Leeds United are a big team – a big team that shouldn’t be in the Championship. They’ve been treading water for years now, and Marco Bielsa’s task is to get them out of the league.
It’s largely gone pretty well, but the Peacocks aren’t in the best run of form. They’ve lost a few games recently, and their display against West Brom at the weekend was particularly concerning.
If nothing else, the game highlights that Leeds United will find it tough to get where they want to be at the end of the season, and Marco Bielsa isn’t going to have it all his own way.
That doesn’t mean that he’s not the right man for the job, though, because it’s evident that he absolutely is.
He’s proven that already this season. A handful of big wins put Leeds on the map early, and since then the Argentine has proven his managerial acumen on more than one occasion. He’s a tactical master, and the way that he’s set up his team to face many of the Championship’s biggest teams has been exemplary.
Take the opening day of the season, for example. His managerial quality was on fine display as his team destroyed Stoke City. They didn’t relent, and it was a complete shift from the Leeds of last season.
His management style, too, is what Leeds need. Sure, there’s an argument to suggest that his hardened and commanding leadership has a short shelf-life, but at the same time, Leeds have accepted mediocrity for too long. They don’t need someone nice, and whilst many would prefer someone with a little bit less of a rigid personality, the reality is that a manager like Bielsa will improve things dramatically.
His bags of experience are also vital. Granted, he’s never done it in England, but successful spells, particularly in South America, prove his quality. That well-travelled experience will stand him in good stead for what is undeniably a huge challenge in the Championship.
Marco Bielsa’s garnered a bit of a reputation for moving on from clubs quickly as of late. At Leeds, though, he must be given the chance to prove his worth – because he’s the best man for the job.
Thoughts?
