Bielsa Gone

[Well b back 3,280]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60529015

[KiwiScot 1,461]

Curse of promotion continues

[cambridgeshire canary 6,809]

But but but he's a genius cause he sits on buckets and can't speak English and he's gonna take Leeds to cup glory and champions league football.. Least thats what the media have been saying since Leeds were promoted. Strage how things change

Edited February 27, 2022 by cambridgeshire canary

[......and Smith must score. 1,360]

WACCOE seem less than impressed

[hogesar 9,753]

Theyre really helping me out with my Leeds relegation prediction. Chances of getting a better coach than Bielsa? Nil. Chances of getting a coach who gives them a better chance of staying up and being more pragmatic? Still pretty slim. 

[Making Plans 940]

I didn't realise that we played them yesterday

[OnDaBall 137]

It seems he isn't the footballing genius that all them experts pundits says he is.

[HazzaJet 256]

Bielsa busted. Should work as a spy for Argentina 

Edited February 27, 2022 by HazzaJet

[Ken Hairy 3,781]

I think this pretty much saves them, they were free falling to relegation with old one tactic. Bad news for Brentford. 

[sgncfc 1,259]

Getting Phillips, Cooper and Bamford fit will be what saves them. I still don't think Watford have enough to get out of it. Nor do we, unfortunately. It looks like them, us and one of Everton, Leeds or Brentford. Everton were excellent against Man City yesterday - should have drawn it if the officials had done their job. I don't think they will have a problem.

Our next two games may decide - perhaps we can drag one of them with us. Brentford still have to play everyone at the bottom - their fixtures are truly horrendous and lose to us next week and then Burnley, having just lost badly to Newcastle and they will be in freefall. For that reason I think it will be them who come down and Leeds and Everton will ultimately have enough.

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

17 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

I think this pretty much saves them, they were free falling to relegation with old one tactic. Bad news for Brentford. 

Or further condemns them to relegation. Bielsa got a very very average squad not only promoted but comfortably safe in the PL.

Other than Raphinha, Phillips and Meslier, it’s a bang average championship side.

They may stay up due to their being 3 worse sides (the 3 promoted sides are all championship standard) but Bielsa still made them a lot better than most coaches will manage. Can’t see them getting in someone who will be able to do more with that squad then he did.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,809]

6 minutes ago, sgncfc said:

Getting Phillips, Cooper and Bamford fit will be what saves them. I still don't think Watford have enough to get out of it. Nor do we, unfortunately. It looks like them, us and one of Everton, Leeds or Brentford. Everton were excellent against Man City yesterday - should have drawn it if the officials had done their job. I don't think they will have a problem.

Our next two games may decide - perhaps we can drag one of them with us. Brentford still have to play everyone at the bottom - their fixtures are truly horrendous and lose to us next week and then Burnley, having just lost badly to Newcastle and they will be in freefall. For that reason I think it will be them who come down and Leeds and Everton will ultimately have enough.

Cant help but wonder if Phillips will demand a move should they go down, fair to say he is much too good for them in the state they are in right now. Hell, he's becoming an England regular 1st team player.. Will that still be the case if he's playing in the championship?

[HazzaJet 256]

19 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Cant help but wonder if Phillips will demand a move should they go down, fair to say he is much too good for them in the state they are in right now. Hell, he's becoming an England regular 1st team player.. Will that still be the case if he's playing in the championship?

The only time I remember a player being called up from a 2nd tier side for the England’s senior team is when Fabio Capello called up our former academy keeper Joe Lewis from Peterborough, and that was only because only two English keepers from the PL teams were available - all the rest were injured! Might still get selected as he’s very popular under Southgate, but if Leeds go down I won’t be at all surprised if he departs to a 1st tier side!

Edited February 27, 2022 by HazzaJet

[Capt. Pants 4,278]

A new manager bounce might save them and they have luxury of us and Watford looking certs to go down.

Would love to see them go down what with their obnoxious arrogant fans.

[Ken Hairy 3,781]

29 minutes ago, Fiery Zac said:

Or further condemns them to relegation. Bielsa got a very very average squad not only promoted but comfortably safe in the PL.

Other than Raphinha, Phillips and Meslier, it’s a bang average championship side.

They may stay up due to their being 3 worse sides (the 3 promoted sides are all championship standard) but Bielsa still made them a lot better than most coaches will manage. Can’t see them getting in someone who will be able to do more with that squad then he did.

It's like us with Farke, he'd gone as far as he could, and was sleepwalking backwards. They were going down under him no doubt, now they have a chance.

If you listen to a lot of ex pros they pretty much all say sometimes even if you respect even like the manager, sometimes a dressing room gets bored of the same voice, same training routines etc etc and it just needs a fresh direction, this happened with us and I think has happened at Leeds too. 

The next couple of months will tell, but I no longer expect them to be relegated now. 

[Fiery Zac 1,066]

14 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

It's like us with Farke, he'd gone as far as he could, and was sleepwalking backwards. They were going down under him no doubt, now they have a chance.

If you listen to a lot of ex pros they pretty much all say sometimes even if you respect even like the manager, sometimes a dressing room gets bored of the same voice, same training routines etc etc and it just needs a fresh direction, this happened with us and I think has happened at Leeds too. 

The next couple of months will tell, but I no longer expect them to be relegated now. 

