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I keep seeing fans understandably confused about Bielsa’s seemingly noncommittal stance towards incoming players in January. To me the most plausible explanation relates to how well, if at all, any given player can adhere to his footballing ethos. #lufc
Marcelo Bielsa has indisputably worked magic at Leeds Utd this season, to the surprise of many, myself included. He’s taken a side that looked like relegation fodder at the end of last season & somehow transformed them into credible promotion candidates. #lufc
Yes, our team cost over £30m to assemble & the Academy players are the product of many years of investment so it’s not quite miraculous but it remains a remarkable achievement nonetheless. Even if nothing comes of it, I would posit that it’s worthy of discussion. #lufc
My theory is that Bielsa has harnessed the power of true belief. This might sound dramatic but there is ample historical precedent within & outside of the game. People are occasionally inspired to great feats by someone or something they regard as worthy of respect & awe. #lufc
Awe is defined as a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. Bielsa inspires awe, in fans & players alike. He’s a living God at Newell’s Old Boys. Chilean fans are described as his widows. His managerial disciples regularly cite him in press conferences. #lufc
And understandably so - Bielsa possesses both a fierce intelligence & a genuine passion for his craft. He’s spent literally months of his life thinking about the various permutations of tactical approaches & stratagem, honing a specific system throughout his storied career. #lufc
Marcelo Bielsa believes in his system. It’s plausible that this belief is what gets him off the camp bed he had installed in his office at the age of 63. The money he’s earned at Leeds has been ploughed back into football, funding training facilities at Newell’s Old Boys. #lufc
Fanaticism is a person filled with single-minded zeal. It’s not an absurd proposition to say that Bielsa is himself a football fanatic & requires those around him to be at the very least sympathetic to his cause, if not every bit as dedicated to the execution of his ethos. #lufc
Prior to Bielsa’s arrival, our players were managed by a bloke called Paul from all of 20 miles away. His assistant was a dimly remembered former Leeds loanee. Bielsa’s translator is a respected academic & published author who looks like he could bench-press a Volvo. #lufc
Consider then the impact of Bielsa on a Championship footballer. His reputation as El Loco aside, he is also an imposing & inscrutable figure. He has forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know. When he does talk, his words are measured & philosophical. #lufc
In the Buddhist faith, the term Bodhisattva denotes those who have achieved total enlightenment, some of whom remain on Earth as guiding lights. I’ve never given the concept much credence but it’s something that genuinely seems to suit Marcelo Bielsa in his advanced years. #lufc
It’s not a ridiculous proposition that footballers in a lower mid-table side would respond better to someone who has managed in the World Cup Finals & is broadly regarded as one of the greatest minds in the modern game than they did to Barnsley Paul, no disrespect intended. #lufc
One of the first things Bielsa asked of his players was for them to hit a target weight as soon as possible. Of course there are fitness reasons for doing this but I think he also wanted to see who could/would do it. He needed to know who would respond to his instructions. #lufc
The Argentine needs players who are prepared to do whatever is asked of them reliably, quickly & almost unthinkingly. Bielsa once mischievously remarked that if football was played by robots he would win every title going. Many a true word is spoken in jest. #lufc
Footballers are not automatons, at least not yet. Bielsa may have total confidence in his methods but without players who are similarly minded, it can come unstuck very quickly - which has happened in his managerial career. He needs his players to be true believers. #lufc
I can think of a club on the wrong side of the Pennines who brought in an accomplished manager a few years back & also bought back an expensive young international. As many trophies as they’d both won, said player very evidently didn’t think much of his manager’s ethos. #lufc
However, if you have a side full of players who are genuinely in awe of their manager, they are much less likely to question his authority. In particular, younger players are a blank canvas of sorts & perhaps as close to Bielsa’s hypothetical robots as you can get. #lufc
Hence why Bielsa has often turned to youth when faced with mounting injuries rather than resorting to emergency loans. He’s banking on it being better to have true believers in any given position than mercenaries who may or may not subscribe to his footballing ethos. #lufc
Thus, you can’t just bring in any old player. Even if they are right in terms of ability, they might not have the right attitude. You can’t have dissenting voices in the dressing room, especially when results go against you. It’s a risk to the collective sense of purpose. #lufc
It’s always a challenge to find good, available & affordable players in January but this additional criteria adds another level of extra difficulty. They can’t just be fit & technically good, they also have to drink the Kool-Aid or it could prove to be counterproductive. #lufc
Obviously as fans we are entitled to disagree with his methods or be infuriated by what could be seen as stubbornness but at the end of the day, he’s Marcelo Bielsa. As far as I’m concerned he’s earned the right to be steadfast in his self-belief. It’s brought us this far. #lufc
Also, and I think this gets overlooked because we’ve come to known him in his ‘smiling in selfies with kids’ days, there’s a reason that Bielsa was genuinely regarded as an intimidating figure for much of his career. He’s quite a big unit. I wouldn’t fuck with him. #lufc
I know it’s self-indulgent to go back & add yet another tweet to this already overly long thread but this brief interview with Liam Cooper reiterates some of the above & provides a nice addendum. #lufc
