GAMES TO PLAY
AS the man who last achieved what Marcelo Bielsa is attempting, Howard Wilkinson knows all about the pressure of managing Leeds. Wilkinson took down every picture at Elland Road of the Don Revie era when he was appointed in 1988 to banish the ghosts who had haunted his predecessors. His controversial “shock treatment”, as he puts it, worked and he deliv
Tomorrow Cardiff A June 27 Fulham (h) June 30 Luton (a) July 4 Blackburn (a) July 9 Stoke (h) July 12 Swansea (a) July 15 Barnsley (h) July 18 Derby (a) July 22 ered promotion to the top flight 19 months later in 1990 in his first full season in charge.
Wilkinson sealed his legendary status by winning the First Division title in 1992 and told Mirror Sport: “When I arrived at Leeds they were still haunted by the shadows of the glorious Revie era.
“I decided it needed to stop clinging to that, stop looking back and start looking forward.
“So one of the first things I did – which was symbolic really, but it had the effect – was to have all those pictures taken off the walls, making it clear they would go back up when
Leeds were back up.
“Clubs with a past, it can be a plus or a negative and if it’s a negative, you have to make some brave decisions, almost as a form of shock treatment.
“Pressure is part of the attraction of the job. If you want to be a successful manager, you’ve got to be a bit of a masochist.”
As well as the Revie era, Bielsa is dealing with the weight of history from Wilkinson and David O’Leary’s reigns and at times it has been a burden for the Argentinian. The pressure appeared to be
LEEDS West Brom Fulham Brentford N Forest Preston NE getting to Leeds at the turn of the year when they won just one of seven league games before reeling off five straight wins before the shutdown to go top of the Championship.
Wilkinson, 76, also had to overcome a blip to secure promotion 30 years ago when his side of Gordon Strachan, Vinnie Jones, Mel Sterland and Lee Chapman won only one from seven in the run-in.
“Do players suffer nerves?” he said. “Of course, but the best know they can trust their swing and that’s their motto – trust my swing.
“It’s the same with footballers. To cope with big games, they have to trust their swing.”
Leeds return at Cardiff tomorrow and Wilkinson is backing Bielsa to end their 16-year top-flight exile, even if he will be like a chef cooking in the dark.
“He can definitely do it, but these next few games are a total experiment for everyone because no-one has experienced anything like this before,” he added.
“It’s like a top chef walking into his kitchen and all the lights are off.
“Before he could have closed his eyes and said, ‘I know where that ring is and that one’. But it’s not until you get in you find out if you can still do it.”
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Josh Onomah (knee), Alfie Mawson, Maxime Le Marchand (back) and Joe Bryan (hamstring) are all set to return for Fulham.
Pontus Jansson is back in contention for Brentford after recovering from a hip problem that he picked up in January.
Huddersfield have no injury concerns and have been boosted by Leicester loanee Andy King agreeing to prolong his stay.
Kieran Dowell (ankle) is available for Wigan and Antonee Robinson is fit after the injury that ended his move to AC Milan.