Marcelo Bielsa would settle for less if it meant his players performing better. It was a telling admission from a coach who insists he values “efficiency”.

For Bielsa it is all about the process, and we love him for it.

Most Premier League teams are driven by the points at the moment. Either they desperately need them to stay in the division, to qualify for Europe or, for the lucky few, to push for the title. At Elland Road tonight, Leeds and Crystal Palace will be in the comfortable position of not having to fret about those things.

In the longer-term, comfort zones are not where Leeds want to be. A club of their stature should be pushing themselves and being pushed – by the points column at the top of tables or the do-or-die of knockout football.

Wherever the Whites are in the table, the demanding Bielsa will be pushing them hard, but the drive is more to play better. For a team set up as they are, the first will almost certainly lead to the second over time anyway.

Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Everton was a case in point – Bielsa was able to dwell on the positives of a performance that deserved more, not the negatives of coming away empty-handed to one of this season’s top teams.

“The most important thing is how we play, which allows us to finish where do in the table,” argues Bielsa. “If you finish eighth by not playing well, for me, that’s worse than finishing 12th and playing well, but it’s also true by playing well it’s easier to finish higher up the table. I hope we are able to play well and advance up the table.”

It is one of the enduring appeals of Bielsa’s Leeds that they are more purist compared to pragmatic – dare we say it, more efficient – teams like Palace.

Their game-plan is based on cast-iron defensive foundations and fast, talented counter-attacking players like Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend and Eberechi Eze. It worked to great effect at Selhurst Park in November but the talismanic Zaha will probably be missing tonight, like Rodrigo for Leeds.

For Leeds it makes sense not to be too defensive. Individually their defenders are mismatched against many of the very expensive forwards they regularly face, particularly with Robin Koch and Diego Llorente injured. Luke Ayling and even Liam Cooper are learning Premier League football, Pascal Struijk senior football and Ezjgan Alioski a new position.

Bielsa laughs it off when asked if he is proud that “almost everyone” views Leeds as one of the league’s most entertaining sides.

Just like his opposite number Roy Hodgson, another much-travelled management veteran, he is simply trying to play the way he thinks will be most successful.

“Like you said, almost everyone,” he smiles. “There are those who find it entertaining to face a side who concedes as many as we do. Our team, like all the others, chooses to play in a certain style because we think it’s what’s going to bring us closer to winning.

“The most important factor is the capacity to unbalance each player in their positions. If you take into account the form, the style, it brings you closer to the aspects that are most beautiful about the game, but the efficiency is the value we most look for.”

For all that, Bielsa seems wedded to playing the beautiful game beautifully, he is far too respectful to criticise those who are not.

“When we play against teams that want to dominate we have to have the ball more than they do and fight for this, to recover it and not lose it,” he argues. “We want to defend far away from our goal and attack closer to theirs, but this is disputed in these games, not like against teams that sit back (as Palace like to).

“Both things are very difficult if the opponent does it well.

“It would be difficult for me to pick what style I’d like to come up against. What I do like is to face a team who doesn’t manage to do what they’re trying to do.”

On that score, he is likely to be disappointed this evening.

Last six games: Leeds United LWWLLL; Crystal Palace WWLLDL

Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands)

Last time: Leeds United 2 Crystal Palace 1, November 24, 2012, Championship.