Are Bielsa's days numbered?

[Oranje White]

I think his time is almost up. The honeymoon is well and truly over. It seems he believes his own press..."eccentric genius at work" etc. His arrogance at playing players out of position, insisting on a small squad, relying on Bamford as a number 1,2 and 3 striker, illogical obsession with Roberts, refusal to freshen the squad, poor use of substitutes, continually conceding goals from set pieces, etc was all seen as an eccentric loveable genius doing what only he could get away with. But not so now. Something is just not right. We play well and lose. We play bad and lose (or get a draw occasionally). Other teams have figured the Bielsa code, and they don't need an Enigma decoder for that. There is no code anymore, it's just the same high energy game or crap. Thank you Mr Bielsa for the last two seasons, but if we get relegated this season, that is what you will be remembered by.
I have been stuck overseas for 6 months, unable to get home due to the covid hysteria, mostly on a cargo ship with limited internet access, so I don't get to read all the media stories. I may be a million miles off the truth. But that has been the trend of my thinking. We all know the players over-achieved last season. This team is top half Championship, NOT top half Premier League. In the close season we heard stories how business would be done early etc so new players could learn the Leeds system. Well, from memory Firpo came in and has been awful. Noah Lang will never come now. All talk as usual. Seems Leeds court a player until their price goes up, then can't afford them, then make do with Roberts. If it can't be turned around by new year, we are in big trouble with falling confidence and morale. Hope I'm wrong.

[BelfastAndy]

Is squad depth down to thin? Think so. Silk purse sows ear? Injuries have fkd us to this point. Bigger squad would help. Not sure who is to blame. Bielsa is top dude and we should be thankful for what he has done. Has he done what he can with what he has.......? Probably.

[joellufcprice]

I think he has made mistakes but honestly anyone else with this shower of **** would be doing worse and wouldn't have got us up nor kept us up last year.

My only major criticism of him is his unwillingness to properly strengthen in key areas, we have been unlucky with injuries like at centre back you can't cover for having 3 centre backs and a full back out injured but you can cover for losing your one striker, not signing someone there has been a major error and not strengthening that central attacking mid role. But then Bielsa isn't the only one to blame on that front that is a joint thing between board and manager.

I think we are going through a bad run but I do also think if we'd had a proper striker we'd be 3/4 points further ahead of where we are now and nobody would even be talking about it, we'd just be like last year where we had some stinkers but also some great wins.

My only other criticism would be not just giving likes of Drameh, Bate, Gelhardt, Summerville more of a chance when our senior players are having absolute stinkers game in game out, I don't want all the kids in but can't imagine Drameh at right back and Dallas at left back could be any worse than what I witnessed from Firpo against Brighton.

I do also think no matter what, in 4/5 years when all these youngsters have come through a lot of people will be looking back at this time and saying we did it right (only if we don't go down) and Bielsa will be heralded even more so than he is now

[george_kaplan]

Just my take on whats going on.

First season after promotion before a ball was kicked, every single one of us on here was dizzy with our break of 16 lousy years outside the prem. Each and everyone of us in our excitement wondered how we would cope, most agreed 17th would do!…few wanted more.
We did a bit more then 17 eh. This season is beginning to pan out like we thought our last season might have been, fighting to stay up.
Just about 1/3rd season in, we’ve brought some new faces in, not enough most think and we are slowwwwwly introducing the young lads in not fast enough for some also. We outdid ourselves last season and we thought thats enough we go on from there, not so.
Except for a chosen few each season will be another new challenge then the last. Last season means nothing for most clubs in the prem. Yes we are down there but not adrift. MB will stick it out, I personally hope he does anyroad, lets see where we are 2nd 1/3rd.
We are all in this together and we’ve been through it also together. We ain’t going down…..Marcelo stays.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Just my take on whats going on.

First season after promotion before a ball was kicked, every single one of us on here was dizzy with our break of 16 lousy years outside the prem. Each and everyone of us in our excitement wondered how we would cope, most agreed 17th would do!…few wanted more.
We did a bit more then 17 eh. This season is beginning to pan out like we thought our last season might have been, fighting to stay up.
Just about 1/3rd season in, we’ve brought some new faces in, not enough most think and we are slowwwwwly introducing the young lads in not fast enough for some also. We outdid ourselves last season and we thought thats enough we go on from there, not so.
Except for a chosen few each season will be another new challenge then the last. Last season means nothing for most clubs in the prem. Yes we are down there but not adrift. MB will stick it out, I personally hope he does anyroad, lets see where we are 2nd 1/3rd.
We are all in this together and we’ve been through it also together. We ain’t going down…..Marcelo stays.

It’s a bit like Leicester when they won the league - every player played above themselves for large parts of the season and not all of them could sustain it the next season (accepting Kante leaving was a big loss).

The squad they have today is arguably better than that which won the league.

Agree with you why we did do well last season and think we just need to start/continue evolving the squad to improve the overall quality. We mainly invested in players with huge potential this summer rather than big upgrades for now in weaker areas.

[Billyni]

Yes

[bathlad61]

Even with current injuries, we have players to cover, but they must be played in their normal / most effective position. Too much tinkering by MB, when not really needed.
Drameh RB, Struijk CB, James LW, Rodrigo ST to name a few, plus Gelhardt & Greenwood must be given proper game time.
Phillips must return to DM

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Not sure if this has had an impact and only thought about it now but the game has got a lot more physical this season and teams can defend more robustly which possibly we haven’t got to grips with given our current mighty but tiny front 3

[Rev72]

Hope not.

[spaldy]

Think if we lose MB mid season we are relegated.

You know you've lost KP and Raph mentally when that happens.

MB's had a tough year but still can bring out the best in his players.