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Isaac Johnson

‘Inability to adapt’ - Pundits assess ‘ruthless’ reasons behind Bielsa's Leeds United exit

Pundits Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage have given their views on the reasons why Marcelo Beilsa was let go by Leeds.

The Argentine was dismissed on Sunday after winning one point in six games and conceding 21 goals in that time.

The 66-year-old ended Leeds' 16-year wait to rejoin the top table of English football when winning promotion to the Premier League in 2020.

Bielsa had a huge impact on the club and the city of Leeds itself, with fans understanding but downbeat by his exit.

As a consequence of these poor results, Leeds find themselves in a relegation battle with 11 Premier League matches left to play and a new manager at the helm in Jesse Marsch.

Speaking on BT Sport prior to the 1-0 defeat to Leicester, Ferdinand underlined the shortfalls of Bielsa that cost him his job.

“Unfortunately in this game, people catch up, people work you out, and you have to be adaptable and flexible going forward,” the former Leeds defender said.

“The ones that stay in and stay long are adaptable and they evolve with time and unfortunately that was probably the undoing (of him).

“However much you love him and laud him in the city - and rightly so - the undoing of him was the inability to adapt with his tactics.”

He added: “The killer has been about the way they have gone about losing games. You can lose and still be in touch but they have been getting blown away. 6-0s, 4-0s 4-2s, they’re big numbers.”

Fellow pundit Robbie Savage said his departure showed “how ruthless football is.”

Touching on the injury problems Leeds have experienced, he said: “It’s a results-driven business.

“They've conceded so many goals and I think where he has been unlucky is having the spine of the team missing - (Liam) Cooper, (Kalvin) Phillips, (Patrick) Bamford.

“Leeds United need their best players on the pitch with the way they play.

“When those players are missing, the depth in the squad is not good enough.”

Following Saturday’s defeat to Leicester, the Whites are winless in seven having failed to score in their last three matches.

They next face Aston Villa - who stuck four past Southampton last time out - on Thursday before a crucial encounter with Norwich the following Sunday.

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