FOWLER Bielsa’s put the fizz back into Leeds and the place is buzzing
Our Anfield legend always hits the mark
The atmosphere, even before the game was electric, just brilliant. Driving to the ground, seeing everyone outside the pubs, you could almost feel the passion as a physical thing. Their fans are incredible. The club has been through such hard times and they have made a lot of mistakes – with financial decisions, appointing managers they shouldn’t have – and it’s been so tough for those supporters to go through all that. But they have hope now with Marcelo Bielsa, and no set of fans deserves it more. They have had managers in the past who simply haven’t fitted the profile of a club like Leeds – but Bielsa (left) does. I remember Pep Guardiola saying he was the best coach in the world, and there’s no doubt he is a top talent, who has exciting ideas. He’s mad, a bit loopy, but in the right way (if that’s possible!). I don’t know much about him, but I’ve read that Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino have based their tactics on his style after he mentored them, and I could definitely see that in the way Leeds played in that opening fixture against Stoke. Put it this way, if they could keep that up all season, then they will go up. The way they ran about was frightening, the pressing and the energy comparable with managers like those two and Jurgen Klopp.
I’m not sure Leeds will be able to keep it up, mind, but they have got a genuinely innovative coach doing brilliant things in his opening few games and he just seems like the right personality for what the club needs right now, after being so flat for so long.
There was an energy about the place when I was there, a sense of positivity and hope that has been missing.
And when you see a manager can have that impact at a club, you really hope he has success.
Again, I’m not trying to undermine the qualities of previous managers, but this guy is in a different league.
Instead of taking any form of risk, they went the “safe” route of appointing some journeymen from the lower league treadmill – and it didn’t work at all.
Now they have got a different type of manager, one who is clearly admired by Guardiola and Pochettino. I saw his first interview after that first game and he was so bonkers it made me smile.
I can guarantee that smile is on the face of Leeds fans, too. Klopp did that a bit at Anfield when he came in, and it changes the whole atmosphere around the club.
Honestly, I could sense that, driving through the streets around Elland Road, and I wanted to punch the air, I was so relieved.
Leeds should be in the Premier League – and I’m crossing my fingers Bielsa is the man to take them there.