Report: Bielsa to walk away at end of season

[Shadwell White]

I think Carlos Corberan leaving to get managerial experience was part of the Bielsa plan for continuity when MB decides to retire. However, I'm not sure that they factored in the fact that he might get Huddersfield promoted to the Premiership. His team are on a great run at the moment.

[PhoenixUnited]

Sooner or later MB will call it a day in the same way as night will follow day. MB will be the one to decide; he ain't going to get pushed out that's for sure. He will be forever in our hearts and is truly a legend.
The good thing is that the powers that be at LUFC seem to have their eye on the ball and appear to have a succession strategy, The trick is to pick out the replacement that will take us forward and upward. We can but wait and hope

[The Fonz]

I agree one day he will call it a day but I hope its not too soon he's 66 and plenty have managed into their 70s.
Roy Hodgson must be the current oldest Premier manager at 74.
Ferguson & Raneiri managed Prem teams into their 70s

[TelfordLeeds]

Most of the players are only really top championship players that Bielsa has moulded into a competitive top flight side. Lose Bielsa and most of the players will need replacing in order to maintain the status quo. Add on top another half a dozen that everyone bangs on about to give the squad depth. This is totally unrealistic from a financial perspective. We will get our players back from injuries one day and the gap to the U23 top players will get ever smaller. We need Bielsa to stay for another three years to give us the only realistic chance of breaking into the top 7 and Europe anytime soon. MOT

[Leicester White]

I'm not saying I want him to go but I do wonder if we are at a point where fresh perspective is needed.

Following Bielsa is going to be a tough act but it is going to happen.

In my time watching football the best club achievements (I'd describe building a dynasty) have been when managers have been given time and developed players along with adding a few bargain signings.
Obviously I think of Revie and Wilkinson here but add to that list the likes of Shankly, Fergie, Wenger, etc.
I can't seriously think of one manager we've had between Wilko and Bielsa who I would want back in charge here to take us forward so I think the mistake many fans make is assuming the next man will do better when in reality it is very unlikely.
My hope is when Marcelo eventually calls it a day its someone that has worked with him that continues the job, would not be gutted with Carlos Corberan.

I know the playing field as changed in football especially with the amount of money some teams have available despite the myth called FFP. Only my opinion but I've no respect to the Manchesters, Chelseas, etc whose success is achieved by buying everyone else's best players (because they can afford to pay more salary), its unethical and not really sport in the true meaning of the word.
I really would hate us to go down that route, buy players for some positions yes but those that are still "work in progress" not to take away your rivals strength.
Maybe I've become too principled in believing the sport is more important than the rich winning by buying success but that is how I see things even if it means the club I love sticks to principles and fights with one hand tied behind our backs.
However think of the pleasure we would get if we produced a team that one day beats those that try to buy success, we should always believe its possible.

The other difference these days is of course social media where everyone has a platform to express an opinion and many think they can do better than those running the club. I'm sure in the real world its not quite as easy as putting names on a piece of paper.

100% behind Marcelo until he calls it a day.

I agree with your thinking here - the longer we have Bielsa, the better. I'd add O'Leary/Gray into the Wilko type mix. And who knows what Big Jock would have achieved - I suspect a lot - https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/foo ... ge-1016065

[Metro1962]

IF Bielsa were to go at the end (I do not think he will as I believe he will stay and will continue building this team up ready for European footie ) where would he go in football terms anyway?

[Selby White]

IF Bielsa were to go at the end (I do not think he will as I believe he will stay and will continue building this team up ready for European footie ) where would he go in football terms anyway?

As I said earlier I want him to stay and actually think if/when he calls it a day here it will be either to retire or go to his other love back in Rosario.

[CheeznOnionPasty]

I have two hopes with Marcelo.

1. He gets to go at his time of choosing and is never pushed out.
2. He stays involved in the club in some way shape or form.

There's a lot of nuance behind that first statement, too much for a short forum post but suffice to say that I recognise he has to continue to perform at a certain level in order to never be pushed.

