David Prutton has told Sky Sports News (Thursday, 9.30AM) that Leeds United must return to the way they played under Marcelo Bielsa in the Championship next season – as the club’s 23-24 fixture list was released on Thursday.
Leeds begin their campaign with an innocent-enough home clash against Cardiff City on August 6. Then, it is a trip to Tyler Roberts’ new side Birmingham City, before hosting Carlos Corberan’s West Bromwich Albion on August 19.
A decent first five games, with a trip to Leif Davis’ Ipswich and hosting rivals Sheffield Wednesday – and we predict Leeds to win 11 points from a possible 15. But if Leeds are to do that, plenty of work needs to be done in six weeks.
Not long before the first outing at home to Cardiff. Leeds need a new manager, and to sort out the playing staff – with plenty set to leave, and many needing to be replaced. Prutton commented after the fixtures were released.
“They’ve got to turn it back to what it was under Marcelo Bielsa, a cauldron of energy, passion and work rate at Elland Road. They fell well short of that as they tumbled out of the Premier League,” Prutton said on Sky Sports.
Prutton says Leeds must return to Bielsa way in the Championship
Prutton is right. Leeds engineered promotion in 2019-20 because of their work rate, intensity, unrelenting fitness. The players we had were hardly any better than the other big clubs in the League. But our passion and desire was.
Will we get a Bielsa-type style out of Scott Parker, Daniel Farke or Patrick Vieira? Probably not. But, under any of the three, it will be attractive football, focused on attacking opposition and elements of a high press. Time to go, Leeds.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
