Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, Seb Stafford-Bloor discussed the future of Leeds United manager, Marcelo Bielsa.
Since arriving at Leeds back in summer of 2018, taking over following a 13th placed Championship finish, Bielsa has significantly turned around the form of the Whites, overseeing 86 Championship matches, winning 47, drawing 17 and losing 22 – guiding the club to a third-placed finish in his first season in charge – eventually losing to Derby County in the play-off semi-final – and currently has the team sitting top of the table with just six fixtures remaining of this season.
However, despite the club currently being on course to ensure that they are playing Premier League football at Elland Road next season, in recent comments made while speaking on the Football Writers Podcast, Seb Stafford-Bloor raised some concerns regarding the future of Bielsa at the club.
He said: “I mean, there are no guarantees that he would stay at Leeds. Bielsa – above all else – is a bit of a contrarian. He is not an orthodox thinker in terms of where he commits his future. He’s always made a big thing of making his coaching decisions based on what he’s going into in a three-dimensional sense.
“So, the squad, the team and the resources, yes, but also things like the city. He’s one of those guys wants to get a feeling for his environment. Now, what would be fascinating is, if a takeover came in – if it happened – I don’t think Bielsa is ideologically the fit for that, because it changes what Leeds are.
“And I think there’s a very real possibility that – probably not this summer – but at least within a year, he walks away. I don’t see that kind of coaching style with all the intensity that comes with it and the research and the dedication, you [Bielsa] just can’t stay in the same place for that long.”
TIF Thoughts…
Stafford-Bloor’s comments are certainly surprising, as, with Leeds being so close to securing Premier League football for next season, one of the last thoughts on our minds is the idea that Bielsa could potentially walk away from the club.
However, this will likely be a worrying claim for Leeds supporters due to the success that the manager has had with the Whites.
Bielsa has overseen an impressive win percentage of 53% during his tenure at Elland Road (per Transfermarkt), which is a percentage level with Don Revie as the highest of any Leeds manager in the history of the club (via The Yorkshire Evening Post).
So, if the Argentine was to walk away from the club eventually as Stafford-Bloor suggested, that would presumably be a huge blow for the Yorkshire outfit.
Can you see Bielsa leaving the club?
Yes
No
Considering how successful he has been with the club in the Championship, though, surely it could be argued that Bielsa possesses the coaching ability to make Leeds a success in the Premier League and, with the prospect of a potential takeover, if he were to be given significant funds to help him shape his squad, it could only really be a positive for the 64-year-old.