A decade and a half of wallowing below the top tier, five owners, and 15 managers, have all come and gone, all of that is the sad story that depicts the kind of wilderness Leeds United has been since they got relegated from the top flight.
However, 16 years later Elland Road-based team is now back in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, and their fans can now sit back, relax as they would be watching their darling team play in the English Premier League next season.
Leeds United was a renowned institution with a great fan base in English football, they were the last champions of the top flight under the supervision of an English gaffer before the creation of the Premier League in 1992, played in the Champions League semifinal in 2001, beating then ‘Super Depor’ Deportivo La Coruna, and also took points off the almighty Seria A giants AC Milan, before losing out controversially against a Valencia side full of great stars like Pablo Aimar, Gaika Mendieta, John Carew, and many other great players.
Financial mismanagement led to a meltdown of a great Leeds side, as such a mass exodus of their star players left for other clubs in Europe, among those players that left was a certain Alan Smith who moved to the red side of Manchester, having seen some of their players left for other teams. Leeds got relegated to the second tier for three years before eventually falling again, dropping to the lowest position in League One.
Leeds United decline and poor results carried on in the league one for three seasons, couple with point deductions, administration nightmare, and totally a club with no penny in their coffers. However, they were able to turn things around as they finished second in the League One as they finally found their way back into the ever-competitive Championship.
Following their long time absence from the top flight, without mincing words, things had drastically changed a whole lot in the English Premier League without the ‘Whites’ presence in the league, talking about the television deal money, a huge amount of money for players and the huge glamour the league brings to the table for the followers across the globe.
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In 2018, June to be precise, after lots of managers had been jettison, Leeds United fans now have the courage to once again believe that their darling team could actually come back to life, as they also came out in mass to wiped the dust off their seats at Elland Road, in a jubilant mood for the news of ‘El Loco’ Marcelo Bielsa arrival been circulated in the media and on the front pages of the English tabloids.
Following Bielsa’s appointment in 2018, just like the fans hope to see their darling team comes back to life once again, ‘El Loco’ never disappointed them as his team brought to the delight of the fans a swashbuckling football mixed with great intensity against their opponents in Championship, which got them to the automatic promotion places in the Championship.
According to Johan Cruyff who once said, “Give Leeds the ball and they will make you dance“, this statement depicts how fantastic Bielsa’s team could be when they set out to play the swashbuckling football and perhaps the pragmatic kind of style synonymous with El Loco, the former Athletic Bilbao gaffer managerial style don’t just get fans believing once again, it’s also got them enjoying entertaining football once again after having gone through a rough time under various managers.
Following Paul Heckingbottom sacking, Leeds United was in the market hunting for a new manager that could take them out of the mess they’ve been for a long time, among the managers that were shortlisted for the post, Leeds chairman Andrea Radrinzzani only had Bielsa as the fourth choice candidate for the job, as gaffers like Roberto Martinez, current Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte and Claudio Ranieri were all ranked above him respectively, but they couldn’t get their choice manager to take over The Peacocks.
All thanks to Victor Orta, the director of football at Leeds United who suggested Bielsa to the Chairman, had suggested him to Radrinzzani, the Chairman put a call through to El Loco, who didn’t answer his calls, as such he left a message for the Argentine, the next day Bielsa returned the call having already watched seven Leeds United matches to have an idea of the kind of team Leeds are and the kind of players in the team.
El Loco was convinced with what he saw, as well as the Chairman who was convinced by Orta, as such Radrinzzani had to traveled to Argentina to meet with Bielsa in ten hours meeting with the Argentine discussing footballing tactics of the team and also providing details about all of the players from the first team to the U23 players, so two weeks after the meeting between the Chairman and Bielsa, the Argentine was signed up with the ‘Whites’.
Since Marcelo Bielsa signed for Leeds United, the rest they say it’s history, as it stands it’s no news that the Whites would be playing in the English topflight come next season, having been away from the top flight for a long time.
For what the world knows the Premier League for, as one of the most competitive leagues in the world, it’s won’t be out of place to look at what Bielsa and Leeds should do to stay in the topflight next season.
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Leeds United Must Do
The new Premier League season for 2020-21 campaign is nearly upon us, September 12, as such it’s been a long time without topflight football for newly promoted Leeds United, having found their ways back to the Premier League. It’s very important for them to make sure they do everything possible to stay up there in the topflight and avoid going back to the Championship, so what are the things Leeds United must do to help them in their quest in staying back in Premier League?
- Clinical Striker
Let take a look at some of them from number one to three, nothing says welcome back to the Premier League than a new beginning in top-flight once the referee blows the whistle and they kick start life in the league, having been away since 2004, for the Whites to have a brilliant outing in the league they need to make sure they left no stone unturned in the transfer window as they prepare to return to the top flight, first off they need to sign a proven striker that would give them something different from what Bamford has done for the Whites this season in the Championship.
- Seasoned Defenders
The likes of Ayling, Douglas, Cooper, and Berardi have all had a nice season at the back for Leeds United, giving Marcelo Bielsa top-notch performances week in, week out, but then for a team that would be playing in the top flight next season, it’s very important for them to strengthen the backline with one or two players with Premiership experience that would help them in navigating the stormy and firepower of teams in the league.
- Combative Midfielders
What the team from Elland Road must also do to have a good time in the league, is to also bring in quality players into their midfield, because the teams they would be competing with all have quality players, and most importantly Marcelo Bielsa should be able to combine is pragmatic kind of football with his, in the quote “BielsaBall” for his team to stay back in the topflight, wanting to play the free-flowing kind of football style without considering their qualities could hurt their chances of staying back in the league.
Although it sounds odd to say Bielsa would be in the dugout ditching out instructions to his players when the new season comes to town with Leeds United, because of his status as a coach. However, we cannot forget that Leeds United is a renowned institution club with a huge fan base in English football, so for them to bring back the old days bragging right. The great feelings and the fantastic atmosphere their fans did enjoy, Radrinzzani needs to invest wisely in the team to avoid going back to the Championship.
