Marcelo Bielsa has taken a squad that failed in the Championship and has turned them into league leaders at the end of January.
Improving the players was one of the promises that Beilsa made to Leeds when he took the job, according to chief executive Angus Kinnear, who has also said that his methods have put “greater pressure and greater stress” on the players.
Talking on BBC Radio Leeds on Wednesday (West Yorkshire Sport Daily, 6pm), Kinnear said that “to a man” the squad has embraced that, but Kinnear was at pains to stress it wasn’t easy.
“The squad have been phenomenal and I don’t think fans are aware of how much change they’ve had to accept,” Kinnear said.
“I think there are lesser squads who would reject the changes, reject the demands that he [Bielsa has made].
“The squad to a man have unified, they’ve changed the way they work, changed the way they train, changed the way they prepare for matches. It’s put them under greater pressure and greater stress, but to a man they’ve embraced it.”
OPINION
Bielsa has worked wonders this season, taking a squad that no-one, especially the fans, had much faith in, and turned them into the favourites for the title with 14 games to play. That’s an incredible feat, but it hasn’t come without sacrifice. The players have suffered from a string of injuries this season and it would be tough to not level some of that at the intensive methods of their new manager, although some have been impact injuries. What an opportunity to grow as a player though. Kalvin Phillips and Kemar Roofe are two of the players who look like they could thrive in the Premier League now, and the emergence of players like Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton bodes well for the future. The big question on everyone’s lips at the start of the season was whether Bielsa’s Leeds side could maintain their energy through the winter months. Well, so far so good, in fact the next game against Bolton in 10 days’ time could be the first time the manager has had a full squad at his disposal all season.