Five reasons why Bielsa was sacked by Leeds United

Leeds United announced on Saturday that Marcelo Bielsa had parted ways with the club after their 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at the Elland Road earlier that day.

The Argentine coach was appointed by Leeds back in 2018, led them to Premier League promotion in 2020 after a 16-year absence, and received LMA Championship Manager of the Year.

“This has been the toughest decision I have had to make during my tenure at Leeds United, taking into account all the success Marcelo has had at the club,” said chairman Andrea Radrizzani.

“We find ourselves in a precarious league position and I feel now is the right time to bring in a new head coach, in order to have an impact in the decisive stage of the season.”

Bielsa left Leeds by mutual consent and here we point to the main reasons behind the club and coach’s decision to part ways midway through the season.

Poor form

Leeds have managed just five wins this season, having lost as many as 13 games thus far. The team registered four heavy defeats in a row in February, losing 3-0 at Everton, 4-2 to Manchester United, 6-0 at Liverpool and 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Struggling in defence

Leeds’ defence struggled last season too, but Bielsa failed to deal with their frailties at the back this term. They conceded 17 goals in the last four games and a total of 60 goals so far in 2021/22 – the worst record in the Premier League.

Injury crisis

Numerous injuries to starting players have taken their toll on Leeds, with Patrick Bamford having featured in just six Premier League games and his teammate Kalvin Phillips having played 12 times.

Although Bielsa shouldn’t be blamed for trying to experiment with the team’s formation due to the absences of key players, his system shifts haven’t helped the team to find a much-needed consistency.

Risk of relegation

Although Leeds were not regarded as one of the potential relegation suitors, their recent results have seen them sit 16th in the Premier League table, just two points above relegation zone, with 18th-placed Burnley having two games in hand compared to the Peacocks.