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Matthew Hobkinson

Leeds United news as Illan Meslier opens up on 'difficult' time at end of Marcelo Bielsa tenure

Here are your Leeds United evening headlines on Friday, March 24.

Illan Meslier discusses 'difficult' time under Marcelo Bielsa

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has revealed that it was "very difficult" to play under Marcelo Bielsa when things were not going well for the team.

Meslier joined Bielsa at Leeds for the 2019/20 season and has since gone on to establish himself as the club's first-choice shot-stopper. The Argentine brought a fast-paced, energetic and breathless style of football to Elland Road that saw some even call for his return to the club upon Jesse Marsch's sacking earlier this year.

Read more: Police close Leeds United stadium Elland Road following security threat

But Meslier has now revealed that it was not always fun and games playing for the former Leeds coach, as he reflected on the challenges of playing in Bielsa's side when results were not going their way.

"Fun? I don’t know," Meslier said when asked about what it was like to play under Bielsa. "I don’t think so. When you get the result, it’s alright. I have big respect for him but when it’s not working, it’s very difficult for us because we give a lot of effort but don’t get a result. It was difficult."

Luis Sinisterra opens up on initial Feyenoord struggles amid stop-start year at Leeds United

Luis Sinisterra has experienced a tumultuous debut season at Leeds United. He has been plagued by multiple injury problems, but also showed glimpses of his quality with three goals in his first three starts for the club.

The Colombian international landed at Elland Road from Feyenoord with a big reputation. He had just posted 23 goals in 49 games during his final season in Rotterdam, and had played a crucial role in leading them to the UEFA Europa Conference League final.

He was named in the Europa Conference League team of the season, and was also voted the competition's Young Player of the Tournament. Nevertheless, Sinisterra had to be patient before making his breakthrough in the Netherlands, and also admitted he found it difficult to acclimatise during his first year at Feyenoord.

Read the full story here.

Leeds United tipped for Premier League relegation by fan poll

Leeds United have been tipped to suffer relegation from the Premier League at the end of the season, according to a recent fan poll.

45% of football fans who participated in a Betfair poll expect the Whites to finish in the bottom three along with Southampton (76%) and AFC Bournemouth (63%).

Leeds climbed out of the relegation zone and into 14th place last weekend with a crucial 4-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux. Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen, and Rodrigo all got on the scoresheet as Javi Gracia registered the second win of his reign.

Read the full story.

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