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Is the appointment of Bielsa the best thing to happen to Leeds in recent years? - April 2021

There's a handful of managers in the history of football that have changed the face of the club they've been at the helm of. The likes of Herbert Chapman and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and, in more recent times, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City have each contributed a huge amount to their respective clubs. Marcelo Bielsa may not have quite reached the highs of these managers yet, but he has revolutionised Leeds United in more ways than one. Here's why his appointment might be the best thing to happen to Leeds in recent years.

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Even just on the surface, it becomes immediately clear why the appointment of Bielsa has been successful. Under his stewardship, they made it into the Premier League for the first time in 16 long years. What's more, it's certainly clear that he's going to keep them up with a squad that hasn't changed much from the Championship. The bookmakers support this as Leeds are priced at 8/15 to finish in the top half in the football betting on Space Casino, which highlights the confidence that they will not only stay up but also finish high up the table.

This rather impressive league position that Leeds have found themselves in over the course of the season can be attributed to the sea of great signings that the Peacocks have made. For instance, the acquisition of Raphinha from Rennes has given Leeds a much-welcomed addition of pace and movement to their midfield which, when combined with the tough-tackling and passing range of Kalvin Phillips, plays to the strengths of a manager like Bielsa. Their season has been characterised by a willingness to win the ball back and a desire to press that has given them some major results to be proud of - a 2-1 away win over Manchester City, the 5-2 smashing of Newcastle and a solid away victory over Leicester at the King Power are just some of those highlights.

In the existing squad, there's also plenty of players with potential who could grow into world-beaters. For example, Ilian Meslier, who turned 21 in February, could have a bright future ahead of him if his current career trajectory is something to go off. When he signed his first professional contract with FC Lorient, interest was shown by Chelsea and the French club at the same time rejected a €10 million bid from AS Monaco who, at the time, were building their own squad of French starlets with both Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe on their books.

What the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa has done for Leeds is usher in a new era that's been characterised by passion, power and performance. His tenure is likely to be remembered fondly by Leeds fans as and when he moves on. However, for now he's present at the club and he has consistently been there to make the club play better and get results.

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