I agree a change for changes sake can make a difference. But I can’t imagine many coaches getting that squad playing better than they have under Bielsa. The injuries have been his downfall as, even though I don’t rate Bamford that highly, with the consistent amount of chances they create, he would and has scored goals.

Theyve rolled the dice but with Burnley with games in hand, Newcastle buying their safety and Everton with just about enough quality to probably get out of trouble, it’s between Leeds and Brentford for the 3rd relegation spot imo.

[DraytonBoy 162]

I guess the gloating is to be expected but Bielsa was so much more than just being a coach, he changed the whole ethos of the club from the academy upwards in less than four years and gave it an identity for playing an exciting style of football albeit with more than a hint of exposure should possession be lost. 

To the fans he will always be a god and without his arrival Leeds would still be stuck in the Championship going nowhere with a dwindling fanbase, in contrast today they have sellout crowds and 20K on the season ticket waiting list, that is 100% down to Bielsa.

Getting rid now is a huge risk but he was never going to change the way he wants to play and that is exactly what is called for given the position they're in so I guess the owners had no choice.  

[PurpleCanary 5,585]

I think it was when Bielsa took the Leeds job that one of the very top coaches, possibly Guardiola, was asked how good a coach was he and sort of dodged the question by saying something on the lines that he was a great theoretician of the game. The point seemingly being that there is a practical flaw in his methods which eventually leads to a recurring pattern.

[Ken Hairy 3,781]

Sounds like Jesse Marsch could be announced tomorrow, if rumours are to be believed........ Which they're often not 😁

[Crabbycanary3 994]

So, did Bielsa need an interpreter for the sacking, or did he get the jist, when he walked into the Boardroom and saw the long knives out?

Just trying to imagine the look on the interpreter's face as things were being explained

[Ken Hairy 3,781]

18 minutes ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

So, did Bielsa need an interpreter for the sacking, or did he get the jist, when he walked into the Boardroom and saw the long knives out?

Just trying to imagine the look on the interpreter's face as things were being explained

Perhaps the interpreter hasn't had the balls to tell him and Bielsa doesn't yet know he's sacked..... 

[Creative Midfielder 2,003]

5 hours ago, hogesar said:

Theyre really helping me out with my Leeds relegation prediction. Chances of getting a better coach than Bielsa? Nil. Chances of getting a coach who gives them a better chance of staying up and being more pragmatic? Still pretty slim. 

Exactly, another coach sticking with his principles to play exciting entertaining football sacked because he wasn't prepared to change to play standard EPL negative football to try and stay up.

The Leeds fans that I've spoken to are absolutely gutted, just as us with Farke they've seen the best manager they've had for years (possibly decades!) sacked and as you rightly say their chances of getting someone better in are absolutely zero (again like us).

Another reminder, not that I needed one, of why I hate the Premiership and the negative football it usually produces so much.

[Crabbycanary3 994]

4 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

Perhaps the interpreter hasn't had the balls to tell him and Bielsa doesn't yet know he's sacked..... 

Yeh, I was thinking Bielsa is going to turn up tomorrow, whilst the interpreter has rung in sick

[Worthy Nigelton 1,066]

3 hours ago, HazzaJet said:

The only time I remember a player being called up from a 2nd tier side for the England’s senior team is when Fabio Capello called up our former academy keeper Joe Lewis from Peterborough, and that was only because only two English keepers from the PL teams were available - all the rest were injured! Might still get selected as he’s very popular under Southgate, but if Leeds go down I won’t be at all surprised if he departs to a 1st tier side!

Didn't Darren Eadie get called up for Le Tournoi while he was with us but got injured and had to pull out? Or have I made that up!

[HazzaJet 256]

9 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

Didn't Darren Eadie get called up for Le Tournoi while he was with us but got injured and had to pull out? Or have I made that up!

I’ve read something about that happening a few times but have no remembrance of it, mainly because back in Eadie’s days I was just a young kid and didn’t follow football like I do now. Eadie was my favourite player in my childhood, and I was really sad to see him go to Leicester

Edited February 27, 2022 by HazzaJet

[CDMullins 446]

Bielsa was sacked by the Americans, who refused to invest further unless their man was placed in charge having become frustrated with Bielsa.

 

News of the sacking was apparent and leaked on Friday afternoon by players in the U23's.

 

It was confirmed at HT on Saturday, whether Bielsa knew it or not, the senior players did.

 

 

 

I don't get the Bielsa hype, Garry Monk finished in 7th with a similar squad to Bielsa.

 

He found them in the Championship and took what Leeds fans keep telling us is a 'massive club' to the Premier League so what's the big achievement, as he potentially leaves them back in the Championship.

 

Bielsa was schooled by Farke, Wilder and a novice Lampard in his first season.

 

They had a great Covid season, but so too did Sheff Utd the previous season, if anything that probably lead to his ultimate downfall.

 

Despite the sound bites from Pep, Klopp etc, he doesn't have much to show for his 32 years in management, particularly in Europe where he has one 2nd Division trophy.

 

What I will say, that to Bielsa was more to Leeds than just a football manager, as was Farke to us. What he did in the community was fantastic but ultimately as with Farke there's always an ending. There was a point where I'd rather lose with Farke than win without him and I think Leeds fans feel the same.

 

 

 

Football's about more than being in the Premier League.