Bielsa sends out message

MARCELO BIELSA is playing a strong hand very well as his Leeds contract runs down again.

The Argentine likes to wait until the end of a season before penning any new deals. He only signed up for this campaign 24 hours before it started.

That will keep Leeds on their toes. They have admitted to analysing managerial options just in case Bielsa goes, but don’t want him to.

The only reason the 65-year-old would have for quitting now, having possibly finished top half this season, would be if this was Peak Leeds.

It’s been a glorious three-year project so far, intense, passionate and quirky all in one.

Not only leading Leeds into the Premier League for their first time in 18 years, but thriving. Tweaking the noses of the elite, like a narky Leeds team should.

Argentine media has speculated that Bielsa (below) is close to agreeing a two-year extension. He denied that, saying the info will only come out when he wants it to. But he dropped a massive hint as to what is needed next... hence the teasing, and lack of hurry to commit.

He was asked to rave about the chance, against Liverpool on Monday, to get four top flight wins in a row for the first time in 20 years. He replied: “The sporting past of Leeds is full of very high points. Of course it will give us great happiness, but if you compare it to all the things Leeds have achieved in their sporting history, it’s not so big.

“To be able to be at the height of some of their past successes, some extraordinary things need to be done and we are quite far away from being there.”

So there appears the challenge for owner Andrea Radrizzani. Premier League mid-table, good, a happy place. Well done. But the next stage is to at least try to “make some sporting history.” A cup, Europe?

Keep the upward trajectory, so Bielsa doesn’t retire back to his homeland just yet.