It would be nice if he felt the love. But I’m fine with it just being a job for him if he gets us promoted.

My gut feel is it will mean a lot to him professionally. He gets the plaudits of his contemporaries as a great coach who improves players - but he has a relatively empty trophy cabinet. He demanded and got full control of the club from a football perspective. He says he is happy with the transfer policy. In other words this is his baby. He has full control of his project to do his own way. It is essentially a case study for his philosophy. So I’m sure it matters hugely to him... but it probably could be anywhere.

He will be 65 nearly if promotion is achieved. He will be a very different person to the one at Newells 20 years ago. Not just the environments and logistics of it all but we all change as we get older.
I honestly think he will hug a few folk, pick up his bucket and go home to watch videos of Premier League opposition.

Completely agree it could be anywhere, I’m
Not under the illusion that he’s suddenly in love with us and become a fan etc.

This is however one of his longest club tenures, not a Mediterranean club and England and Argentina have some history between them, but if he goes up with us I hope it cements a special relationship and that he lets some of that show.

I’m a sentimental old fool Jonty, I agree it would be nice if showed the love.

Jonty - what I would really like to see is you not picking out every minute negative you can find to the nth degree about our club. Can you not just simply celebrate the fantastic two seasons Bielsa has given us whatever happens. I’m buzzing for the way we pkay football. Simple as that.

In answer to the OP, yes, I want to add my voice to wishing/hoping that Bielsa fully embraces success ... if and when it comes👍😁

Btw, 5 stars from me😁👍

Would take playing Man Utd every week at the moment, they are not the team they were.

I think we saw the real Bielsa when Bamford scored that goal in training. I think he loves it when the team show they've understood.

I think Bielsa does feel a connection to the city. There is a language barrier but that doesn't stop you loving a place or communicating with people.

It's been said before that he doesn't take jobs anywhere, he learns about the city and region too. He's mentioned himself he finds a lot of similarities between where he is from and West Yorkshire. He's been seen out at some castle or hall someone last season during an international break. He cares what we think - Phil Hay revealed that all his articles last season were apparently translated for Bielsa and he clearly knows what the fans are talking about with his long answers the other week.

He's not someone who shows emotion very often but we have seen it at times.

“We are not the love of his life. We're some club the other side of the world with a language barrier away from his family.”

How do you know that he feels this way?

Did he tell you?

It’s called an opinion Jonny. We are allowed to have them you know.

Comment deleted by Article Creator

I thought I saw a clip of him hugging Alioski at full time or am I delusional 😂

Sorry liw pressed delete as I meant to press reply

I think/hope the same, that there is a connection, I think he’ll run around the pitch and there will be a pitch invasion and he’ll just bask in it, deservedly so.

Totally agree, brilliant article

I myself hope he’s fallen in love with us.. would be such a nice touch to see us home after the years of football and crap players.. he has the potential to become a real legend.

He’s just not the usual personality you’d expect either,. sort of Roy Cropper esk.. totally love the man

comment by The Spanish Italians - its all going to end in tears (U21595)
posted 14 minutes ago
Totally agree, brilliant article

I myself hope he’s fallen in love with us.. would be such a nice touch to see us home after the years of football and crap players.. he has the potential to become a real legend.

He’s just not the usual personality you’d expect either,. sort of Roy Cropper esk.. totally love the man
----------------------------------------------------------------------
good analogy spanish. i think uder it all he'll be happier than a pig in sh!t.

'We've seen some frustration from Bielsa but also the gold standard in professionalism, dedication, and no one, but no one can accuse him of not giving 100% to us over the course of a season and a half.

Things have not been perfect, but they really could not be much more so than they have been in terms of what he has given us.'

Excellent comment, Jonty. Hopefully he cements his place in our history with promotion, and success in the Premiership. It is important to remember what makes Bielsa such a giant of a man.

Purgatory - just about sums it up!

Great post, Jonty.

