According to most sources, Leeds United have been in discussions for around two weeks with Argentine coaching legend Marcelo Bielsa. Some sources in Argentina put first contact around two months ago – but these discussions are coming to an end.
Leeds United fans have had to suffer a revolving door of relatively ‘nearly men’ when it comes to the last three seasons. From David Hockaday to Paul Heckingbottom, the Whites have seen turgid performances follow forlorn losses as their side has struggled to maintain any consistency and decent league position.
A source close to Marcelo Bielsa tells me he intends to sign his contract tonight and will become Leeds United's next head coach. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 14, 2018
I’m hearing from a source close to Marcelo Bielsa that the contract has been signed & emailed to club. I’m told Bielsa will travel to Leeds late on next week to start as the new #lufc head coach with a member of his backroom staff.
— Adam Pope (@apopey) June 14, 2018
Arguably the best of that three-season stretch was Garry Monk who gave Whites fan hope as he turned the Leeds United juggernaut around and had them in the play-offs for 26 games, 142 days. A drop in late-season form saw Leeds crumble and drop to a final 7th at the end of the 2016/17 season.
But Bielsa is not Garry Monk, not by any stretch of the imagination. He is a man held in high esteem by some of the best coaches in the world. He is known for the high-pressing fluidity of his favoured 3-3-1-3 formation that punishes sides who make mistakes in their own half.
When his name was first linked to the club, Leeds United fans were almost childlike in their exuberance and joy. And they have every right to be. They are getting a man who has coached both Argentina (2002) and Chile (2010) in World Cup finals.
When news broke earlier via both BBC Radio Leeds’ Adam Pope and the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Phil Hay (above), it was cue Twitter mayhem. You can read a sample of Leeds United fans’ reactions on the next page.
