Leeds press from the front whilst also using man-marking supporting the press, forcing the opposition to play backwards or kick the ball long. A key element of this pressing is how close the players are when getting to press their opposition. This type of pressing means that everyone from the striker to the centre-backs must be involved in getting the ball back from the opponents.
The defensive pressing system is based on two expected outcomes- winning the ball back from their opponents and creating a counter-attack or to force the opponents to hoof the ball up the field. Many people questioned if Leeds could continue to play this way in the Premier league and they have proven they can. This highly aggressive pressing was not the norm in the championship with teams usually preferring to regroup and get men behind the ball before counter-attacking. Under Bielsa Leeds have employed an aggressive press to squeeze and suffocate their opponents. Bielsa loves his teams to play with an aggressive press and a high tempo possession style. Marcelo Bielsa's footballing philosophy is not too dissimilar to that of Johan Cruyff.
