Leeds United's Marcelo Bielsa takes satisfaction from second-half performance at Brighton and Hove Albion

Marcelo Bielsa took positives from a second-half Leeds United performance which could have earned a win which in truth their football did not deserve.
MIXED DAY: Marcelo Bielsa gives instructions to RaphinhaMIXED DAY: Marcelo Bielsa gives instructions to Raphinha
MIXED DAY: Marcelo Bielsa gives instructions to Raphinha

Substitute Tyler Roberts had three good late chances but was unable to beat Robert Sanchez, leaving Leeds to settle for a 0-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion, who were the better side throughout.

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Lacklustre Leeds United escape from Brighton and Hove Albion with a 0-0 draw

"In the first half the differences were very big in their favour," said the Argentinian. In the second half we managed to play as equals, we defended better. We created chances - not too many.

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"In the first half we didn't defend well and we conceded a lot of chances at our goal.

"We didn't take advantage of the moments where we had the possibilities to create danger.

"In the second half we defended better and we created four or five chances at goal and that allowed us to play a more balanced and equal game.

"I don't ignore the performance in the first half but I hope the performance in the second half is a starting point to grow.

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"If we united the first half against Tottenham and the second half here we would be satisfied and if we united the first half here and second half at Tottenham, we would be dissatisfied. The equilibrium of the team is broken very easily and you have to pay a lot of attention, realise why this happens and try to resolve it.

"That's what I try to do and I was unable to achieve it."

Leeds had to reshuffle midway through the first half, moving Kalvin Phillips out of the centre of defence, moving Diego Llorente inside from right-back, and putting Stuart Dallas there having started in midfield.

Bielsa rejected the suggestion his team was confused in the early stages.

"The formation of the back four is the same idea as the game against Tottenham," pointed out Bielsa.

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"Considering their left winger (Jakub Moder) as a winger who made diagonals into the box, their No 9 (Neal Maupay) as a player who tended to drop deep and then go back into the box, and their No 2 (Tariq Lamptey) as a player who liked to go on the outside,this position was similar to the one we came up against against Tottenham.

"Evidently it didn't work so I distributed the players again, not so much defensively, because Phillips as a right centre-back was playing well and Llorente as a right-back wasn't playing badly, but in the middle of the pitch I had the impression it wasn't a consistent midfield from Forshaw and Dallas. After I decided for Dallas to come back to right-back, Llorente at centre-back and Phillips at defensive midfield.

"It's probable the players could feel affected due to the movements, but anyhow Dallas has played as a right-back and a No 8 an infinite amount of times. Phillips has played as a centre-back standing out and his normal position is central midfield and the two times Llorente has played right-back this season, he hasn't had difficulties.

"It's possible the changes of position affect them, but I would have to rethink this subject."

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Junior Firpo struggled at left-back and was substituted at half-time. Pascal Struijk - whose half-time introduction for Phillips was tactical, Bielsa explained - has been in good form on the left of a back four in the last couple of matches, but the coach explained why he was on the bench.

"Pascal wasn't in condition to play 90 minutes," he said.

"I thought it was convenient that he came on because he do so as a centre-back, left-back or defensive midfielder.

"I tried to reserve him and see how the team evolved and to utilise him where I felt was necessary."

Manager Graham Potter was pleased with Brighton's overall performance, but frustrated that a combination of their finishing and Illan Meslier's display condemned them to a ninth straight game without a win.

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"It was one of those nights were the ball didn't go for us," he reflected. "We did everything but score. We created some really good chances.

"We weren't good enough to get the three points. In the Premier League you have to keep trying to pick up points. The challenge for us is to maintain that performance level and we'll get the wins - I'm 100 per cent confident of that."

Meslier pushed a first-half shot from Leandro Trossard onto the post, the goalkeeper's best moment in a good performance.

"I think the combination of our not-so-good finishing and the Leeds keeper meant we couldn't score," said Potter.

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