‘Dedicated myself to’: Marcelo Bielsa explains what he has done since Leeds United exit - Leeds United News 18/5/23
Danny Bloomer
Marcelo Bielsa says he has used the time since leaving Leeds
United to improve himself as a manager.
Bielsa was speaking in his first official press conference
since his appointment as Uruguay boss, which can be watched in full on AUFTV.
The 67-year-old has spent the last 15 months out of work
following his exit from Leeds in February last year, which brought his
three-and-a-half-year stay in West Yorkshire to an end.
Leeds was the longest time Bielsa spent at a single club
across the entirety of his management career, and as such, took a long break
from the game to recharge his batteries.
During his time away, Bielsa was linked with the previously
vacant managerial roles at Everton and Bournemouth, though for varying reasons
an appointment never materialised.
Bielsa will forever be revered at Leeds for the job he did
while at the club, and his brand of football maybe something never seen in
these parts again.
However, given the nature of the results during the back-end
of his reign, his dismissal was difficult to argue with as Leeds lost five of
his last six matches in charge, conceding 21 goals in the process.
With Bielsa now having finally made his return to football,
he spoke of how he has ‘dedicated’ himself to improving and adapting his style
to the modern game.
He said: “It’s been many years since I managed a national
team. I always try to incorporate what’s new, but I have to convince myself
that what is new will improve what I’m replacing.
“I spent over a year not working and that’s when I dedicated
myself to learn about what’s new.”
A new and improved Bielsa can only mean bad news for those
he is set to be up against, particularly given the calibre of players he is set
to work with.
Uruguay have a number of top class players in their talent
pool, including the likes of Federico Valverde, Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez.
If Bielsa can get them playing to his tune, it could be a
fearsome prospect.
