Leeds United succumbed to their first defeat of the season in the Championship as they narrowly went down against Swansea City by one goal to nil. The Swans are now on top of the table, and they are the only team in the Championship who are yet to taste defeat this season.
Former Leeds United striker and BBC commentator Noel Whelan meanwhile believes that its time for Bielsa to give Helder Costa a run in the first team. United’s summer signing has only made substitute appearances in the Championship so far, and his only starts have come in the Carabao Cup tie.
Whelan suggests on how might Costa fit in
Whelan recently said (BBC), ”It’s not easy for the manager to pick teams. Helder Costa I’d love to see start from the beginning. Maybe Harrison drops out for a bit, but he’s done so well.”
Jack Harrison has been with the Whites from the last season, and maybe that is the reason why Bielsa is trusting on the English winger so far. Harrison has improved since last year, but he still has a tendency of being wasteful in the final third. To be fair, he did have a decent game against the Swans, but Whelan’s comments have some mileage.
Why might Bielsa be persisting with Harrison?
Costa meanwhile has assisted three times so far in all competitions and has managed to make a meaningful impact off the bench. Harrison probably triumphs the Portuguese in terms of tenacity and work rate and that is very critical in Bielsa’s setup. Costa is someone who has more flair to his game, and on his day, he can be a match-winner. However, there would be occasions where he would be guilty of giving away possession cheaply.
Maybe Bielsa wants to have an explosive option on the bench like Costa who can trouble defenders with his pace and direct playing style when the opposition is tiring out in the final 15-20 minutes. We have seen since the last year that the Argentine manager is somewhat reluctant to give new signings chances in the eleven straight away. However, we think that Bielsa should provide the former Benfica man starts in the eleven after the international break.
How can both Harrison and Costa fit in?
Another way through which both might be able to start is if Bielsa can drop someone like Forshaw and Pablo Hernandez plays in a central role which will vacate the right-wing for Costa. Harrison can continue down the left flank in his usual position. However, it will be harsh on Forshaw who has done well in central areas this season.
