Paul Merson has claimed the Leeds United board would have had their hearts in their mouths when Marcelo Bielsa claimed this week that he has been spying on all the team’s opponents.
The high-profile pundit is convinced there would have been genuine nervousness among the Elland Road hierarchy when the Argentine dropped that bombshell at his Wednesday media conference.
But Merson does not believe Bielsa should be hauled over the coals for what he has been doing behind the scenes.
“I don’t think it’s quite as big a deal as everyone is making out, and at least he was honest about it. He could have denied it,” Merson told the Daily Star. “The club’s board were probably thinking: ‘Oh my God, what’s he doing now?’ when he admitted this week that he does it all the time.
“But I can’t get too worked up about it. Don’t punish the fans by throwing the book at them for that.
“But I’ll tell you one thing – he will find it harder to do that in the Premier League if Leeds get promoted because security is tight, fences are higher and you can’t get away with it.”
OPINION
Given Bielsa’s maverick tendencies and historical willingness to fall on his own sword, there is likely to have been some trepidation among the Leeds board when the Argentine went public with the real extent of his spying. While they would have appreciated the manager’s honesty and integrity, there is also likely to have been some doubt as to what the fall-out would be. The Football League and Football Association have both opened investigations, and have yet to submit their findings. Given that Bielsa has laid everything out on the carpet, it should not be too difficult to wrap up the matter soon enough. A rap over the knuckles and a fine would be sufficient to stem the manager’s spying. Certainly, the game’s officials must not go as far as deducting points from Leeds, not least because Bielsa has not broken any rule, or violated a law. It would be daft beyond belief if the governing bodies went any further with their punishment.