Applaud Leeds for this appointment. Very brave. Could end up in disaster, or he could prove very exciting. Have a feeling championship players will find his methods tough to adapt to. Good luck.

Albeit the potential pitfalls and whether it will work , there is a perception that maybe for the first time in ages, a corner has been turned.

This is without doubt the biggest statement of intent by the club for a number of years.

One big positive, or possibly two, is that we didn’t get Bruce or McCarthy

I predict a spike in season ticket sales especially if we sign some proven quality!

Anyone else read all those articles a few years back regarding the colossal reinvention of Chilean football?

I did because one of my pals is from Chile. He put me on to the grassroots overhaul and this bloke called Bielsa. My pal was beside himself over what was
happening.

I'd forgotten about Bielsa the architect. But, we all saw
and remember that Chile team that burst on the scene.
And the quality players he brought through (one plays
for them). Skill, attacking, never stop running.

If he stays, and is supported (which I believe he will be)
it's not far-fetched to say he could reinvent Leeds.

batty i so hope you're right. fingers crossed.

Any Leeds player know he's in the 2nd division of English football and should want to learn and improve himself. Being better at your job means more chance for promotion or a much better job. Any Leeds player not exited, scared and looking forward to getting back to work is a lazy waster who doesnt deserve the opportunity.

All people need to do is look at someone that a week ago we were saying Wtf, no chance!..

We now have a very highly talked about manager, its now up to the players to bring his plan into play, we'll now see who were and weren't any good, because he'll bring the best there is out of whoever, and if he cant do that, then they're as bad as people have been saying!..

Hopefully he isn't given the choice of walking, because it seems he will check himself to see which of his targets are being chased!..

Be honest, how many of you had heard of him until he was linked with the Leeds job?

I hope he works out for you but it's hardly the second coming.

comment by For Fox Sake (U4263)
posted 13 minutes ago
Be honest, how many of you had heard of him until he was linked with the Leeds job?

I hope he works out for you but it's hardly the second coming.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no one said he was the second coming, but most know how he has managed in the past. i just hope we can get the players to do what he want's and that he doesn't get frustrated when things take time to gel.

Venables and Clough were useless. You can't compare Bielsa with those average coaches.

comment by For Fox Sake (U4263)
posted 1 hour, 17 minutes ago
Be honest, how many of you had heard of him until he was linked with the Leeds job?

I hope he works out for you but it's hardly the second coming.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I hadn't heard of Bielsa before the rumours started of him being in the running. There again, I tend not to take much interest in overseas football.

Having read about his history, his vision, training and tactics not to mention the esteem that many top managers and players hold him in, I have to say that I'm really excited to have him in charge of our team.

The fact that I didn't know him from Adam before has no bearing on the fact that getting him to manage Leeds United is an unprecedented coup for the club.

Those with a good general knowledge of football will have definitely heard of Bielsa. Apart from managing Argentina and Chile, his Atletico Bilbao side rang rings around ManU in the the last 16 of the Europa league a few seasons ago. Totally outclassed them. I remember the game well and Bielsa too. I’m amazed so many had never heard of him. Mind you it was about 6 years ago.

The big danger is that he will be working with players with a lower pedigree than the Argentine and Chilean national teams and the other clubs he has been at.

Can he adapt and lower his expectations due to their lesser abilities?

Good point JLA

comment by JonnyLosAngeles (My dad was made in Leeds) (U9756)
posted 52 seconds ago
The big danger is that he will be working with players with a lower pedigree than the Argentine and Chilean national teams and the other clubs he has been at.

Can he adapt and lower his expectations due to their lesser abilities?
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Or can he lift the average player and make him think hes as good as Tevez, Messi, Batitstuta, Sanchez, Vidal. Basically ghe opposite of the heads dropped UTD from last season

comment by JonnyLosAngeles (My dad was made in Leeds) (U9756)
posted 40 minutes ago
The big danger is that he will be working with players with a lower pedigree than the Argentine and Chilean national teams and the other clubs he has been at.

Can he adapt and lower his expectations due to their lesser abilities?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion this was Gary Mac's failing.

Whether it will be Bielsa's failing - who knows.

I've posted this before, but it gives me some hope. It's just a random post off Waccoe. Take it or leave it.
____________________

There seems to be a lot of confusion whether his style will suit the division and / or the players we have, so here is my point of view based on his time in Bilbao a few years ago.



Traditionally Athletic Bilbao have always been influenced by the English game and fans were very skeptical of Bielsa's tactics and general philosophy at first.



The group of players he had to work with were average Liga standard with two or three talented players like Javi Martinez, Llorente... signing a load of new players was not an option because of the club's policy to only sign local people.



Right from the first few fixtures the football was very slick with lots of movement but incredibly simple in terms of individual skill. Sometimes it was so quick it was difficult to follow - consequently the man achieved cult status for his incredible transition of what we're basically very average footballers.



He's not the kind of manager to demand three or four quality signings to be able to make the team work - he basically implements very clear and simple habits in the players so they can perform these tasks on repeated occasions during a match to gain small advantages with every movement or with every pass that the team carries out. it's very direct attacking football.



He spends hours studying matches and players so that he can correct repetitive mistakes for the benefit of the team. His genius lies in the way he simplifies complicated concepts so that the players have very clear idea of what they need to do.



he isn't crazy by any means - the man is a genius.

I have a good feeling about this and suppose ghe most exiting part for the next few weeks will be who comes and goes.

Id never heard of Bielsa. No interest in football outside of England

comment by Kebablegs (U17699)
posted 3 minutes ago
Id never heard of Bielsa. No interest in football outside of England
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Not a football scholar then. 3-3-1-3 formation for chile. Mad, but quite successful. That chile team gained many admirers for the way they played. Very unusual way to play. He’s a bit of a maverick, I’ll be checking in to see how it works for you. He’s usuaky a manager who has crafty technically skilled players to play his way, so I’m not sure how championship style cart horses (no offence) will mould- great appointment, brave and interesting. Good luck

Huge stamina required. We will need that when we play all the usual lot that show some passion and high intensity. Our guys have a lot of growing up to do over summer, bunch of soft cants.

Well, I hope it works out, you guys need to be back in the big league, your a big club and as much fun as I have laughing at you these days, not quite the same as beating you. Great ambitious appointment, well played- he needs backed though, money needs to be there, and an open mind to his ideas.

Whatever happens, the thought of Bielsa trying to get Grot, Ekuban, or Sacko to hit a barn door with a ball is almost as entertaining as him teaching O'Kane and Phillips to pass to one of our own players.

Spoke with a Chilean soccer friend about Bielsa today. I posed the question of can he work with lower level players?

He replied that Bielsa loves and embraces a challenge.

Chile was nowhere, very average international team and he transformed them.

Very positive feedback!

comment by Ellando (U12745)
posted 15 hours, 12 minutes ago
Venables and Clough were useless. You can't compare Bielsa with those average coaches.
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Disagree. Clough was one of the greatest managers the English game has ever had. Truly gifted but at times in self-destruct mode.

Imagine if things had gone differently at ER for Clough? He took Forest to domestic and European success. The problem for him was his obsession with Revie and wanting to enforce wholesale change on day one. Instead of trying to work with what was an aging squad he was intent on alienating it.

Venables also had success but was never right for Leeds United. Add in a club in financial chaos, a board unfit for purpose and key players being sold, it was only ever going to go one way.

Neither can be compared to a Hockaday who truly was useless but equally, neither were, in my opinion, the ilk of a Revie or a Stein.