Phil Hay responds to ‘Frightening’ BT pundit claim about Bielsa future at Leeds
Phil Hay has hit back at Glenn Hoddle after the BT Sport pundit claimed it’s “frightening” that Marcelo Bielsa only signs short-term contracts at Leeds United.
Since joining the Whites in 2018, Bielsa has failed to agree any deal that lasts longer than a season with his most recent contract set to expire next summer.
The former Argentina and Athletic Bilbao manager has never spends too long in the same place but has spent more time as Leeds boss as he has done for any other club after winning promotion from the Championship in two seasons.
Hoddle is worried that Bielsa’s lack of a so-called long-term vision could be damaging for Leeds.
“The slight problem if you’re being a bit cynical is I’m not sure what contract he is on,” Hoddle said. “I think he is a person that goes 12 months at a time. That is not someone who is thinking of next season, and planning,” said Hoddle, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“So that’s a bit frightening to think that it is now or never and it isn’t worrying about the future – his or the club. There will come a time – and it is the sign of a good coach – to change things in order to survive. He might have to pull the reigns in at times.”
However, The Athletic journalist Hay has completely rubbished Hoddle’s claims.
He’s pointed on his personal Twitter account that there is nothing more long-term than the fact Bielsa has helped improve absolutely everything there is to improve at Leeds in his two-and-a-half years at the helm.
“Bielsa’s put the club in a position to redevelop and increase the capacity of Elland Road, fund a training ground more easily, work with vastly increased income. And so on. It’s not exactly Giggs for the rest of the season,” said Hay on Wednesday.
Pundits need to do their research
Hoddle is a man of vast experience in football but he’s got it completely wrong here. Just because you sign a new 12-month contract every year doesn’t mean there is no long-term plan in place.
Let’s face it. With the way clubs get through managers these days, does the contract actually mean anything?
Alan Pardew’s eight-year contract at Newcastle only expired in the summer. He left the Magpies in 2014.
Bielsa worked without a contract for most of the summer after winning promotion with Leeds because the club was so confident that he would put pen to paper on new terms.
Whether he will do that at the end of this season will remain to be seen but if he does leave, at least we know that he can leave with the club in a much better position than when he found it.
And that is the long-term legacy he’s going to have at Elland Road.