Simon Jordan has had his say on why Leeds United suffered relegation back to the Championship after a three-year stay in the Premier League.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Jordan believes the Whites never got over the departure of the fan favourite Argentine Marcelo Bielsa.
“If you look at their (Leeds) decline, they never exorcised the spirit of Bielsa, he had run his course.” Jordan said. “(Bielsa) done a brilliant job to get them into the Premier League, probably made the side one the most watchable sides in their first season, in the second season he was losing his way”.
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Bielsa was sacked in February of last year, after a run of five defeats in six games. Leeds were two points above the relegation zone and had the leakiest defence in the league at the time.
Jesse Marsch was brough in to save the club from relegation, and did, after a last-minute winner by Jack Harrison. Despite this, Jordan believes Leeds should have sacked Marsch at the end of that season.
“(Marsch) Should’ve been binned at the end of the season before last, but they stayed with him for too long.” Jordan claimed.
Marsch was eventually sacked after a seven game winless run left Leeds out of the bottom three on goal difference. Leeds eventually appointed Javi Gracia, and despite a 1-0 win in his first game at Elland Road, he was sacked later on too.
Jordan claimed that Leeds’ season changed at half-time against Crystal Palace. Leeds had gone in level at 1-1 after a good first half, but eventually lost 5-1.
“They were battering Palace, who were in reasonable nick, they go in at 1-1, and then they lose 5-1 and from that moment on the life went out of them.”
Jordan also thought the appointment of Gracia was 'all right', but Leeds ultimately fell away with a string of poor results.
“I thought Javi Gracia was an all right appointment, and he got decent results when he first went in,” Jordan added. "And then they're getting beat fives and getting beat six and then they're gone."
