talkSPORT pundit Danny Kelly has heaped praise on Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, and said that the incredible Champions League clash between Tottenham and Man City was “pure Bielsa”.
The game ended 4-3 to Man City but Tottenham went through on away goals after winning the first leg 1-0.
Talking on Drive Time (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 4.30pm) Kelly was discussing what a good job Bielsa had done at Leeds, despite two losses over Easter meaning their automatic promotion hopes are now very slim.
“During that extraordinary quarter-final at the Etihad between Man City and Spurs, that’s what I was thinking about at home watching it, the effect on that from Marcelo Bielsa,” said Kelly. “Both Guardiola and Pochettino are obsessed with him, he trained both at various times, especially Pochettino when he was a kid at Old Boys, they’re obsessed by him. That’s one of the reasons that game was so nuttily intense with everyone going forward all the time, it was pure Bielsa.
“And what about the Leeds fans? I heard from a Leeds reporter friend they were supposed to be taking 20,0000 to Ipswich on the last day of the season for their promotion party. 20,000! That’s incredible. They’re like Man United fans, away. Man United away fans are right up there.”
OPINION
We were really looking forward to seeing Bielsa in the Premier League with Leeds, but their odds of making it back to the top flight have taken a knock over the past few days. They’ve already guaranteed a place in the play-offs and that might have to be their route back after two defeats have seen Sheffield United take a stranglehold on second spot. The high-pressing intense style of Bielsa is truly a thing to behold when it’s in full flow, but too often recently the Leeds side has flattered to deceive, dominating possession and not scoring enough goals. Bielsa’s job now is to lift his players and convince them that they can put the disappointment of not finishing second behind them and take the play-offs by the scruff of the neck. They’re good enough to beat anyone on their day, but with the likes of Aston Villa, Derby and West Brom also looking good for a play-off spot, it won’t be easy. We’d take a thrilling 4-3 like the Man City v Tottenham game in the final at Wembley.