This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Marcelo Bielsa is a genius of a manager.
It’s pretty much impossible to deny that the Argentine is one of the greatest footballing minds on the planet as he’s previously been lauded as the best coach in the world by Pep Guardiola.
However, despite his brilliance, he isn’t without his quirks, but it seems as if he’s changed the way he’s been approaching the media in recent weeks.
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Indeed, last season the 64-year-old was willing to spill each and every detail about his team in a pre-match press conference, even going as far as to name his starting XI days before a match.
At the beginning of this season, Bielsa stated that a fan had told him to stop giving the team away due to the advantage that it gives the opposition, and while he provided a rather tongue-in-cheek answer that day, it seems as if he’s actually taken a bit of that advice on board.
Bielsa hasn’t been giving away his team in recent weeks, and on top of that he’s actually been misdirecting opposition managers with his comments, and it’s been working an absolute treat.
Before the Boro game, he said that he was going to continue instructing his side to whip balls into the box from corners. In the end, Leeds would go on to score from a short corner in that game.
Ahead of last weekend’s Huddersfield match, El Loco was adamant that Ben White would be playing in Kalvin Phillips’ defensive midfield role, instead White stayed at the back and he brought Ezgjan Alioski into the midfield.
Of course, Alioski would go on to have a brilliant showing as he netted a screamer to break the deadlock while also picking up WhoScored’s star man award.
Bielsa’s new tactic of misdirecting opposition managers seems to be working an absolute treat as it adds a new element of unpredictability to Leeds.
They’re currently on a run of nine games without defeat and haven’t dropped any points in five outings.
Meanwhile, our writers have been pondering which striker Leeds should sign to replace Eddie Nketiah if he is recalled.