There has been a lot written about Bielsa and besides a few deluded journalists, everyone without exception has only good things to say about him. There is widespread fear/panic in some circles that Bielsa may walk at the end of the season. The only way to guarantee Bielsa being here next season is for us to be promoted to the Premier League. Leeds wanted him to sign a 3-year deal but it seems he has only agreed to a 12 month rolling contract. According to Phil Hay, Bielsa is still angry at the disrespect shown to him by certain figures in English football and the EFL and the media. The club have responded well by giving him 100% support, but when everything about the man is all about his reputation, his honor, his word, his professionalism, his commitment etc, he has been kicked where it hurts. It's felt by many around him that promotion would see him able to pit his wits against Pep and Pochetino, as well as complete the task of rebuilding Leeds Utd. I for one hope he never leaves us, even if we fail this season. Bielsa is without doubt a unique character. He is a religion in Argentina and especially at Newells Old Boys. He is a religion in Chile as he built a top International side from nothing. He is a religion in Bilboa and elsewhere. fans love him everywhere he's been and yes he doesn't have a huge trophy cabinet except for in Argentina, but easily explained by him being mainly an International manager for most of his career. His time in Bilboa was legendary as he rebuilt a mediocre league team into a Champions league/Europa league high flying club. His Bilboa side completely smashed man Utd in Europe and made Ferguson's team look ordinary. Ferguson applauded him on the touch line after his team were battered and their was real admiration and a bow from Ferguson. The players who have come into contact him fall at his feet and that's no exaggeration. Top World class players think him a god, some of them have a big career as top players because he picked them from being average and molded them into something special. Every player at Leeds says the same and even young Edmondson has said today in the YEP that he feels great and the U23s and Academy are great all because of the Bielsa effect. The way he makes the U23s and U18s play the same systems as the first team, he says no team in the league has been able to live with them. So we may have a problem within weeks if our guy leaves the club. What do we do, where do we go? We know that if he goes his backroom team will go with him. Rob Price and his medical team should stay along with Carlos Corberan and Mark Jackson etc. We know there has been a complete culture change at TA and a lot of building and development work. It would be stupid to throw all that away, especially as we have won the U23s league, quarter finalists (so far) in the Premier League Cup, U18s may win the league too and our younger kids also winning cups and leagues. The club is flying so any new first team manager must be either someone who has nothing to do with the Academy or U23s- or it needs to be a Bielsa disciple and I feel Carlos Corberan could be that man. Corberan was brought in by Victor Orta, because he knew his work. Corberan is a friend of pep's and it was pep who insisted that his club signed Carlos. When Bielsa arrived he quickly got rid of almost the whole coaching staff, but insisted that Corberan should stay and he also made him first team coach as well as U23s. Bielsa told the YEP a few weeks ago that he listens to Carlos more than anyone and insisted he head learned some things from him too. I believe continuity is needed and Corberan should be able to do that. Bielsa doesnt speak to the U23s when he watches them, he leaves it all to Carlos because he trusts him. Fernando Llorente: "At first he seems tough and he may even annoy you with his persistence and don't take no for an answer resilience but in the end he is a genius." Javi Martinez: "There are days when he doesn't leave the training ground until the small hours, it is insane." Pep Guirdiola: "My admiration for Marcelo Bielsa is huge because he makes the players much, much better. Still I didn't meet one guy, a former player from Marcelo Bielsa who speaks no good of him. They are grateful about his influence on their careers in football. He helped me a lot with his advice. Whenever I speak with him I always feel like he wants to help me. He's the best coach in the world." Moricio Pochettina: "He is like my football father. We are a generation of coaches that were his disciples. How he feels football, the passion he has for football, I think we all took that from him." Johan Cruyff: "Marcelo Bielsa's Chile played the most attractive football in this World Cup." (2010) Diego Simeoni: "I have the influence of several coaches: Bielsa, Eriksson, Basile, they have all left a mark. Bielsa taught me the most." Benjamin Mendy: "He made me devour videos like never before. To begin with he put me in front of the videos and I'd fall asleep. But he was happy! I was shocked. After a while I stopped sleeping and told myself go on, I'll watch two minutes of this thing after all. After that he talked to me, I talked to him and we'd go over moves together. He told me, see, that's why I let you sleep. You slept, you slept, you slept but the day you decided to watch you got interested on your own. If I'd pushed you to watch you wouldn't have been interested. Marcelo is just too good." Alexis Sanchez: "I learned a lot from him and it is because of him that I am who I am. What I remember the most about Bielsa was the mentality that he tries his players to have." Diego Marradona: "For me what Bielsa has done is worthier than what Simeone has. Marcelo made a team out of nothing." Liam Rossenior: "This modus operandi has stemmed from Bielsa and I’m sure Guardiola and Pochettino would agree he was a key part of their football education, and if these young English players keep performing and improving under these principles – thus elevating our national team to new heights – then I for one will be raising a glass in appreciation to 'El Loco'." You cannot transplant in a Big Sam in the event of Don Marcelo leaving, it would need to be a coach like Simeone or maybe one of Peps or Poch's backroom team that have the same priorities, and values. If Bielsa annoints Corberan then our fans should accept it.
Don't get me wrong doc, but I am known to be rather pedantic. Surely what you mention above is a 12 month contract with an option of a further 12 months, not a rolling contract. P.S I also have a habit of reading things the way I want to.
In a way yes, but the pedantic difference is that you use the same contract and dont need to sign another if you stay. A good example is if you do a deal with service providor for business waste we'll say. The date on the contract of Dec 1st for a minimum period of 12 months. On Dec 2nd following year you automatically roll over the same contract for a further 12 months and no way out of it. So in Bielsas case unless he triggers the end of his present contract it will roll over for another year.
Great article. Did you write it yourself, Doc? If so, go on & write the book (serious, btw, you are a mine of information these days. Just as obsessive in gleaning data as someone else we all know! ). Re. the contract, sounds more like a 2 year contract with a 1 year break point to me. Thoughts?
What difference does the length of contract matter? None of them are worth the paper they’re written on. Bielsa can walk tomorrow if he wants or equally club could sack him in morning
Hope he’s around for another five years at least but that’s probably a tad optimistic. What’s your plans for Saturday jock
I genuinely have no idea! In the middle of a major £150k+ project to extend & adapt the house. Builder getting on fine. However, we had previously arranged a 1 month holiday starting on April 10th before I knew about builder's availability. This holiday period coincides with the spell where we should be most involved - layouts of bathrooms, tiling, kitchen, electrical points, etc. etc. All of which I have no clue about. Hence I'm up to all hours doing research & trying to make plans about things. Getting there, but v.slowly & the clock sounds lie it's ticking faster every day. I've had so many spanners in the works, I could open a spanner shop! Latest one is that I applied for out ESTAs for going to the States. Either it's changed recently, or Mrs WJ has been lying (she's done all previous applications). She got rejected for being disabled. So we now have to go to the US Embassy in London to apply for a visa. As if I didn't have enough to do. Bloody expensive too. I could go on (and I do!), but should have been onsite 10 mins ago Hope to tap into your itinerary to see your skinny arse again (barsteward!), so try to make it clear for the dim like me where you'll be & when. Just be glad that your life does not rely on me turning up, though! Would love to, but seriously running out of time before I go incommunicado.
You dont sound like youre retired Skinny arse will be at Witherspoons from 10 Peacock about 12.30 and Bremner suite before game. Taxi immediately after as usual to airport
