Even after their spring slump, Leeds fans still have faith in Bielsa
By Amitai Winehouse For Mailonline 13:53 10 May 2019, updated 14:17 10 May 2019
Leeds face Derby in the Championship play-off semi-finals after finishing third
The Yorkshire club started strongly under charismatic boss Marcelo Bielsa
But his side have wilted in recent weeks, winning once in their last five games
As early as October last year, before Leeds had even lost a game under Marcelo Bielsa, there were private concerns that their blistering start would tail off.
It is easy to forget now that they have dropped into the play-offs that Leeds began the campaign with four impressive wins from five – a 3-1 victory against Stoke, a 4-1 demolition of semi-final opponents Derby and a 3-0 win away from home against eventual champions Norwich.
But issues had started to crop up. Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez, so integral to that early form, had picked up injuries. There was a little bit of chatter emanating from the club.
Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds have won only one of their last five matches in the Championship
They face Derby in the play-offs having missed out on automatic promotion to the top flight
Bielsa and his style have a reputation, after all. As Ander Herrera, who played under him at Athletic Bilbao said: 'It is quite a romantic view about football, but I can't lie to you, in the last months we couldn't even move. We had five games to play in the league and were in two cup finals (the Copa del Rey and Europa League) and I think we lost all of them (they lost both 3-0).
'Our legs said "stop". We used to play always with the same players and were not at our best in the finals. We were a completely different team than we had been before because, to be honest, we were physically f*****. We couldn't run anymore.'
It is worth noting that after the injuries, Leeds dropped a few points and then started picking up victories like a machine. Bielsa is like a prophet and the squad were all avowed converts.
They won seven in a row and shot to the top of the table. If fatigue was hitting, it was not obvious – they came back from 2-0 down at Villa Park on Christmas Eve to win 3-2 and scored twice in added time on Boxing Day to dramatically beat Blackburn Rovers.
The problem was that by any popular measure, the squad was vastly overachieving. Bielsa had inherited a team that slumped to 13th the season prior and had them playing some of the best football in the country.
Leeds began their 2018-2019 Championship campaign well but cracks have started to appear
Another blow to that already thin squad came. Samuel Saiz had not been providing the goals and assists that he had in his first season but if you watch back the first half of the campaign, he is involved in the build-up to nearly every strike.
He had already asked to leave Leeds in the summer yet was convinced to stay. However, Bielsa decided to replace him with Adam Forshaw in the starting line-up and, homesick, Saiz asked to be allowed to move to Getafe on loan and return to Madrid. A deal was done.
It did not seem like a problem at first, with the emergence of youngster Jack Clarke on the wing.
Then there was controversy. The Spygate drama unfolded and Bielsa's previously glowing reputation took a hit. He admitted he had sent an intern to observe training ahead of every fixture.
Leeds responded by beating Derby 2-0 amid criticism from Frank Lampard and ongoing debate across the media. The Whites' form has not been the same since, with eight losses in 19, although no one would suggest it was down to not being able to observe training.
Kemar Roofe, the man who started the season up front, has been struck by injury problems
What was also of note, although many did not spot it, was that during Bielsa's press briefing his desktop background had a video file on it. Keen observers noted that it referred to Daniel James of Swansea.
James was the only player Bielsa wanted Leeds to sign in January, aside from goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. He had identified the winger as the man to fill the void left by Saiz.
Leeds even got him in the door. A deal was struck by which Leeds would initially loan him with terms on a permanent deal agreed for the summer. He sat at Elland Road on deadline day, performed his basic duties as a new signing and waited. And kept waiting.
Swansea stopped answering the phone. Huw Jenkins, the then-chairman, refused to sanction the sale of one of the club's crown jewels and Leeds were left in the lurch. James was forced to leave Leeds, devastated by missing out on the move and potential promotion. No plan for an alternative to James was in place.
With Manchester United now close to a deal for the Welsh winger, it seems like a sliding doors moment for Leeds – and their season.
Bielsa has implemented his philosophy at the Elland Road club and it is starting to take its toll
Form soon dipped. Losses came, most damagingly against Norwich and then against Sheffield United. Clarke suffered from a virus at Middlesbrough and collapsed at pitchside before missing out on several weeks of football.
Still, Leeds kept ticking over. They beat Millwall courtesy of a Pablo Hernandez masterclass and when they took on Wigan on Easter Friday, automatic promotion was still in their hands.
Wigan suffered an early red card. Leeds went ahead through Patrick Bamford and as Wigan boss Paul Cook said, he was starting to worry how many they would lose by.
Bielsa then probably made the only tactical mistake he has made all season. He took off Kalvin Phillips and Tyler Roberts for Adam Forshaw and Kemar Roofe as he tried to push the advantage.
Wigan had equalised before the break and then after it went ahead through a rapid counter-attack. Leeds tried for an equaliser which would have kept them ahead in the race for second but could not break the Latics down. The players were on their knees at full-time.
Leeds were beaten by already-relegated Ipswich on the final day of the Championship season
Worse was to come. A loss at Brentford saw Hernandez, the architect of everything that had been good this season, break down in tears as promotion truly fell away.
Then a draw against Villa followed, including the huge brawl following Mateusz Klich's controversial goal. The manager, being the man he is, allowed Villa to score and that has been called 'El gesto del Bielsa' in his native Argentina. The myth grows. He has now, however, said Leeds will not put the ball out of play if an opponent goes down injured during the play-offs.
A defeat at bottom-side Ipswich on the final day rounded off an awful final four games. When Leeds went into the Wigan game they needed just 10 points to confirm promotion. They picked up one.
The narrative has inevitably been Bielsa fatigue, although the running stats have repeatedly shown Leeds are still working as hard as they were on the opening weekend.
What has been an issue is a lack of clinical touch in front of goal. Bamford has scored 10, been out injured with two seperate knee injuries and missed quite a few too.
Roofe, the man who started the season up front, has also had injury problems and his absence might have been more crucial than anyone anticipated. Where Ipswich scored three of their four shots on Sunday, Leeds took 13 per goal and even missed a penalty.
Tyler Roberts (C) is fighting to be fit for Leeds' play-off semi-final after suffering an ankle injury
Leeds go into the play-offs on a downer and it would be a struggle to back them. Yet there is optimism in that dressing room. Pontus Jansson, a big voice, said on Thursday: 'We decided at the beginning of this week to look forward to it and accept it. Don't feel sad that you lost automatic promotion. Use it as motivation.'
And they all believe in Bielsa. 'Every one of us would be legends (if we went up), especially Marcelo,' Jansson said. 'He's already God with the fans. How he's changed us and the club, he's the main man.
'Me, maybe when I came here I saw myself as the main man but not anymore. I'm just one of the players and I feel happy to be here. I'm blessed to be here.'
Leeds are now confident Bielsa will stay for another season, whether or not they win promotion. Some have observed the city has not been as united behind a manager since Don Revie. Fans have started suggesting keeping the manager is more important than promotion.
It has not been the perfect ending but the journey has had its moments. Leeds have won 25 games, the most since the 2009-10 season when they won promotion from League One.
Bielsa's reputation preceded him, yet those early doubts no longer exist. At their lowest point of the campaign, Leeds have the faith.
See more top stories from DailyMail