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Football

27th Dec 2020

Paul Merson rants about how Leeds fans should be furious at ‘Bielsa ball’

"Everybody's caught on now. They've all caught on, every manager. They've all caught on!" - Paul Merson on Bielsa's famous tactics.

JOE

We’ve rarely seen Paul Merson this triggered.

Whilst his Sky Sports colleagues Martin Tyler and Gary Neville were singing the praises of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, even after their 6-2 thrashing at the hands of fierce rivals Manchester United, dear old Merse was having none of it. In fact he was spitting feathers at their fans being so supportive of ‘Bielsa ball’.

“Everybody’s caught on now. They’ve all caught on, every manager. They’ve all caught on,” the former Arsenal man frothed about the Argentine’s famed tactics. “[Saïd] Benrahma plays at Leeds United. He didn’t play at Chelsea. Why didn’t he play at Chelsea?”, he continued to a grinning Jeff Stelling, as if squad rotation isn’t a thing.

Merson’s anger is in stark contrast to fellow pundit Neville who was previously gushing about the Yorkshire club: “I find it difficult to criticise them because they play with courage in possession and out of possession. They stick to their principles and believe in what they do.

But Merse was adamant. He even claimed that playing Manchester United at Old Trafford was the club’s ‘cup final’. “You can’t keep on playing this way. If I’m a Leeds fan I’m fuming. I’m fuming!” he raged. “[You] don’t go to Man United and get beat 6-2. It’s [their] cup final.”