Back on June 15 this year, Leeds United pulled off quite the coup in confirming Marcelo Bielsa as the club’s new manager.
The 63-year-old had been out of work since leaving French side at the end of last year, and was lured to Elland Road by the Leeds hierarchy as they sought a replacement for the sacked Paul Heckingbottom, whom they relieved of his duties earlier in the summer after winning just four of his 16 games in charge.
And the appointment of the highly-rated Bielsa, who Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola regards as one of the ‘best coaches in the world’, was unsurprisingly meet by jubilation and excitement from Leeds supporters on Twitter…
We are DELIGHTED we got this done! What a show of ambition gaffa! @andrearadri! U have been doubted/questioned. But not 1 single fan can question u on this! MASSIVE! Thank you! MOT
— Jamie LUFC (@Jam13Simmo) June 15, 2018
Massive statement from.the owners to get someone like him in hats of to @andrearadri few decent players in now and I actually think it’s our year
— Jordan stephenson (@Jordstevo21) June 15, 2018
This is unreal
— gaz6 (@GarryCrawford6) June 15, 2018
EEEE IIII EEEE IIII EEEEIIIOOOO UP THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE WE GO
— Will (@will_robinson5) June 15, 2018
What a time to be alive #LUFC #MOT pic.twitter.com/yVS3mFONsn
— ‘Burrage-Light’ (@Nathaniellight7) June 15, 2018
Outstanding! #lufc pic.twitter.com/UTa3ISazEz
— Kieron Hall (@KieronHall90) June 15, 2018
Sensational news. Well done to our Chairman Andrea Radrizzani. Last season was such a disappointment, this gives hope to all Whites supporters all over the world.
— thebasement67 (@thebasement67) June 15, 2018
To all at @LUFC @andrearadri & his team huge congratulations on pulling this deal off, simply cant wait for the season to start – #LUFC
— Philip Turner (@oscars_vinyl) June 15, 2018
And while it may still be early in the Argentine’s reign at Elland Road, early indications suggest that those Leeds fans were absolutely right to celebrate the top-class addition made at their club.
Ultimately, it has been a testing time for Leeds given they have twice in the last two seasons got themselves into position to challenge for promotion, only to fail to get the job done – firstly under Garry Monk in eventually finishing seventh, and then again under Thomas Christiansen last season, who eventually lost his job.
And with Leeds’ wait for a return to the Premier League growing ever longer, several supporters felt that their side really needed to be bold with the next managerial appointment after the relatively safe Heckingbottom – and they certainly were in luring Bielsa to Elland Road.
And after ten games of the Championship season, it looks as though owner Andrea Radrizzani may have pulled off a masterstroke as Bielsa has led the Whites to five wins and four draws from their opening nine matches, thus seeing them sit atop of the second tier table.
But it’s not just the results which have been impressive, it’s the manner in which they have gone about getting them in playing free-flowing, intense football under the Argentine, sweeping aside the likes of Stoke City and Derby County in the opening few weeks to seriously make their intentions clear for the season ahead.
Obviously, there is still a long way to go, and Leeds have been in a similar position twice in the last two years and failed to achieve promotion, but things certainly feel different this time round, and that is chiefly down to the impact Bielsa has made.
Thus, with things seemingly heading in the right direction for the Yorkshire giants at present, and much of that down to the arrival of the highly-rated Bielsa, it appears as though those Leeds fans have certainly been proven right by their club’s top-class addition during the summer.
Leeds fans… what do you think? Let us know!