The second point reflects the transformative impact he's had across the football club, it's not just about the performance of the first team on a Saturday afternoon (leaving TV/EPL/FA scheduling issues out of it!!) but as others have stated, it's about the way the academy, u18s, u23s have all been transformed and the footballing culture/style/philosophy is consistent from top to bottom, it's the new pool and upgraded training facilities, the new running track, the way the behind the scenes staff are treated.... and on and on and on and on and on.... Once he's done being our manager I'd give the guy a Technical Director position or make him a technical advisor to the board or something if he can be persuaded.

As for who succeeds him, if I were in Radz shoes I would continue to do things a bit differently, I would involve Marcelo in the selection of his replacement - which practice, whilst almost unheard of amongst football managers, is exceedingly normal when influential senior executives leave any other business. Marcelo should at the very least be a part of the selection panel alongside Orta, Radz and whoever else is participating.

Stating the obvious but it has to be someone stylistically very similar, preferably someone Bielsa has worked with before. At one end of the spectrum you'd have the champagne and $$$ options like Pochetino, Sampauli and Simeone, whilst on the other end you'd have newer coaches like Carlos Corboran or perhaps lesser known ones (in the UK) like Marcelo Gallardo or there's a young German manager whose name escapes me at the moment but he's a Rangnick and Bielsa devotee.

This discussion reminded me of this great video about Marcelo's influence (a few of the names I mentioned are in this video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClsORIWnbQY

[Emley White]

I have two hopes with Marcelo.

1. He gets to go at his time of choosing and is never pushed out.
2. He stays involved in the club in some way shape or form.

There's a lot of nuance behind that first statement, too much for a short forum post but suffice to say that I recognise he has to continue to perform at a certain level in order to never be pushed.

The second point reflects the transformative impact he's had across the football club, it's not just about the performance of the first team on a Saturday afternoon (leaving TV/EPL/FA scheduling issues out of it!!) but as others have stated, it's about the way the academy, u18s, u23s have all been transformed and the footballing culture/style/philosophy is consistent from top to bottom, it's the new pool and upgraded training facilities, the new running track, the way the behind the scenes staff are treated.... and on and on and on and on and on.... Once he's done being our manager I'd give the guy a Technical Director position or make him a technical advisor to the board or something if he can be persuaded.

As for who succeeds him, if I were in Radz shoes I would continue to do things a bit differently, I would involve Marcelo in the selection of his replacement - which practice, whilst almost unheard of amongst football managers, is exceedingly normal when influential senior executives leave any other business. Marcelo should at the very least be a part of the selection panel alongside Orta, Radz and whoever else is participating.

Stating the obvious but it has to be someone stylistically very similar, preferably someone Bielsa has worked with before. At one end of the spectrum you'd have the champagne and $$$ options like Pochetino, Sampauli and Simeone, whilst on the other end you'd have newer coaches like Carlos Corboran or perhaps lesser known ones (in the UK) like Marcelo Gallardo or there's a young German manager whose name escapes me at the moment but he's a Rangnick and Bielsa devotee.

This discussion reminded me of this great video about Marcelo's influence (a few of the names I mentioned are in this video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClsORIWnbQY

Top post that mate, totally agree with everything you say

[Clarke One Nil]

However we end this season, I think it is important that Bielsa stays. Many football clubs have a bizarrely short term approach to decisions when compared to any other business of similar scale.

A successfully growing business in any other sector wouldn’t say ‘it’s unacceptable that we haven’t overtaken, within four years, the industry leaders who have hundreds of millions more resources that we have, so we’ll fire the manager or spend money we can’t afford and that isn’t in our business plan.’

That’s not even taking into account the joy that our football of recent years has brought to Leeds fans and football fans generally, which was never going to provide a continuous upward curve.

I’m relatively optimistic he will stay as Leeds owners seem to be level-headed people who will stick to their plan rather than panic because of a short-term dip in fortunes.