Bielsa’s left his Marc despite a lack of titles

MARCELO BIELSA is a prime example that you don’t need to win the biggest trophies to be hailed a visionary coach.

That’s the view of Gordon Strachan, club captain the last time Leeds were English champions in 1991-92.

United boss Bielsa (below) led Newell’s Old Boys to the Primera Division title in his homeland Argentina in 1992 and repeated the feat with Velez Sarsfield six years later. He also won Olympic gold with Lionel

Messi and Argentina in 2004.

But at club level, the closest he has come to a major honour since 1998 was with Athletic Bilbao in 2011, when the Spaniards were beaten Europa League finalists.

Strachan, though, insists silverware is not everything and is a huge admirer of Bielsa, who guided Leeds to the top of the Championship table before the season was halted due to coronavirus.

The Scot said: “Bielsa has been a visionary coach.

“What I like about him is that he tries things. Sometimes that’s bitten him on the backside but I don’t think he minds that. I don’t think he minds winning trophies, as such, because he loves the art of coaching and experimenting more.

“He hasn’t got many trophies in the cabinet and normally you are counted on winning trophies.

“But you can leave more as a coach. You can leave a basis for other managers to work with, you can leave ideas for others to think about.

“And for a manager, somebody coming along and thinking about your ideas is as good as winning trophies.

“So even though he hasn’t won many trophies himself, his ideas have won trophies for other people.”

Ex-Tottenham and Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino was schooled in Bielsa’s ways.

Former Scotland boss Strachan, who led Celtic to three Scottish titles on the spin between 2006 and 2008, added: “When people say they’ve picked up stuff from managers it doesn’t mean they have completely used everything, you pick up one or two things.”

ANDY GRAY says Manchester United must cut Paul Pogba loose and draft in Jack Grealish once the coronavirus crisis is over.

Pogba was signed from Juventus for a then world-record £89million fee in 2016. But his career at Old Trafford has hit the buffers and he’s yet to feature in 2020 due to injury.

Gray has warned the Covid-19 outbreak could distort the transfer market yet still thinks United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should ditch Pogba and replace him with Aston Villa playmaker Grealish as soon as possible.

“We don’t know how football is going to come out of this,” he said. “We don’t know if it is ever going to be the same again and whether it will affect player values and salaries.

“But when the dust settles, if I could sell Pogba for £100m and bring in Grealish for £70m I would do it in a heartbeat. It’s a no-brainer. United still might be able to get their money back on Pogba.

“We know his value commercially and on social media with his millions of followers. That’s important to football clubs these days and it gives him an added kudos. But fans aren’t really bothered about all that. They just want him to contribute on the football pitch.

“He’s pretty much failed at United. Is it his own fault or just bad luck with injuries? I think it’s probably a combination of the two.

“I don’t know Pogba so I’m not judging his character, I’m judging what he’s brought to United and it’s been nowhere near enough.

“Real Madrid seems the right fit for him – and his agent has been edging towards that.”

Grealish was pictured at the scene of a car accident last Sunday and later apologised for being out while his team-mates self-isolated in accordance with government guidelines.

But Gray – who had two stints with Villa in his playing days – said: “If I was Solskjaer I wouldn’t be put off because of one error of judgment.

“Like all footballers will do at some point in their careers, he’s made a poor decision but I hope he bitterly regrets it – and I’m sure he does. It’s out of character because for two or three years he has been terrific at progressing his career.

“He dragged Aston Villa into the Premier League almost on his own.

“I want him to stay at Villa but I know they can’t give him what he needs.

“He has to play football at the very highest level – and

Manchester United can give him that.”