OPINION
Simon Grayson delivered his verdict on Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa and it’s bound to leave many Leeds fans worried as a result.
The former Whites boss seemed to imply that he thought Bielsa could be burnt out after an intense season at Elland Road and that doesn’t sound good in regards to his chances of staying.
“I think also you got to realise and understand the way he works, the intensity, his attention to detail it’s a grind to do that in the Championship,” said Grayson on talkSPORT (as seen in a clip uploaded to the radio station’s Twitter account).
“Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, he’s not 35 or 40 or something like that, he’s been around the world done all the jobs but he would have found this year really tough with the level of the intensity of his study on his opposition and his work and what you go through as a manager.”
Grayson is spot on to point how the intense schedule of the Championship, with several midweek fixtures throughout the season, likely doesn’t mix well with Bielsa’s style of management.
The senior Leeds figure is known to be physically demanding of his side, as stated by the Mirror, and is known to do so much homework on his opponents as well as his own side; as he shared his methods earlier in the season.
Bielsa gave a presentation to journalists, as covered by the Independent, after the spy scandal involving Leeds and Derby become public knowledge, and the fact it was so detailed shows how much work he puts in behind the scenes.
This is especially the case when you consider that the presentation was probably only a glimpse into his methods.
So with that in mind and the fact Grayson is right to point out Bielsa is no spring chicken at the age of 63-years-old, this campaign must have taken it’s toll on him.
That means there is a realistic chance he may not want to do the whole thing over again by staying at Leeds, even though a recent report by Yorkshire Evening Post claims the club are growing more confident he’ll stay, and there’s a possibility that he could still be jaded going into next season even if he does stay.
So with that in mind, Grayson’s verdict has surely left many Leeds supporters worried about Bielsa.