Marcelo Bielsa remains a beloved figure among Leeds United supporters, despite it being more than four years since he left Elland Road.
Former Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani recently claimed that he regretted sacking Bielsa in early 2022, when he could have backed him properly in the transfer market.
Bielsa is a hero for countless Leeds fans who revere him for ending their 15-year wait to return to the Premier League and then making his team play some glorious football as they finished in the top half in their first season back in the big boys’ club.
However, for people outside Leeds, it’s hard to gauge his impact on the club, and former Chelsea star Joe Cole has launched an uninformed attack on Bielsa.
Read More: Gabriel Batistuta makes a Marcelo Bielsa admission that Leeds fans will love
“Marcelo Bielsa is not a proper manager” – Joe Cole
Uruguay needed an 80th-minute goal from Maximilian Araujo to ensure Marcelo Bielsa’s side earned a point in their opening World Cup game against Saudi Arabia.
Joe Cole is not a fan of the Leeds boss and insisted that the Argentinian is nothing more than a myth after winning just three top-flight titles in 30 years.
He disregarded his achievement at Leeds and feels the reason for his hype is that Pep Guardiola called him the managerial ‘god’. But the former midfielder sees nothing in his CV to think that he is a proper good manager.
“I think he’s a myth”, Cole told The Rest Is Football.
“I’ve done my homework; he’s been managing for over 30 years. He’s won three Argentinian titles.
“He won the Olympics, but that’s a youth tournament, and won the Championship with Leeds. Leeds fans won’t be happy, but I have no plans on going there anytime soon.
“Guardiola has given him the big write-up. Pep says ‘oh he’s the God’. For me, he sits on a bucket and doesn’t do much else.
“Three titles in 30 years, not for me. A massive reputation, he keeps getting jobs, but he’s never done a sustained period where you’ve thought ‘that’s a proper manager.’”
Cole doesn’t get it
Marcelo Bielsa is revered not because his trophy cabinet is bulging; he is loved because of the football his teams play and the impact he has had on a generation of managers and players.
Pep Guardiola travelled miles to meet Bielsa in Argentina and discuss his coaching principles. Maricio Pochettino and Diego Simeone are his disciples.
Leeds fans adore him not because he got them promoted, but the way he made them feel about their team after spending years in doldrums.
The supporters turned against the management when they sacked Bielsa, even though he was not getting the required results; Leeds fans were prepared to go down with him.
For Cole, who has turned into another talking head in the football media, it would be hard to understand Bielsa’s impact when he has not been in that environment.
Joe Cole is not a pundit but a retired footballer making controversial comments to get noticed because he is largely ignored. My advice to Joe is that it is far better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt
That’s rich from a bang average player
Who’s Joe Cole?
3 more than you’ve ever won ,you have never liked leeds ,hope you enjoy the championship