Watford have this week confirmed the appointment of Claudio Ranieri, and it has had an interesting implication on Marcelo Bielsa.
The arrival of the Italian manager means that the Leeds boss is no longer the oldest coach in the Premier League. At 69-years-old, Ranieri is a whole three years older than Bielsa.
On the surface, this might not seem like much of a news story. That is until you factor in Bielsa’s surprisingly bad record whenever the Argentine manager is the oldest coach in the English top-flight.
As reported by Richard Jolly on Twitter, Bielsa’s win percentage in the Premier League sits at just 14% when he has been the oldest manager in the division.
Compare this to last season, where Roy Hodgson was the oldest figure in the hot seat, and this win percentage shoots up to 47%.
Indeed, it is of course a very nitpicky and downright ridiculous stat. But it is still an interesting case study into how Leeds’ form has dropped massively this season.
Leeds fans loved Watford appointment of Ranieri
And with Watford now having the oldest manager in the division in Ranieri, it would be quite comical if Leeds’ were to suddenly regain the form that made them so entertaining to watch last season.
Moreover, supporters on social media loved this surprising stat. Here’s what some Leeds fans had to say on Twitter about their record under Bielsa…
https://twitter.com/Mattishannon/status/1445088021439729665
https://twitter.com/foundationtier/status/1445073037796253714
https://twitter.com/samowen198707/status/1445064002187431951
https://twitter.com/cgleeds23/status/1445058970461298688
https://twitter.com/ItsLukeEv/status/1445105331122712596
https://twitter.com/adamslufc/status/1445084288802861069
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