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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has admitted that his “body’s confused” in an interview via Leeds Live following the pre-season trip to Australia, and it may well be a case of ‘I told you so’ for manager Marcelo Bielsa.
On the chalkboard
The Argentine is known for being meticulous in his planning and his training practices, and he is reported to have been at loggerheads with those upstairs at Elland Road with the prospect of his players having a 48-hour round trip to the southern hemisphere – as well as two matches down under – just a few weeks before the Championship season gets underway.
His reservations over the long-distance journey have been further shown by the fact that only 16 of his players travelled, with the majority of the club’s new signings – aside from Jack Harrison – remaining in England so he can ensure they are preparing in the right way for the 2019/20 campaign.
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Bielsa could be in Oz for as little as 36 hours as he plans to take charge of the clash against Manchester United on Wednesday, but as of yet is undecided on whether he will actually remain in Australia for the fixture against the Western Sydney Wanderers in Paramatta on July 20.
Bittersweet for Bielsa
While the South American boss has likely been proved right with his concerns, he now has to analyse how it could affect his players ahead of an important season.
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If Bamford is suffering now following the long flight, he could easily suffer from the same issue when the squad return to England later this month.
Bielsa’s game-plan demands hard work and pressing, and as a result he needs his team to be in peak physical condition when they face Bristol City at Ashton Gate in their opener on August 4.
This trip will be viewed as completely unneeded from his point of view even if it is a positive for the club, and the 63-year-old must now do everything he can to ensure it doesn’t have any long-lasting effects.