In the end Marcelo Bielsa ’s greatest strength also proved to be his greatest weakness.
Bielsa’s absolute faith in his playing and coaching style propelled Leeds from mid-table in the Championship to ninth in the Premier League in just three years.
His total commitment to playing attacking, entertaining football, with his players going man for man all over the pitch, brought Leeds success and plaudits in equal measure.
But when he needed to adapt this season and shore up a defence with more leaks than a colander, he could not change.
The idea of picking a team to keep a clean sheet was a total anathema to Bielsa and as exciting as his style of play was, it left Leeds horribly open at the back.
Sixty goals in 26 Premier League games is a damning statistic and Leeds had conceded 17 in their last four straight losses as they went into freefall.
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They became predictable and opposition managers secretly loved playing them because they knew they would cough up so many chances.
Bielsa also refused to compromise on the training pitch when his squad was repeatedly hit by injuries and instead increased his infamous ‘murderball’ sessions, leaving his players knackered.
He was just as dogmatic in the January transfer window and rejected offers to sign Donny van de Beek and Aaron Ramsey, even though Leeds were desperate for a midfielder, because he did not feel they could adjust quickly enough to his intense demands.
Yet no Leeds manager has been as loved and revered by his players since Howard Wilkinson a generation ago.
The outpouring of tributes on social media from Bielsa’s squad yesterday were a genuine reflection of their huge respect for the Argentinian.
Patrick Bamford summed up their feelings when he said on Instagram, “Thank you, the man who changed everything for everyone.”
Bielsa certainly changed Leeds and he reawakened this giant after 16 years dozing in the EFL.
He made Leeds fans proud and made every player he worked with better.
Bielsa, 66, caused controversy too, most notably with Spygate in January 2019 when Derby caught a Leeds intern snooping on their training sessions.
That incident was not a true reflection of Bielsa the man and a better example of his honourable character came five months later when he told his Leeds players to let Aston Villa score to calm a potentially-volatile situation.
Despite being almost worshipped by the likes fo Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, he was incredibly humble and refused to take any credit for any of Leeds’ successes.
Instead he bore all the responsibility when things went wrong, which happened too often this season.
The crisis point came after Saturday’s 4-0 home drubbing by Tottenham left Leeds fighting for survival.
Chairman Andrea Radrizzani and his board, who were already contemplating replacing Bielsa in the summer, knew they had to act, despite their deep respect for him.
But this sad ending should not colour the journey and not since Don Revie in 1975 has a departing Leeds manager been held in such high regard.
Bielsa has written his name alongside those of Revie, Wilkinson and David O’Leary in Leeds folklore.
