Sky Sports pundit Brian Deane has thrown his backing behind Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa after he demanded his side award Aston Villa an uncontested goal in a controversial clash at Elland Road.
The Whites took the lead through Mateusz Klich despite the Villans appearing to stop play for an injury, before the away side were allowed to walk through unchallenged, aside from a defensive effort from Pontus Jansson, to score an equaliser from the kick off.
Bielsa had been seen remonstrating with his side to allow the goal to be scored and Deane has applauded the Argentine for his show of sportsmanship.
Speaking on Sky Sports News‘ Football Centre (29/04, 10:36) , he said: “I think it’s a good reflection of him as a man and a manager. I think it was the right thing to do under the circumstances.
“If you counter that by saying that you should always play to the whistle, there is an argument there. That’s how Leeds United as a club should be remembered, for fair play and I think the manager reflected that really well.
“There’s a lot of talk about things that have happened in the past and I don’t think that is a fair way to reflect on what Leeds have achieved this season.”
Opinion
The scenes at Elland Road were scarcely believable for fans and it seems there will continue to be plenty of aftermath despite the game having finished in a draw. You can be sure that Deane was not the only person watching on who was left applauding Bielsa’s decision to demand his side gave Villa a free run at goal, but at the same time there will be critics, mainly those of a Leeds persuasion, who believe that the away side should have played to the whistle. This is the sort of incident which is going to divide fans straight down the middle and it all part of what makes football such an exciting and unpredictable sport. If Bielsa’s side were still chasing automatic promotion, would he have been making the same demands? That is one for the fans to argue over, but you imagine he would not have been adverse to keeping that one goal lead until full time if that were the case.