HAND IN HAND WITH THE FANS

Passion of Elland Road crowd drew Bielsa to Leeds

wobble which saw them blow an 11-point cushion to the play-off zone.

Reading are the visitors today with the Elland Road crowd desperate to see the promotion job finally done.

“How do I manage the situation emotionally? Our jobs, we have to know them,” said Bielsa.

“Every match deserves a phrase that is so common: ‘We have to win’.

“What I realise is the wish of the people of Leeds, their desire. I cannot feel what the rest of the country feels about Leeds.

“But from the first day here, I knew the people of Leeds wished this. I have experienced this passion before. There is something there that makes me feel this job is very attractive.

“I love it when I am in contact with the passion of supporters. It is a situation that makes a difference between people who work in football for money and supporters.

“We get paid to do this job and the fans, the only thing for them is to love this club. They only thing they receive in exchange is emotion. The support of the fans is the best thing in football.”

Bielsa has tackled doubts about whether his side can maintain their on-field intensity and with 13 games to go he praised midfielder

Mateusz Klich. “Sometimes there are players where playing a lot of matches in a row makes them weak, others improve,” added the Argentinian.

“Klich (right) is a player with many skills physically.

The value of him, he cannot do better.”

Reading claimed their first win in eight games against Sheffield Wednesday last week, but boss Mark Bowen has hit out at Leeds for charging visiting fans £39 a ticket.

He said: “It doesn’t seem fair when you see the prices we charge. There has to be some control over it.”