Gary Neville has told The Overlap that Leeds United were a “shambles” under Marcelo Bielsa during the Argentine’s time at Elland Road in the Premier League – which eventually came to an end in February, replaced by Jesse Marsch.
Bielsa is a Leeds icon. A Leeds legend with the club expected to rename the Thorp Arch training facility after the ex-Bilbao and Argentina boss. He ended a 16-year wait for Premier League football by guiding Leeds towards promotion.
But in his final season, it was chaos. The first season in the Premier League saw Bielsa take Leeds to ninth in the Premier League. However, the second seasons was woeful and after heavy losses to Liverpool and Spurs, Bielsa was sacked.
Marsch managed to save Leeds, but only by the skin of their teeth, beating Brentford on the final day of the season. Neville gave his verdict on Bielsa’s style at Leeds. He says that while he was loved by all, it was an utter “shambles”.
Under Bielsa though, I know we all love him, it was a shambles wasn’t it. It was absolutely all over the place. When it was going wrong, it was just, oh [wincing],” Neville said, when discussing Bielsa’s style of play on The Overlap.
Neville: Leeds were a shambles under Bielsa
Neville is simply focusing on the final few months of Bielsa’s era. But he is forgetting the Leeds side that finished in the top half of the Premier League, without fans watching, and beating the likes of Manchester City at The Etihad.
Yes, there were heavy defeats. Particularly to those at Old Trafford. But Leeds captured the hearts of Premier League fans, everyone’s second team. It got too much in the second season, and Leeds were defensively a shambles.
But Neville needs to remember just how good Leeds were in reaching the play-offs, then winning the Championship at a center and then, finishing ninth. Leeds were amazing under Bielsa, and only a shambles towards the end.
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