Leeds United have announced the departure of their manager Marcelo Bielsa. The news broke out on Saturday night and were confirmed by the Premier League club on Sunday.He was exactly what they needed. But Marcelo Bielsa will no longer lead the West Yorkshire club. A terrible run of results has taken its toll on the charismatic tactician. Many Leeds fans found themselves torn between wanting their team to win and owing support and gratitude to the 66-year-old Argentine. It simply wasn’t working this season.After the latest defeat against Tottenham, the fourth in a row for the Whites, something had to change. Leeds let in 60 goals in 26 goals this season, including no less than ten this week alone. After securing just a single point in their last six Premier League fixtures, relegation is looking like a genuine possibility.Marcelo Bielsa, forever a Leeds United legend 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/D1MeJfH748— Joshua (@joshuacfirth) February 26, 2022 Leeds United, the sleeping giants of English football, spent well over a decade in the depths of the third-tier League One and the EFL Championship, with their top-flight days only a fading memory. The club that used to rule England needed someone with lots of knowledge and a big personality to lift them to the promised land. And that man was Bielsa.The Argentinean coach led the Whites to the promotion play-off semi-final in the first season, before winning promotion in his second. And he’s won it with style. Leeds played attractive, all-action attacking football and finished ten points above the nearest competitors.23.00: (1.60) Barcelona (4.00) Ath.Bilbao (6.50)They thrived back in the Premier League, gaining a reputation as one of the most entertaining teams in the 2020/21 season as they finished ninth and claimed some major scalps along the way. They took four points off Manchester City, who would go on to become champions, beat Tottenham at Elland Road and earned draws against Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.However, this season things look much different. Injuries to key players, fatigue and Bielsa’s determination to stay true to his tactical principles led to a significant dip in form. Ultimately, Leeds United’s Italian owner Andrea Radrizzani decided to pull the trigger and try to stop the alarming slide down the table.”This has been the toughest decision I have had to make during my tenure at Leeds United, taking into account all the success Marcelo has had at the club. With Marcelo as our head coach, we had three incredible campaigns and the good times returned to Elland Road. He changed the culture of the club and brought a winning mentality to us all. The moments created, particularly in the 2019/20 season and winning promotion to the Premier League, will of course live long in all our memories, myself and the fans included. However, I have to act in the best interest of the club and I believe a change is required now in order to secure our Premier League status. Recent results and performances have not met our expectations.”BielsaYear 1 – play offsYear 2 – took us up as championsYear 3 – top half of the premYear 4 – unprecedented injury crisis = relegation battleWe still have one of the best in world football and if you think someone could step in and do better give your head a shake #lufc— Elland Rd CornerFlag (@CornerFlag_ER) February 26, 2022 No official confirmation has come from the Elland Road club, but the media in England have all but named American coach Jesse Marsch as Bielsa’s successor. The 48-year-old Marsch is available having left Bundesliga side Leipzig in December after just five months in charge. He had previously enjoyed success at Red Bull Salzburg, winning two league titles and two domestic cups with the Austrian club.Whatever happens, Leeds fans will forever hold Marcelo Bielsa in the highest regard as the man who gave them hope and dragged them back to the Premier League after a 16-year exile.
