Sky Sports pundit and presenter Scott Minto has been left head over heels with what Marcelo Bielsa is doing at Leeds United after their win against Aston Villa.
The Whites came back from 2-0 down at Villa Park to grab a last ditch 3-2 win and cement their place at the top of the Championship pile in the last game for both sides before Christmas.
Speaking after the clash on Sunday, Minto was raving over the impact that the Argentine boss had had at Elland Road and insisted that the club were not leading the rest of the second tier for no reason.
In a video on his personal Twitter account he said: “What Marcelo Bielsa has done at Leeds is nothing short of exceptional. He’s only added a couple of players and one of those has hardly played this season.
“The way he’s improved his players, that everyone seems so well structured, knowing exactly what they’re doing.
“The question now is can they keep it going but the way they are with and without the ball, they’re top and top for the right reasons, they are the best team in the Championship right now.”
?| What Marcelo Bielsa has done at #lufc is nothing short of exceptional.
Looks like top 6 most likely for #avfc.
My review of today’s thriller at the Villa ?? pic.twitter.com/gynRduZRK0
— Scott Minto (@iamscottminto) December 23, 2018
Opinion
The difference from the Leeds side of last season to how they are performing during the current campaign is astonishing and Minto is absolutely right to focus on the Bielsa impact. Only he, his players and the backroom staff will know exactly what has changed behind-the-scenes for such a sensational turnaround to take place but it is clear that whatever has happened, it is paying dividends out on the pitch. Minto raises a good point by questioning whether the team can keep up their top quality performances for the rest of the season but at the same time that point could prove to be a moot one after their brilliant start to the campaign. They have put themselves in the strongest possible position and they know that if they keep playing the way they have been they will be champions come May. It is a much more favourable position to be in than that of say Villa, whose slow start and poor results has left them playing catch up despite proving to be another of the best teams in the division.