Simon Grayson makes new Marcelo Bielsa comparison at Leeds United
Simon Grayson has gushed over Leeds United live on air in a new comparison to the title-winning team under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 after their record so far this season.
The former Leeds boss claimed the club’s recruitment in the summer has played a huge part in their success this season, with the strength and quality in depth making them better than Bielsa’s side.
Alan Brazil pointed out their record under Daniel Farke, with this team having earned five more points than Bielsa’s side at the same stage of the season, having scored more goals.
Brazil was speaking live on talkSPORT [7 February, 09:30] as he questioned: “So Simon, Leeds are five points better off at this stage of the season than Bielsa’s Championship winners of 2020, winning two more games and scoring seven more goals in the process.
“I was going to say, I’ve seen a lot of Leeds’ games, and the chances they don’t take… is that the difference at the moment?”
Grayson then explained: “I think so. I think their recruitment has been really good in the summer, Ampadu and Rodon at the back have been excellent.
“But they’ve got probably as good attacking options, not just the two wingers, centre-forward and attacking midfielder that play every week, but the lads coming off the bench, they know they’ve got to be on their toes.
“Gnonto has done well in his last couple of games but for the last couple of months he’s hardly been off the bench, and you’ve got [Jaidon] Anthony, [Joel] Piroe, I think they’ve got some really attacking options.
“I think they’ve got some really attacking options, Bamford has got back into the team and started hitting the goals as well so that competition for places and quality can really be the difference.
“I think they’ve got that difference this year compared to the Championship-winning team when they last went up.”
Daniel Farke and Marcelo Bielsa
It may be close to blasphemy in the eyes of many Leeds fans to compare any boss to Bielsa after what he did for the club and the situation he got them out of, inspiring his squad to make their first step into the Premier League after ten consecutive years in the second division.
In that respect, Farke’s job has been completely different. A relegated squad, albeit a depleted one after plenty of summer departures, had to be rebuilt in large parts, but that Premier League quality remained.
However, to have a better record at this stage than that Bielsa team, despite sitting third in the table as things stand, is an impressive achievement from the boss and they will be looking to turn this form into further success this season.
Jesse Marsch has previously spoken about finding it difficult to replace Bielsa at Elland Road with that weight of expectation on his shoulders and the adulation held towards the former boss, but enough time has now passed for Farke to be his own man.
In other Leeds United news, Brazil and Ally McCoist were stunned by the fans live on air.
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