The Bielsalution will be televised
Leeds United began their season with a bang on Sunday, as they swept Stoke City aside 3-1 at Elland Road. The Leeds players appeared to have got to grips with their new style of play very quickly, as they ripped through Stoke at will.
The appointment of Marcelo Bielsa raised a few eyebrows, as did his pre-match interview, but it looks like it will pay off going by their opening day performance.
The fans certainly seemed excited, which makes a pleasant change to the decade and a half of miserable mediocrity they have had to put up with. Their reaction to the opening 45 minutes of their season spoke volumes about the optimisim flowing around Elland Road at the moment.
Unfuckingbelievable !!!! It’s almost like watching Guardiola’s Barcelona from 10 yrs ago. Wrap Bielsa in cotton wool and don’t ever let him go!
— Noaman Saleem 🇬🇧 lufc (@Fasttopaz) August 5, 2018
Bielsa ❤️❤️… he’s going to make a revolution in the club and he’ll mark the players forever
— Juan Manuel Brusa (@juanmbrusa) August 5, 2018
Announce champions league
— ezgjan alishithouseski (@vidukabazooka) August 5, 2018
Joining in on the party was also Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, who played under Bielsa at Marseille. Mendy is clearly a huge fan of the Argentine coach going by his tweet in which he revered the ‘Bielsa effect’.
Reading the comments 😍😍 Bielsa effect 💪🏾🙏🏾 #ElLoco https://t.co/VKDqPqJWfR
— Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) August 5, 2018
Mendy is one of many beneficiaries of being coached by the pioneering manager whose philosophy forms the basis of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino’s approach to coaching.
Speaking about Bielsa’s effect on him as a player recently, he said: “From the day he arrived in Marseilles, I learned why they called him El Loco.”
“He was very professional, very serious. When he addressed the players the first time, he didn’t smile once. But when he talked about strategy, you could see the madness coming out. You could see his passion. You could see that he lived for football, for every detail. After the meeting, a teammate looked at me and said, “He is not normal, this one!” He was right. Bielsa is not normal. Who wants normal?
“I learned a lot from him by focusing on what others might say is “boring.” That is how Bielsa thinks about football: What if boring is where you gain the most advantage?”
It’s just the start but it’s no surprise that Leeds fans are already dreaming of a return to the Premier League.
