There was a sprinkling of Leeds earlier today as Marcelo Bielsa seemed to get a mention from Kalvin Phillips ahead of England vs France in the World Cup quarter-final.
The £45m man – who came through the academy at Leeds – was asked how comfortable he would feel adjusting to different formations, just in case Gareth Southgate decides to spring a surprise on Didier Deschamps.
In his response, Phillips seemed to refer to the somewhat chaotic approach from his old boss Bielsa, aptly nicknamed El Loco in his native Argentina.
What’s the story?
Well, the 27-year-old said: “At Leeds I played under a manager that changed formation every time, every 15 minutes, so I’m quite used to changing formation. I played centre-half and stuff like that.”
Of course, Phillips could be referring to Garry Monk, Thomas Christiansen, Paul Heckingbottom, Steve Evans, Uwe Rösler, Neil Redfearn, Mark Jackson or Jesse Marsch.
However, the England international made 131 appearances under Bielsa, while the most he made under any of the aforementioned eight coaches was 40 while playing for Monk.
Therefore, it is highly likely that Phillips is referring to Bielsa, especially given the Argentine’s tendency to abandon any form of shape or formation during matches.
Bielsa’s time at Leeds was vital for Phillips
Of all those who managed Phillips at Elland Road, Bielsa was by far the most influential.
The South American enjoyed a very strong relationship with the Yorkshire Pirlo – as the Manchester City No.4 was nicknamed at Leeds.
In fact, Phillips even gifted Bielsa his first England shirt, to express his gratitude for the 67-year-old developing him into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Of course, both are no longer at Elland Road, although there is no denying the impact Leeds had on them both.
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