Leeds United could soon be in the market for a new manager.
Jesse Marsch has failed to win any of his last eight league games in charge of Leeds and with games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Newcastle on the horizon, we’re not exactly confident that Marsch will make it to 2023 as Leeds boss.
Of course, is Marsch is sacked the question that Leeds need to ask themselves is who’s next?
There are plenty of talented managers out there, but, in our view, Leeds have already missed out on the two manager best-placed to now replace Marsch.
Listen to Leeds fans on any given weekend when the result isn’t going their way and you’ll hear one name being chanted from the stands ‘Marcelo Bielsa’.
It’s clear that the Elland Road faithful are clamouring for a return to the Bielsa days, but with the Argentine unlikely to return to West Yorkshire just months after being sacked, Leeds’ best bet may have been to go for someone similar.
Of course, there are noted Bielsa disciples such as Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola, but they’re unlikely to come to Elland Road anytime soon, but one manager who could’ve been tempted is Jorge Sampaoli.
Sampaoli is a self-confessed Bielsa disciple, he plays a very similar style and there’s reason to believe he could be the perfect manager for Leeds if they want to return to that way of playing.
Sampaoli has already succeeded his former mentor a couple of times in his career, and that has worked to great effect, perhaps most notably with Chile. Just 12 months after Bielsa left the South American outfit, Sampaoli was in the dugout.
Sampaoli didn’t change the style that the current Leeds boss brought to La Roja, but instead built upon it, making it more effective and eventually he won two Copa America titles with Chile.
Factor in that Sampaoli also admitted that he used to watch a lot of Leeds’ games under Bielsa and you have a coach who is almost ready-made for the Elland Road dugout.
Sadly though, Sampaoli has just taken the Sevilla job, so Leeds probably aren’t going to get their hands on the former Chile boss anytime soon.
Another Bielsista that Leeds could’ve looked at is Carlos Corberan. The Spaniard, of course, learned under Bielsa during his time at Leeds, acting not only as the Argentine’s assistant but also as the U23s manager – enjoying great success in both roles.
Since then, Corberan has proven his value in the Championship, taking Huddersfield Town to within a whisker of promotion, and that job with the Terriers probably should’ve landed him a Premier League role – and he would’ve been a great Marsch replacement.
However, he’s not available either, he’s just become the manager of West Brom, and thus, he is also off the managerial market right now.
If Marsch is to leave Leeds, the Whites will have to replace him with someone who will not only bring results but will also please the fans, but sadly, they’ve missed out on two star candidates in Sampaoli and Corberan.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
