EFL player reveals influence of Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa

Cardiff City defender Cody Drameh has revealed that Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has told him to “be more aggressive and play on the front foot” while on loan at the Welsh club.

The defender joined the Bluebirds in January in pursuit of more regular first-team football and has helped Steve Morison’s side turn their fortunes around over the past few weeks – with four wins in their last five Championship games helping them move clear of the relegation battle.

Playing as a wing-back, Drameh has become a key asset on the right flank and even bagged an assist as a reward for his regular bursting runs forward.

In an interview in Cardiff’s programme (via Wales Live), the Leeds loanee revealed the influence that Bielsa was still having on him even while out on loan.

He said: “Some of the stuff you see on the pitch from me is definitely from Marcelo Bielsa and his coaching staff.

“Their feedback was for me to be more aggressive and play on the front foot and I think the manager here has brought the best out of me since I’ve been here.

“His desire to get me in was the main reason that I came here.

“As a player, you always want to feel wanted and it seemed like the perfect place for me to come and play.

“The emphasis has been on being positive and wanting to attack and he’s filled me with a lot of confidence to go and express myself.”

A 2-0 win against Coventry City last night has meant Cardiff have now opened up a 15-point gap between themselves and the bottom three, which will be a huge relief to Morison given his side looked like relegation candidates in the early weeks of 2022.

The Verdict

It’s interesting to hear what Bielsa and his coaching staff have asked of Drameh while he’s away on loan in the Championship.

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