Phil Hay details Bielsa re-start demands after he showed up ‘without warning’ at Thorp Arch
If the Championship season does resume, as hoped, in mid-June, then the race for promotion will be on in very unusual circumstances for Leeds United.
It could come down to which teams are best prepared – and here, Leeds could have a big advantage.
Athletic journalist Phil Hay has said that Marcelo Bielsa turned up at Thorp Arch ‘without warning’ a couple of weeks ago.
He made some notes before disappearing again. Then, his list of demands appeared – and they’re 100% Bielsa.
As detailed by Hay: “Later that day, staff received a list of jobs the club’s head coach had set for them: paint fences, clean signs, conduct a general tidy-up. Make the place spick and span, according to his standards.
“Nobody has forgotten day one of Bielsa’s tenure when he arrived at Thorp Arch and immediately complained about scuff marks on a wall caused by someone leaning against it with their feet. It was, he said, a sign of disrespect for the building.”
We absolutely love this story.
Bielsa is obsessive and it’s this attention to detail that has worked so well at Leeds.
As Hay points out, Leeds will be best served when training does resume, if Thorp Arch is in a perfect condition.
The players might not object to a slightly scruffy Thorp Arch, but Bielsa demands perfection everywhere.
And, in these very strange times, what better way to kick off the preparations for the most important nine games in Leeds’ recent history than a training ground in ‘as new’ condition?
It also shows that Bielsa is still plotting every single aspect of promotion from his flat in Wetherby.
It’s hard to put into words what we think of Bielsa at the moment and what he’s done and is doing for Leeds.
It’s crazy to think that some fans were criticising him in the run of bad form around the turn of the year.
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