B CK WHERE THEY BELONG

Gray: They said Bielsa was a nearly man – in fact he’s new Leeds messiah

AFTER 16 long years, 15 managers, five owners, relegation to League One, administration, four play-off defeats and a couple more near-misses, Leeds are on their way back.

The club of Don Revie, John Charles, Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Howard Wilkinson, David Batty and Gary Speed are returning to the Premier League.

No one could be more proud than Gray, manager when Leeds were relegated in May 2004. Gray, part of the legendlast ary Leeds team of the 70s, vainly battled to keep them up as the club disintegrated with debts of more than £100million, before their fate was sealed in a 4-1 defeat at Bolton.

He has witnessed all the lows and false dawns since then and is delighted manager Marcelo Bielsa (right) is about to end Leeds’ long wait to return to the big time.

“Relegation was devastating for the club,” he said. “It was a difficult time.

“We were asking players to take wage deferrals, and we were selling a lot of players to try and keep the club afloat because we were in a bad state financially. We were just upside down. From a personal point of view, I was disappointed in myself because you always think you can do better. That was hard to take and that was my lowest time in football.

“It’s been a disappointing journey over the last 16 years with all the near-misses and that’s why Marcelo Bielsa deserves all the credit he will get. It looks like the good times are back.”

For Bielsa it is validation after the criticism he endured season, firstly for Spygate and then for failing to win when Leeds spen campaign in th places.

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