Putting up two fingers to football
MARCELO BIELSA began his unexpected press conference yesterday by apologising for not fully understanding English customs.
The controversial Argentinian then followed up with a tradition in this country that dates back to Agincourt by raising two fingers to football in general, and to Frank Lampard in particular.
There were warning signs, of course. Twice in the opening exchanges of his presentation, he made it clear that the Derby manager had refused to accept his explanation as to why a Leeds official driving a club vehicle had watched the Rams train from a public road.
So he went on to make public the tricks and tactics Lampard has worked on during his six months in charge. In glorious detail. Thanks to Bielsa, the whole world now knows it is significant when Harry Wilson holds up two hands before a set-piece.
We also know Derby have four systems of playing, although 49.9 per cent of the time it is a bog-standard 4-3-3 formation.
And football is a small world. If they bothered to tune in, the Southampton coaching staff might have picked up a pointer or two less than three hours before facing County in last night’s FA Cup replay.
Presumably, footage of yesterday’s press conference will become must-watch TV for every other Championship rival still to play promotion hopefuls Derby this season not blessed with the budget for analysis that Bielsa clearly enjoys.
When details first emerged of a Leeds employee being caught spying on Derby, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was asked about the antics of the man who first discovered him as a player.
“I learnt a lot from him,” he said. “I learnt the good and the not so good. Sometimes it’s important to learn the good things and the things you don’t need to repeat.”
Sabotaging a rival’s tactics by laying them bare for the public is probably a new one on him.
However English football responds, Bielsa clearly does not care.