Bielsa ‘sad’ to see rival boss abused

MARCELO Bielsa has sympathised with Newcastle counterpart Steve Bruce’s position, saying being abused by your own team’s fans is ‘one of the worst feelings a manager can have.’

While Leeds are also winless heading into tonight’s massive St James’ Park showdown, Bielsa is generally adored at Elland Road after guiding the club back to the Premier League.

Bruce, however, has had a particularly difficult start to the season, some Magpies fans calling for him to go during recent games against Southampton and Manchester United.

Well-travelled Argentinian

Bielsa has been on the receiving end of fierce criticism from supporters at times during his 31-year managerial career and yesterday said he feels sympathy for the beleaguered Bruce.

He said: “I always feel saddened when this happens to a manager and their own fans go against them.

“It is one of the worst feelings a manager can have.”

The Whites head to Tyneside tonight with a dilemma as to who will play at centre-back.

Pascal Struijk’s ban for a red card against Liverpool was upheld earlier this week, while Diego Llorente and Robin Koch are also unavailable.

Llorente was forced out of Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Elland Road due to a muscle strain, while Koch has not recovered from a pubis injury which has ruled him out since the opening-day defeat at Manchester United.

Bielsa added: “Of the four centre-backs that we have, we are not able to count on Diego, Pascal or Koch but we are in conditions to resolve the issue.”

The 66-year-old has also called on the Football Association for guidance on why it upheld

Struijk’s dismissal in last Sunday’s home defeat to Liverpool.

The Belgian was shown a straight red card for his challenge on Harvey Elliott, which left the Liverpool teenager with a fracture dislocation of his left ankle.

Leeds lost their appeal against Struijk’s three-game ban but many observers, including Elliott himself, agreed the defender’s tackle did not warrant a sendingoff and that the injury had been a freak occurrence.

Bielsa said of the appeal being rejeccted: “To hope to receive an explanation is perhaps excessive but it would help to improve the decision-making of the players.”