Slaven Bilic has defended the job done by Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United and has used the importance of some key defensive players for Liverpool as examples.
Bielsa was sacked by the Yorkshire club last week after a string of terrible results, leaving the team looking nervously over their shoulder in the fight to stay afloat in the Premier League.
Jesse Marsch was drafted in to replace him and he suffered defeat to Leicester City in his first game, although the team did turn in a much improved performance.
READ MORE: Michael Owen puzzled by Liverpool snub as he makes Man City claim
READ MORE: Liverpool sent Inter warning after 'horrible' Jurgen Klopp admission
Throughout the season Leeds have had a number of injury problems to deal with, with the absence of star forward Patrick Bamford hitting the team particularly hard.
Bilic believes that should be taken into account when assessing the job done by Bielsa, noting the impact it would have on Liverpool if Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were absent from their setup.
"He’s very passionate," said the former Croatia international. "I believe in my plans, but the way he believes in his plans are unbelievable. He’s not a young guy, but he based his whole career on that pressing game. All that man-marking system.
"It was working last season. It’s not about his plan. For me, his biggest mistake, if it was his mistake, it was not to buy a few more alternatives. For Bamford and for Cooper.
"People are forgetting that he lost Bamford, Phillips and he lost Cooper. It’s the spine of your team. Can you imagine Liverpool? They needed Alisson and Van Dijk to win the Champions League and the Premier League.
"Despite spending and having [Sadio] Mane and [Mohamed] Salah, this one and that one. Leeds lost that spine. They also lost that momentum of that first season."
