George Overhill

Thu 9 February 2023 17:10, UK

Patrick Bamford has been branded “insidious” for his “very critical” comments about the Leeds United tactics before Jesse Marsch was fired by Simon Jordan.

The Whites striker’s post-match interview to BBC Sport following the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday (5 February) included reference to him being outnumbered by the home side’s centre-backs and has widely been interpreted as a criticism of the then-manager’s tactics, with the American sacked a day later.

And amid the faltering search for a successor, ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan dismissed the interest in Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola as part of the same syndrome of “organised chaos” seen under Marcelo Bielsa and Marsch while slamming Bamford for sticking out against his former boss.

Speaking live on talkSPORT on Wednesday (8 February, 10.30am) Jordan reacted to the pursuit of Iraola by saying: “All of that doesn’t fill me or inspire me with a great deal of confidence for Leeds…

“Bielsa was a lightning rod to get Leeds out of the Championship which cannot be taken away from him, but I also think, despite the hero-worship at Leeds there’s a distinct possibility he’d have got them relegated which would have been no use to man or beast.

“I get a bit tired of this analysis of everyone’s a disciple. Once upon a time it was Mourinho’s, then it was Guardiola’s, now it’s fashionable to be a disciple at the temple of Bielsa.

“If they’ve [found] someone who brings organised chaos then they don’t need any help with that, they’ve got that already, that’s what got them into this mess that they’re in. Jesse Marsch provided organised chaos.

“The team wasn’t not playing for him, the team were clearly playing for him.

“The players were clearly playing for him, albeit I didn’t like Patrick Bamford’s interview after the [Forest] game where I think he was very critical in a sort of insidious way.”

Messy

Bamford may or may not have been directing his comments at Marsch, but given the American was sacked a day later it is going to be seen that way.

The fact that Leeds United couldn’t win a game with the set up the former Red Bull Salzburg boss put in place is ultimately what lost him his job, whether or not the striker had anything to say about it.

But perhaps Jordan has a point though regarding the search for his successor, because this is the second relegation battle in a row that is shaping up in similar circumstances under separate managers.

It now appears Iraola may be out of reach anyway, but if Bielsa was supposedly ‘found out’ by the Premier League in his second season, and Marsch was never really a secret, then attempting to recreate the same ideas with a third manager might be asking for trouble.

Just as it can’t be argued what Bielsa achieved at Elland Road, it can’t be disputed that the Rayo Vallecano man is impressing in La Liga.

So the thinking among the Whites hierarchy seems to be that, having stocked the squad with players to fit this philosophy, if they can just bring in a coach who implements it better they will recapture the Bielsa heyday.

If it works it will be glorious, but if it doesn’t then it could be more of what the past 12-months have held so they have to be extremely confident in their candidates.

But as those candidates get taken out of the running that plan becomes a much shakier proposition.

In other Leeds United news, click here to see breaking, around-the-clock updates on Leeds’ search for a new manager in our interactive live blog.