Who are the contenders to replace Marcolo Bielsa at Leeds?

On the side of a building at Hyde Park Corner in Leeds is the giant face of Marcelo Bielsa. The 90-square metre portrait stands as testament to the impact made by the legendary coach on Leeds United and on the city as a whole. Bielsa’s contribution in the reinvigoration of the Elland Road club will never be forgotten.

However, there is a growing sense that Leeds United will have to find a successor to Bielsa in order to take the next step in their development. The 66-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, which isn’t terribly notably given how he favours rolling year-to-year contracts, but there is no indication that Bielsa will sign another extension.

For all that Leeds remain an entertaining and dynamic team, this season has been a challenging one. The Whites currently find themselves in 15th place in the Premier League table, just six points above the relegation zone. Most concerning is that while others around Leeds are resurgent, Bielsa’s team are sinking further.

The direction Leeds United take post-Bielsa will largely depend on whether they still have their Premier League status. If the Whites are still a top flight team by the summer, their options will include several elite level candidates particularly because of the building blocks left in place by Bielsa.

Ernesto Valverde is a name that has emerged as a potential option for Leeds United with the former Athletic Club and Barcelona currently out of work. Valverde became an unpopular figure towards the end of his time at Barca, but won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey as the club’s manager. Seen as a pragmatist by Barcelona’s standards, Valverde is a progressive coach by any other measure.

Jesse Marsch would be something of a left field choice, but the American would be a good fit for Leeds United given that his style is aligned very closely to that of Bielsa’s. Marsch failed to make his mark at RB Leipzig and was sacked after only a few months in the job. However, the impressive job he did at Red Bull Salzburg will surely see him given another opportunity to prove himself at a high level.

Paolo Fonseca has been linked with a number of Premier League positions over the last year or so with Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all assessing the Portuguese coach at one time or another. Fonseca was renowned for favouring an attractive style of play at Roma and is eager for an opportunity in English football. Leeds would make sense as a destination.

Leeds United were ambitious in their appointment of Bielsa nearly four years ago and it paid off. The club remains ambitious even after their promotion to the Premier League and so it’s likely they will look to find a manager who can make them a permanent fixture in the top half of the table. Leeds might even look at Leicester City and Wolves as clubs they can emulate.

Of course, Bielsa is more than just a football manager. Whoever replaces him, whether it’s at the end of the season or at some point further in the future, will have to fill the leadership void left by the Argentine. Leeds United will need a good coach, but they also need someone who can handles the expectations of an entire city.

Under Bielsa, Leeds have established a certain standard. There are, however, a number of areas of their game where improvement could be made. Succeeding Bielsa will be a difficult job, but it won’t be an impossible one and the Elland Road club would be wise to start their planning for the future now.

The post Who are the contenders to replace Marcolo Bielsa at Leeds? appeared first on Colossus Blog.

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