The charismatic and influential Marcelo Bielsa’s incredible achievement to take Leeds United back to the top tier of English football after a span of 16 years has not gone unnoticed.
The bespectacled maverick from Rosario has transformed the club into a well-drilled, attacking-minded and seemingly tireless unit as judged from their first two games back in the Premier League.
Both games ended in a 4-3 scoreline: while Leeds lost against the defending champions Liverpool in the first game, they managed to grind out a victory against fellow newly promoted side Fulham in a goalscoring encounter at Elland Road.
The Whites secured their first points of the season, helped by a brace from Helder Costa, a Patrick Bamford goal and a Mateusz Klich goal from the spot.
Leeds United’s batch of 2020/21 are not only an incredible offensive unit, but the man they call ‘El Loco’ also has tireless hounds at his disposal, seemingly winning second balls with ease in their very first game playing against the defending champions of England to give them the toughest season opener one could ask for.
And Leeds’ philosophy as implemented by the ever idealistic Bielsa was summed up in one particular picture from the win over Fulham.
As Mateusz Klich was in mid-run up in order to take the spot kick in the 41st minute, he had an entire barrage of his teammates on their toes: running into the box to hit the rebound home while the Fulham players stood exhausted even before half time.
Bielsaball explained in a picture! We’re on our toes when they are exhausted#lufc pic.twitter.com/slpIPrHgkR
— LeedsAreGoingUp💙💛 (@leedsgoinguppp) September 23, 2020
Bielsa Ball is an amalgamation of free flowing possession play and relentless pressing: and it usually ends with the opponents breathless, tired of having the men in white running rings around them.
Elland Road is finally back hosting the Premier League after a long wait of 16 years ever since the club went bankrupt in 2004, but the return to the top tier of English football couldn’t be any sweeter as Bielsa’s defending champions of the English Championship would try to outdo expectations once again, to play in the competition where they think they belong.
