Cut it like Blades

That’s the view of Gordon Strachan, who skippered Leeds to the First Division title in 1991-92, the last time that they were English champions.

Argentinian Bielsa led Newell’s Old Boys to the Primera Division title in his homeland in 1991-92, and six years later he repeated the feat with Velez Sarsfield.

He won Olympic gold with Lionel Messi and Argentina in 2004.

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

Certainly, Bielsa’s trophy cabinet is nowhere near as well stocked as those of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, an avid Bielsa disciple.

But Strachan insists silverware is not the be-all and endall. Asked if he’d have liked to

“But Bielsa has been a visionary coach. What I like about him is that he tries things, and 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

Ex-tottenham and Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino is another schooled in Bielsa’s ways.

Former Scotland boss Strachan, who led Celtic to three Scottish titles between 2005 and 2008, added: “You have to remember that when people say they have

GORDON STRACHAN reckons his old club Leeds can emulate Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United if they do make it to the Premier League this season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men are top of the Championship, a point ahead of West Brom and seven ahead of third-placed Fulham.

Asked if Leeds would need to improve their squad if they went up, Strachan (right) said: “Sheffield United added a few players, one or two, but they had a system they like, a system they were comfortable with. All they had to do was find a couple of players who would make the squad better while understanding the system, which they have done.”

“There are so many systems being played now. There’s more imagination now in the set-ups. “When you look back to the likes of Clough, Shankly and Ferguson, it was a basic system of playing football and it was about managing the players and getting the best out of them.

“Now you still have to do that but you have to make them aware of the systems they’re playing against and finding a system that suits you as well.”

GORDON STRACHAN is a Paddy Power ambassador. To read more go to http://news. paddypower.com