Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa blasted as ‘short-term’ loser by BBC pundit who hails Sam Allardyce arrival at Elland Road
Marcelo Bielsa is a “short-term” coach who loses games and players “love” to play for managers like new Leeds United boss Sam Allardyce, according to Troy Deeney.
The Birmingham City captain and BBC pundit has raved about the Whites’ fourth manager of the season and believes he will do the job of keeping them in the Premier League.
But at the same time he has singled legendary Argentine Bielsa, who was sacked last season, for criticism as he stuck up for the familiar British names that have come back into the league this year.
In his column for The Sun the striker said: “You can certainly say Sam’s brand of football is very different to Marcelo Bielsa’s high-energy attacking template.
“But I disagree with most Leeds fans, who seem to think Bielsa is a great manager. The Argentinian is a short-term boss whose sides lose a lot of exciting matches — but still lose them.
“After his first half-season in the Prem, teams started to suss Leeds out and a lot of his players got injured because they were burnt out.
“If Sam gets the couple of wins Leeds need, then I think he should stay on next season and make that team difficult to beat.
“Most players love managers like Sam because there is no bull[expletive].
“It’s funny how Premier League clubs keep appointing managers from all over the world and yet, when the chips are down, they turn to tried-and-tested men like Sean Dyche, Roy Hodgson and Sam.”
Meat and potatoes
There is clearly something to be said for a back-to-basics approach when anything more adventurous is proving beyond a team that is heading for relegation.
Allardyce himself has long been banging the drum of his reputation suffering because he’s British, and he was even rolling out his famous line “if I was called Sam Allardicio…” last week on his No Tippy Tappy Football podcast (27 April).
He probably didn’t expect to be parachuted in at Elland Road at that point but here he is, and fans will put up with any style of football over the final four games if it works.
However, few Leeds United supporters would choose Big Sam over Bielsa at any point, even if it meant relegation back to the Championship, because of the strength of feeling the former manager’s time in charge fostered.
There is obviously a place for the likes of Allardyce, Hodgson and Dyche, and in the right circumstances they can be very successful, but Bielsa’s legacy is secure and you likely wouldn’t find him claiming “if my name was” anywhere.
He did great things with the Whites, and thought the wheels eventually came off last season the struggles of the subsequent three men in charge suggests it wasn’t a particular failing of his.
It now falls to the fourth to try to rescue matters with backs firmly against the wall now.
In other Leeds United news, managers come and go but there is apparently no resolution in sight for one man stuck in limbo at Elland Road after a public snub.