GiveMeSport
·23 January 2022
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·23 January 2022
Journalist David Anderson has provided an update on Marcelo Bielsa's future at Leeds United after 'chatting to people at the club'.
The renowned 66-year-old tactician has only ever signed one-year deals during his time at Elland Road, and the club's supporters will surely be hoping he puts pen to paper on fresh terms once again.
Bielsa has enjoyed a hugely successful three-and-a-half-year stay at Leeds, guiding them back to the Premier League following a 16-year absence after claiming the Championship title in 2019/20.
He then achieved a remarkable ninth-placed finish in the club's maiden campaign back in the top-flight last term, playing some extremely entertaining football along the way.
Despite a tricky start this time around, Bielsa managed to steady the ship in recent weeks, putting some clear daylight between Leeds and the relegation zone, but it still remains to be seen what his long-term future holds.
The Argentine coach has never stayed anywhere longer than his current stint in west Yorkshire throughout his career, indicating how wedded he is to the club, yet there is no guarantee his stint will be extended.
Bielsa likes to see where he, the club and the playing squad are at in their development before deciding whether to commit further.
And Anderson has revealed that the Leeds hierarchy can usually sense if the former Athletic Bilbao boss is going to stay put by the end of the season.
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The reporter told GiveMeSport: “Although interestingly, I was chatting to people at the club saying, ‘What’s your feeling?’ (about Bielsa’s future). The thing about Bielsa is they do this cycle every year where, as you know, he operates on a 12-month rolling contract.
"He gets to the end of the season, and he says, ‘I don’t want to talk about the future until we get to the end of the season,’ then he’ll decide if he wants to stay, and usually by then you know if he wants to stay on.”
Predicting whether Bielsa will remain at Leeds or not is extremely difficult, but the South American may feel there is still plenty of work left to be done at the club.
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Injuries to key players such as Patrick Bamford, Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper have severely hampered the Whites throughout 2021/22, restricting their progression on the pitch.
Bielsa, therefore, will perhaps not feel he has taken Leeds as far as they can go, and may be tempted to stay around for at least another 12 months.