Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is not just held in high regard by those in West Yorkshire.
Bielsa is arguably best known for the job he did at Elland Road. He ended our 16-year exile from the Premier League whilst turning water into wine with the players he had. This is all whilst playing the most remarkable brand of football we’ll likely ever see.
However, the Argentinian is also widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in football. Some of the most elite managers in the world have consistently sung Bielsa’s praises and revealed the influence he had on them as managers. The likes of Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone are just a few examples.
And now, one of Bielsa’s ‘disciples’ who claimed the Leeds legend is like a “father” to him is set to become the manager of our fiercest rivals.
Mauricio Pochettino looks set to take the Man United job
This morning, Fabrizio Romano reported that Man United have made the decision to sack Michael Carrick today.
This seemed inevitable as, for the last few days in particular, there’s been rumblings about Carrick’s future. Ultimately, it’s no surprise to see the Englishman dismissed. Man United are on a run of just one win in their last eleven games in all competitions.
Reports from Romano yesterday also suggested that Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to leave his current role as the USA’s manager. The 54-year-old has agreed verbal terms to become Carrick’s successor at Old Trafford.
Like many others, Pochettino has also waxed lyrical about Bielsa when he’s been asked about him.
Whilst he was Tottenham manager, Pochettino had this to say about his fellow Argentine.
“He’s one of the best managers in the world, and he’s like my father in both ways. He’s like my football father. I’ve known him since I was 14 years old and I arrived at Newell’s Old Boys.”
Pochettino would go on to play under Bielsa at Newell’s Old Boys, Espanyol and Argentina. As a manager, Pochettino also said Bielsa was “really important” to his development as a coach. Bielsa helped to shape his philosophy, Pochettino revealed in an interview with TNT Sports.
Bielsa’s fingerprints are all over Pochettino’s high-intensity brand of football.
Now, Pochettino, who also previously managed Southampton, Chelsea, Espanyol and PSG, appears to be on the brink of managing Man United. The bitter enemies of the club, Leeds United, where his mentor has god-like status
Hopefully Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t revolutionise Man Utd
As Leeds supporters, we’ll all be hoping that Pochettino doesn’t have a similar impact on Man U that Bielsa did for us all those years ago.
The fact that Pochettino has spoken about Bielsa so well in the past made me hope that one day, he could become our manager.
But with him having managed Chelsea, and now looking as though he will be Man U’s next manager, that soft spot for Pochettino has well and truly vanished.
There’s no doubting he is a quality manager. However, with the way our rivals are run and their owners, I can’t see any manager winning football’s biggest prizes at Old Trafford like the Premier League or Champions League until those owners change.
Of course, this makes it all the better for us Leeds United supporters. We’ll be watching as Pochettino becomes the latest in a long line of names to fail to restore Man United’s former glory and get the sack.
