Marcelo Bielsa has had a whirlwind start to his tenure as Leeds United manager, with his side scoring seven goals in two Championship wins against Stoke City and Derby County.
A new test arrived in the shape of the Carabao Cup, where they faced fellow Championship side Bolton Wanderers. A new group of players would get the chance to show they can play the Bielsa way.
The Argentine boss made eight changes going into this game, and the big question was whether those coming into his new-look cup lineup could pick up where the others had left off in those impressive opening games.
This style has already begun to filter down through the club, with the under-23s playing a similar high intensity, pressing style.
The home side started well, with Bielsa setting them up in the 4-1-4-1 they have used in their two Championship games so far this season.
Defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips was one of the players to retain his place from the league XI, as did the most attacking of the three central players, the popular Samuel Saiz.
Alongside them, Lewis Baker came into the side, and though the Chelsea Loanee was regularly part of the four in front of Phillips, he wasn’t quite as attacking as Saiz.
The more advanced midfield pair linked up for Leeds’ second, scoring on the counter-attack following a Bolton set piece. Baker broke, Saiz scored. It was the goal their dominance deserved.
Patrick Bamford had put them ahead with a nice piece of play to nutmeg Jack Hobbs before finishing cooly past Remy Matthews. The new signing had missed an earlier chance, but made up for it with this neat move and strike.
Bielsa swiveled on his blue bucket, perched on the touchline observing but rarely interfering, apparently happy with the performance of his alternative XI.
The intense closing down across the pitch was still evident, even though the pressing as a team may have been a little ragged around the edges, occasionally leaving them exposed at the back.
But in Pontus Jansson they had a defender who was good at covering when required. His partner at the back, Luka Ayling, kept his place from the league lineup, but moved from right back to take up a position at left centre back.
Bolton were able to pull a goal back through Erhun Oztumer, but Leeds hung on. They finished the game having had 57 per cent possession, getting away 14 shots but allowing nine.
Defence is usually the first area to suffer when wholesale changes are made and Bolton might have done better with a few of the chances presented to them, but for Leeds the hallmarks of a Bielsa side were there, even if they weren’t firing on all cylinders.
The manager believes these players could step into the side if called upon in the league.
“Even if the starters were new ones, they respected the style of the team,” he said.
“Our offensive performance was good enough, and we could have won by a difference of two or more goals. The performance of the team was balanced and, if we needed, the players who played today could also play next Saturday.”
They face Rotherham at home on said Saturday, when they will be hoping to continue their impressive start and avoid a repeat of last season where they began impressively, but tailed off.
Bielsa’s intense style will also put this to the test, but the large squad at his disposal could prevent late-season tiredness. The players on show tonight could well find themselves featuring more regularly come the end of the long campaign, but for now they'll at least get another chance in the next round of the League Cup.
