Tim Sherwood has claimed that Leeds United have a “huge” budget, adding that Marcelo Bielsa is being paid “an awful lot of money” by the Championship promotion chasers.
According to a report by the Daily Mail in February, Bielsa is earning £65,000-a-week on his deal at Elland Road, making him the highest-paid manager in the history of the Whites.
Sherwood is seriously impressed by Bielsa’s leadership at Leeds and believes that he deserves every penny that he earns from the Yorkshire club.
“I think the budget’s huge,” Sherwood said on the Debate Live on Friday night [Sky Sports Main Event, 10:32pm]. “I think their manager is getting paid an awful lot of money. He’s a top manager.”
After being told that Bielsa is the highest-paid manager in Leeds’ history by David Prutton, Sherwood replied: “And quite rightly so. If he achieves what they want him to achieve, which is looking like he’s going to do it, then he’s doing his job right.
“He’s managed some of the best clubs all over the world. He’s highly respected. Pep Guardiola and [Mauricio] Pochettino, they all learned from him.
“He’s a good manager and he’s showing that. He knew nothing about the Championship either, but he knows about players, he knows about footballers. He knows about organising the team and getting them to play his way.”
OPINION
Sherwood has claimed that Leeds have a big budget, but do they really? They hardly splashed the cash in the summer transfer window. Patrick Bamford was signed in a hefty deal worth £7million plus add-ons while Barry Douglas was signed from Wolves for £3million in their only other permanent transfer. Ronaldo Vieira was sold to Sampdoria to make up most of that money back, so Leeds almost broke even in the summer. Kiko Casilla was their only signing in January and he joined on a free transfer, so there’s hardly a suggestion that Bielsa had some kind of massive warchest to help achieve promotion. Yes, he’s earning a lot of money, but that’s it really. Aside from the best manager in the division, Leeds are by no means a club that has a high wagebill. Look at how Stoke, West Brom, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough have spend their money in the Championship to really see how well-run Leeds are at the moment.