I think, bearing in mind he clearly has an emotional attachment to Newells - and importantly, it's vice versa in that Newells fans love him in return - we can suggest that Bielsa has a "romantic" nature.

I don't mean that he sends Valentine's cards or any of that nonsense. What I mean is he engages with the emotional demands of football - the tribal aspect of "belonging" to a particular club, which may have a particular story.

He could easily have walked away following the disappointment at the end of last season. No-one would have thought any worse of him for doing so: he was brought in to get us promoted and he failed because the board didn't invest in the squad efficiently. But he didn't.

He stayed on and took responsibility. For Bielsa, it may be that because LUFC is a particular club, like Newells, and has a particular history and a particularly passionate fanbase, he has connected in the same way, is engaging in the same way as he does with Newells. He's a passionate man - he's walked away from some big jobs because he felt disrespected.

I don't think he'll stay if we fail again this year, but if we do go up, I have high hopes his emotional engagement with the club, our story, the fans, the city, the region, etc., will "compel" him to continue.

Our story is a romantic one - the last sleeping giant of English football and all that. Dalgleish identified it and Radrizzani bought in to it - and I think Bielsa has as well.

And I wonder what he could do with players of higher quality! Our current squad, not that much changed since Bielsa's arrival, were a pretty mediocre bunch under TC and Heck. Every player has upped his game to the max (perhaps with the exception of Kiko Casilla?) I wonder what Bielsa could do with some seriously topnotch talent...

comment by Jaz63 (U8369)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
Great post, Jonty.

I think, bearing in mind he clearly has an emotional attachment to Newells - and importantly, it's vice versa in that Newells fans love him in return - we can suggest that Bielsa has a "romantic" nature.

I don't mean that he sends Valentine's cards or any of that nonsense. What I mean is he engages with the emotional demands of football - the tribal aspect of "belonging" to a particular club, which may have a particular story.

He could easily have walked away following the disappointment at the end of last season. No-one would have thought any worse of him for doing so: he was brought in to get us promoted and he failed because the board didn't invest in the squad efficiently. But he didn't.

He stayed on and took responsibility. For Bielsa, it may be that because LUFC is a particular club, like Newells, and has a particular history and a particularly passionate fanbase, he has connected in the same way, is engaging in the same way as he does with Newells. He's a passionate man - he's walked away from some big jobs because he felt disrespected.

I don't think he'll stay if we fail again this year, but if we do go up, I have high hopes his emotional engagement with the club, our story, the fans, the city, the region, etc., will "compel" him to continue.

Our story is a romantic one - the last sleeping giant of English football and all that. Dalgleish identified it and Radrizzani bought in to it - and I think Bielsa has as well.

And I wonder what he could do with players of higher quality! Our current squad, not that much changed since Bielsa's arrival, were a pretty mediocre bunch under TC and Heck. Every player has upped his game to the max (perhaps with the exception of Kiko Casilla?) I wonder what Bielsa could do with some seriously topnotch talent...




----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree with that, I like to think we have a connection but recognise and respect that Newells is first love.

As much as I want promotion for myself and other fans I want it for Bielsa. I want it so that when journalists or fans question his achievements he can just say look at Leeds.

I know he wouldn’t say it arrogantly, but everyone would know he succeeded where not only others have failed but others didn’t even want to try at this club, as Phil Hay says, this club was not for them.

That Roy Cropper comparison hilarious Spanish!
Lets hope the outcome is less “Roy’s Rolls” and mor Roy of the Rovers!!

comment by foreverpeacock (U6617)



posted 4 hours, 12 minutes ago


That Roy Cropper comparison hilarious Spanish!
Lets hope the outcome is less “Roy’s Rolls” and mor Roy of the Rovers!!

--------------------



its Bamford turning into Haley I'm worried about

comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 2 days, 3 hours ago
It’s called an opinion Jonny. We are allowed to have them you know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah, it’s your opinion, fair enough. I just didn’t read it that way.

Opine away! 😉