Ex-Leeds United midfielder Lee Bowyer has given his verdict on the club’s decision to sack Marcelo Bielsa last season.
Bielsa was fired back in February and was replaced by Jesse Marsch. It proved to be a vindicated call from the board, as the Whites finished 17th in the Premier League last season as they steered themselves clear of the drop, finishing three points ahead of Burnley, who finished one place below them.
Speaking to TalkSport, Bowyer said it was a ‘brave and bold’ decision to sack the Argentinian, particularly given the love that the supporters had for the former boss.
Bowyer stated: “I think it was a very brave and bold, and now looking at it, probably the right decision for Bielsa then to move on.
“But at the time I thought, wow, he’s loved unbelievably up there. I’m still in contact with people up in Leeds and the fans love Bielsa, so it was a brave, brave move. But it paid off, they’re still in the division, and hopefully they keep going from strength to strength.”
TIF Thoughts on Lee Bowyer’s comments…
We believe that Leeds’ decision to sack Bielsa was always going to cause a lot of controversy as he was loved by the fans. However, it was a gamble worth taking as they were able to stay up last season.
However, Leeds now find themselves in a similar position to where they were last season. The Whites are currently 15th in the league, only two points above the drop zone.
If the Whites are to surge away from the relegation zone and ensure survival, we think they need to look at options in January.
One area they are looking at is a striker. However, it appears that one of their linked targets could be joining another Premier League club, as Matheus Cunha has agreed on a deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Rodrigo has been their main source of goals with a tally of nine in the league so far. When you look at the rest of the squad, only Crysencio Summerville and Luis Sinisterra have netted more than one league goal.
So if Leeds are to survive in the Premier League, they surely need to at least bring in a proven goalscorer amid Patrick Bamford’s struggles to avoid a similar story when it comes to the manager’s position.