Speaking exclusively to This Is Futbol, Matt Murray has compared Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa with Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The former Wolves goalkeeper talked to us in great detail about Bielsa and Espirito Santo and why they are similar.
He said “I think if I compare and rate Bielsa and Nuno, I would use the word genius. I think they’ve come into England, both first arrived in the Championship – which a lot of people say is one of the most competitive and one of the most difficult leagues to get out of.
“Nuno did it at the first attempt. Bielsa should have, but then did it at the second attempt.”
Since both Bielsa and Espirito Santo have taken over their respective clubs, they have overseen a transformative period.
Former FC Porto manager Espirito Santo took his side from finishing in 15th place in the Championship to first, and has since led them to consecutive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League.
Bielsa, on the other hand, took the Whites from 13th place in the Championship to third before winning the division last season, and though they are currently 15th in the Premier League, Leeds were seven points clear of the relegation zone heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures, which is quite impressive.
Certainly, Murray is a big fan of both and continued to heap praise on them.
“I think they’ve both got sets of players that weren’t proven at Premier League level, but have gone and hit the ground running.
“You can see that they’re leaders of the club, and they’ve got a clear vision, clear power at the club – so there are so many similarities.”
Do you think Bielsa is better than Nuno?
Yes, he has done a better job
No, Nuno is better
It is very clear that Murray thinks that Bielsa and 46-year-old Espirito Santo are very similar, and he makes some excellent points comparing the two.
Another thing the pair have in common is that they’ve both been hailed by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, with Nuno Santo being called a ‘fantastic manager’ and Bielsa being called ‘unique’.
The two teams were separated by just three points in the table prior to this weekend and Wolves narrowly emerged victorious in the meeting at Elland Road last month.
However, it will still be interesting to see which team finishes the higher in the table by the end of the season.