Former Premier League goalkeeper Robert Green is at a loss to explain why Marcelo Bielsa has not found himself at a bigger club than Leeds United after praising the Argentinian’s tenure at Elland Road.
Bielsa’s Leeds currently top the Championship after denying West Brom the chance to overtake them on New Year’s Day after coming from behind to draw at The Hawthorns.
With Leeds well-placed to end their 16-year Premier League exile, Green wondered why Bielsa had not been taken on at a more established top-flight club following previous spells at Lille, Marseille and Athletic Bilbao.
Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Green implied that Bielsa has shown at Leeds that he is worthy of being in the same league as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
He said: “You look at the clubs he’s been at – but it can be at times a real hit-and-miss scenario – there have been clubs where his way just hasn’t worked.
“He’s a bit of an enigmatic character, one of those geniuses, but you look at the people who have learnt from him and talk about him – your Guardiolas, your Klopps – then you say: ‘why has he not had the jobs that they’ve got?’
“I can’t fathom it because he’s turned Leeds into a team that play fantastic football at times and it’s really great to watch.”
Bielsa looks to have finally found a successful formula for Leeds to escape the English second tier with his side top of the Championship on goal difference with 20 games remaining.
However, despite Green’s opinion potentially being shared by Guardiola, who previously called Bielsa ‘the best coach in the world’, that has not been translated into the form of trophies, with leading Argentina to Olympic gold in 2004 being the 64-year-old’s crowning achievement to date.
His extremely brief stint at Lazio is an insight into his enigmatic tendencies, while the ‘Spygate’ affair of last season was a glimpse into the manager’s tactical approaches that made clear he is no ordinary coach.
While his lack of success in club football may explain why a job at the very top has deserted him, perhaps Leeds are the springboard on which Bielsa can demonstrate the kind of influence he can have on his team.
Leeds fans, how highly do you rate Bielsa? Let us know your thoughts below!
