Marcelo Bielsa's future as Leeds United manager remains up in the air but a mid-season change is highly unlikely, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Bielsa showing signs of recovery

The Argentine hasn't had the most impressive of starts to this season, with his Whites team languishing in the Premier League relegation zone at one point.

That being said, there are signs that Leeds are slowly clicking back into gear, with five points picked up in their last three games against Wolves, Norwich City and Leicester City.

It is now time for another international break, but Whites fans will hope that their three-match unbeaten run can continue away to Tottenham on November 21.

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The Latest: Hay discusses Bielsa's future

Bielsa's current Leeds deal expires next summer, and speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the Leicester game, Hay admitted there are still question marks regarding the 66-year-old's future at Elland Road when the issue was raised by a Whites supporter in light of a recent piece in The Guardian claiming that Leeds' fans faith in the manager could be tested by their poor start to the season.

The journalist responded by saying:

"This group of players have been coached and handled in such a specific way that I think it would be very risky to change manager mid-season.

"Also, Bielsa deserves time to address the first sustained dip he’s experienced. He’s been so good for so long and I’d like to think that his impact would be reflected in support for him when results turn against him (and I do feel like that support has been there, from the crowd and the club).

"Every project has a lifespan though. Assuming Leeds are okay this season, it will be very interesting to see what happens next summer.

"Do they continue or do the club try to go in a slightly different direction? Will Bielsa want year five? Plenty of questions, which was part of what my piece on Cooper was about."

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The Verdict: Still the right man

While it is important that things don't grow stagnant at Leeds, Bielsa has proven during his time at Elland Road that he remains the right man to take this team forward, unless they collapse between now and the end of the season. His record speaks for itself - they finished 13th in the Championship in the season before his arrival - and one bad period shouldn't lead to knee-jerk decisions.

The 66-year-old hasn't always impressed so far in 2021/22, but he has been missing some key players through injury and there are clear signs of improvement in recent games.

If Bielsa signs for one more year next summer, perhaps a younger replacement could then come in in 2023, at which point he may feel as though he has taken this team as far as he can.

In other news, three Leeds players struggled against Leicester - find out who they are here.