Marcelo Bielsa changed Leeds United's world and Kalvin Phillips message speaks volumes - YEP 28/2/22

Marcelo Bielsa brought so much to Leeds United.

By Lee Sobot

He revolutionised the club. There was flair, international appeal, stunning football. Bielsaball.

And murderball of course.

But, above all else, there was promotion and Leeds United must now just hope that removing the man who achieved it does not lead to the opposite effect two years on.

United’s second season back in the Premier League has been a far cry from the club’s glorious campaign upon their top-flight return which yielded a brilliant ninth-place finish.

There was even a possibility of qualifying for Europe as the 2020-21 season approached its final throes.

Bielsa might be gone but the memories of a first top-flight season for 16 years will live forever, featuring, as it did, stunning results and performances such as the 2-1 win at Manchester City, the 4-1 romp at Leicester City and the 3-1 triumph at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

The second season back amongst the country’s elite has been a different proposition and Bielsa has now lost his job as a result.

Would the Argentine have arrested the slide and kept Leeds up? We will never know.

But the fact that Bielsa took United up in the first place will forever remain etched in history and the Argentine will always be remembered as a Whites legend, even without considering his far-reaching impact even beyond ‘just football’.

Kalvin Phillips was quick to take to social media following Bielsa’s sacking to highlight how the Argentine had made him not just a better player but a better person, and that feeling will be felt t by anyone who has met him.

The summer of 2020 was when everything clicked and came together for the most glorious chapter of modern history as 16 years of hurt were finally banished through promotion to the Premier League as Championship champions.

The only regret of the 2019-20 promotion-winning campaign is that, come the end of it, the fans were not there to see it, supporters shut out and games played in empty stadiums during the country’s fight against coronavirus.

It was heartbreaking also that the club lost so many former legends in such a short time. But the fallen greats would have been celebrating in the sky as Bielsa ensured their former club finally got back to the big stage that they used to grace, and did so in the ultimate style.

It’s hard to pick a stand-out moment or even game from that glorious season but the 5-4 win at Birmingham City was particularly epic.

The 3-1 triumph on a warm afternoon at Bristol City over the opening weekend of the season was also pretty special, silencing any doubters in light of the previous season’s heartbreak in the play-off semi finals.

The Tuesday-night 1-0 win at home to promotion rivals West Brom in October was a big one, as too was the momentum-changing 1-1 draw at Brentford in which Liam Cooper’s equaliser stopped the rot of a worrying slide in form.

From then on, Bielsa’s side were back with a bang, particularly when romping to a 4-0 triumph at Hull City followed by the 2-0 success at home to Huddersfield Town and that goal from Luke Ayling before the beautiful game was placed on hold in the country’s fight against coronavirus.

But, after a brief pause, then came the ‘really good stuff’, the Whites winning seven of their last nine games to streak to promotion as champions, finishing 10 points clear of West Brom.

Losing at Cardiff City was a scary blip but the Whites put themselves straight back on track with victory at home to Fulham and, before you knew it, promotion was in sight.

And then came the one moment that probably stands out the most from Bielsa’s tenure, at least in the Championship days, the 1-0 victory at Swansea City via a late Pablo Hernandez winner.

The result laid the platform for sealing mathematically promotion to the Premier League which was guaranteed by the following weekend as Leeds somehow survived a Barnsley onslaught to beat the Tykes 1-0 at Elland Road.

Huddersfield Town, of all people, then did the rest by beating West Brom the following night and that was it, 16 years of hurt were over and it was time to crack open the bubbly and party as Leeds United were back in the Premier League.

The whole weekend was one big party, the icing on the cake provided the following day as the title was sealed via Brentford’s defeat to Stoke City.

Leeds were given a guard of honour the following day prior to beating old adversaries Derby County in their own back yard.

It was just perfect although fans were unable to celebrate with their team in the stands owing to the planet being a different place in the fight against Covid.

The world had changed - and so had Leeds United’s. Thanks to Marcelo Bielsa, that is - and that will never be forgotten.