Leeds United fans must thank a surprising name in the shape of Victor Orta for launching the possibility of the exciting arrival of Marcelo Bielsa but could see a clash behind the scenes, according to journalist Phil Hay.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reporter states on his personal Twitter account that the Spanish director of football, who arrived at Elland Road last summer, is the figure who got a lot of work done early on to allow the Whites the chance to bring the former Lille boss in to replace Paul Heckingbottom this summer.
it's Orta who knows him and, to a large extent, Orta who laid the early groundwork for a deal so I'm not sure. But Bielsa is going to want serious authority. That goes without saying.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 11, 2018
However, with Orta currently in charge of transfers, acting as a right hand man to owner Andrea Radrizzani, Hay is uncertain that the current system can exist if Bielsa takes charge, with the Argentine coach set to demand “serious authority”, which could lead to a potential clash behind the scenes.
Opinion
The director of football approach is not favoured by many managers due to the fact it takes control out of their hands, and with Bielsa being an old fashioned sort of boss, he will want to be in charge of every single aspect when it comes to the footballing aspect of the club. Orta has not exactly shown himself to be a game changer at the top of the Elland Road pyramid and one has to wonder whether they would find themselves in this difficult situation had Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom been allowed to conduct their own transfer business. Still, credit where credit is due for giving Leeds the opportunity to try and convince the Argentinian boss to take charge at the club, and if he does arrive and is a success, then Orta will be deserving of the plaudits. Whether he stays in the job on Bielsa’s arrival is another matter entirely.