Marcelo Bielsa on the brink after Leeds pushed closer to the drop by Harry Kane-inspired Spurs - Telegraph 26/2/22

Luke Edwards

How much more of this can Leeds United take? How bad can it get before people start to decide it is not going to get better again under Marcelo Bielsa?

It seems glib to talk of a crisis at Leeds, to discuss things like relegation fears spreading across the city, when residents of Kyiv are currently fighting against Russian tanks, bombs and cruise missiles with machine guns in a horrendous fight for their survival.

Football can feel irrelevant when so much real life drama exists and the threat of a global conflict escalates. But for 90 minutes, at least, it was all about the football at Elland Road and it was not good for Leeds.

“It’s not just this game, it’s a succession of results,” said Bielsa, in acknowledgement of an increasingly grim predicament. “There is no way you cannot feel bad …”

There were loud boos for his team - anger at just how dismal the first half performance, in particular, had been, dismay at how easy it was for Spurs to score three goals inside half an hour.

Tottenham lost 1-0 at another relegation threatened side, Burnley, in midweek and had lost four out of the last five, prompting Antonio Conte to talk about his own job being under threat during an emotional meltdown at Turf Moor

Conte looked unstable, his players flaky, but they cruised past their hosts with Tottenham’s two Harrys, Kane and Winks, particularly impressive.

“It was a really good performance in a stadium that can be difficult,” said Conte. “We played good football, but what I wanted to see today was the right spirit, character and desire to win the ball, win our duels.

“I didn’t only want to see how we played football, but the other qualities that are very important, the strength mentality. I got a good answer. I'm a coach that wants to enjoy, but I also want to fight to win. My words [after Burnley] were very clear, I want to be competitive."

Leeds have conceded an eye-watering 60 goals in 27 games. The most damning assessment you can make is that Leeds are the team every Premier League manager would choose to play, regardless of their own problems or form.

Biesla’s side have won two games since the start of December, losing nine out of the last 12. It takes its toll. Nobody can argue Bielsa has not done an excellent job. The club simply would not be in the Premier League if it was not for the magic spell the Argentinian cast over the place three-and-a-half years ago.

This time last year, Leeds were being lauded for their high octane football and Bielsa was labelled a genius. Leeds were praised by neutrals almost as much as they were by their own supporters.

But those same neutrals will be wondering if it is time for Bielsa to be removed to save Leeds from relegation. That thought will also be taking hold in the minds of some fans too. The unthinkable is becoming thinkable.

It is not at the point where anyone is openly calling for Bielsa to go, but this is as negative as it has been.

In the main, Leeds fans still adore the man who ended a 16-year exile from the Premier League. The backing for the team in the second half was a valiant display in collective Yorkshire defiance.

In Bielsa they trust and in the players returning from injury - England internationals Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford and captain Liam Cooper, they must hope for a return to form.

But how much longer will the Leeds board remain calm. How many of the decision makers are starting to get nervous about the high financial cost of relegation? Is their faith in Bielsa as unbreakable as the fans?

Leeds are in real trouble. They have played more games than the teams below them and need more than just injured players back.

They are not just conceding far too many goals, they are missing chances too and Pascal Struijk should have given them an early lead when he headed wide from a Stuart Dallas free kick. It was the sort of chance you need to take when your form is poor and confidence low

In the space of a week, Leeds were two goals down to Manchester United before half time. They were 3-0 down inside 35 minutes against Liverpool at Anfield, eventually losing 6-0 and Spurs built a two goal lead in less than 15 minutes.

The first goal was everything Antonio Conte wants his team to be, Harry Winks’ excellent pass perfect for Ryan Sessegnon to take in his stride before delivering an equally perfect cross for Matt Doherty to hit a first time shot.

Elland Road tried to summon some defiance on behalf of their team, but Dejan Kulusevski rode a couple of half hearted tackles before whipping a strong shot inside the near post.

It was the young Sweden international’s second goal since his loan move from Juventus and Leeds were 3-0 down inside half an hour. Hojbjerg was given time and space, chipping a pass over the head of Struijik and into the path of Kane who steered a delicate volley into the net.

Leeds played some nice football for periods of the first half but the damage had been done.  Luke Ayling might have pulled a goal back with a header just before half-time, but he put that chance wide too.

They played some decent stuff in the second half too, but the game was already lost and after Stuart Dallas had failed to accept a gift from Lloris to pull a goal back, Kane produced a sublime lofted pass for Son Hueng-Min to run in behind and make it four.