Alex Neil shares what Bielsa told him about Preston, as Leeds boss waxes lyrical

It wasn’t an ideal night for North End, losing 2-0 at home to Leeds United.

Preston were second best in the first half but at least kept Leeds at arm’s length. Sadly, Ben Pearson was sent off for a third time this season, and it all unravelled from there.

Leeds seized full charge of the game, and North End struggled to get a grip of possession. Panic set in, decision making was erratic, and Leeds took their chance to strike.

Patrick Bamford arrowed long-range strike into the net after dallying from Daniel Johnson and Alan Browne. That would have been enough against a toothless 10 men, but more was to come.

Bamford headed home a second for Leeds, killing off the game. They head back into an automatic promotion spot, but Preston’s season appears to be over.

A play-off place now looks to have slipped away from North End, after three defeats in a row. There isn’t a great deal to shout about tonight, but Leeds boss Bielsa has at least praised us.

Speaking to Leeds Live, Bielsa has admitted he likes Preston’s style, manager and players. The legendary coach waxed lyrical about Alex Neil’s North End, which is somewhat surreal and a small glimmer of positivity tonight.

“We played against one team who I like how they play. I like their style, their coach and their players. They know their lines. We overcame the opponent with a lot of effort in the first half. The physical tempo was very high.”

Neil also revealed to North End’s official Twitter account that Bielsa spoke to him after the final whistle. Once again, the Argentinian hailed PNE as ‘excellent’, showing Neil is at least doing something right at Deepdale.