Rio Ferdinand has raised doubts over Marcelo Bielsa swapping Leeds United’s dugout for the now highly-expensive one of Newcastle’s, as he told his own YouTube channel.
It was put to the former centre-back that Newcastle should appoint Bielsa as their next manager, to see what he can do with ‘big players’, but Ferdinand stated it’s ‘difficult’ for proven players to follow the Leeds man’s ‘fearless’ ways.
Sky Sports are reporting that it’s only a matter of time before Steve Bruce is sacked as Newcastle manager – and he isn’t expected to be in the dugout for Sunday’s game against Tottenham.
Whilst the Magpies don’t have big-name players in their squad yet, it’s likely that during the coming transfer windows, things will start to change drastically in the North East.
That would mean bigger egos and bigger names taking to the St James’ Park turf, from both in the Premier League and across Europe.
And whilst Ferdinand is a huge fan of Bielsa’s, he questioned whether his methods would be followed by players who are more ‘established’ in the game.
“He focuses on tactics,” said Ferdinand. “The big thing about Bielsa is that, has he got it right with big-name players?
“To do it with players that are desperate for a career, players that are playing in the lower leagues and players that just want to be taken to the top. They want to be on that ride and journey to the top. They will do anything for you.
“The trick is, getting an established player to change the way that you do things, change their mindset, change their output on a daily basis, physically, to mad levels.
“To that on a daily basis is the trick and it’s a difficult part because there will be some players out there who will go ‘that’s not the way I see football’ – I think he is a top manager, love the way he sets his teams up and he is fearless in the way he goes about it.”
Entertainment is always on the cards when Bielsa is around and he possibly epitomises the Newcastle team of the 90’s.
But it would be quite the shock to see him swap Elland Road for St James’ Park, more so because he isn’t the type of character to leave a club in the lurch like that.
Then it’s a case of Newcastle actually wanting to appoint a manager of his ilk, character and methods.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Newcastle go down a more younger road because they need to look at the long-term picture, as well as keeping things steady during these next few months.
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