Quote Originally Posted by ozleeds View Post
He started Harrison and James on the wings with rod CS Raph was playing further back than usual. Who did you want him to play right and left-back? What is he supposed to do mind read what our players do? Last week meslier and ayling now James. Blame the idiot players for once. He worked out fripo is crap kept him out I don't know what more he can do.
Meslier isn't an idiot, not by a long ways, but he was drilled with idiot tactics as a keeper. He isn't an outfield player, he doesn't have outfield player skills, but Bielsa seemed to think that he was capable of dancing past attacking players like so latter day defensive George Best. He can't, but he has been expected to, and the defensive line has worked on the same basis. He did the same last season, and it cost us, but because we were "up there" with the gods of the PL, it didn't matter so much when things went t1ts up, not so this season.

As with so many other tactics, Bielsa knew how to get his GK to play one way, and one way only, "play out from the back", no matter how high the press, who the competition, whatever the game situation. As stupid then as it is now.