Marco Bielsa made an immediate impact at the helm of Leeds United. After years of strife at Elland Road, the Argentine taskmaster appeared to be the perfect man for the job.
A strong, demanding manager with lots of experience, he seemed like the ideal man to bring a bit of quality to Leeds, and he did exactly that quite quickly.
A big opening-day win against Stoke City, a 3-1 result, was an emphatic way to start life at his new club, and it continued that way for a while thereafter.
However, there have been signs that his spell is beginning to wear off.
Of course, for all of his quality, Marco Bielsa does have one big question mark hanging over his head, and it is one of longevity. He hasn’t stayed at a club for longer than a year since the 2014-15 season with Marseille, and he’s never been at a single club (barring international clubs) for longer than a couple of years throughout his nomadic career.
Indeed, he was at both Lazio and Lille for less than a year prior to moving to Leeds, and that says all you need to know.
It’s still early days, and he’s got time, but does he have the quality?
The problem for Leeds is that a manager like Bielsa often does have a limited shelf life. As mentioned, he’s a taskmaster. He demands a lot out of his playing staff, and whilst that does often work, eventually, it ceases to have such a dramatic influence. That method can be tiresome and, in many ways, it’s a little archaic. Jose Mourinho is another manager that has adopted a similar method of management, and that has backfired as of late.
Leeds have won just two of their last 6 league games, and that’s evidence enough that they’re in a rut. At the weekend, against West Brom, they looked like a shadow of their former selves, and it can be very difficult for a club to get out of that.
All signs point towards Bielsa not being a manager that has that quality. He’s always achieved quick success and moved on, but at Leeds – like at Lazio and Lille – he could yet struggle to do that. They’ve looked poor lately, and there’s no getting away from that.
It’s still early days, and he’s got time, but does he have the quality?
That remains to be seen.
Thoughts?
