"Carlos Corberan has been linked with Leeds United every time their managerial vacancy has come up since Marcelo Bielsa's abrupt and unpopular dismissal in February 2022 and that's no coincidence. Bielsa's popularity among Leeds fans cannot be overstated. He ended their long, long wait to return to the Premier League, led them to an impressive ninth-place finish in their first season, and did it all with a style of football previously unseen at Elland Road."
"Crucially, that style of football has also been unseen since Bielsa's departure. Even as they romped to promotion with 100 points and 95 goals scored last season, there was an unmistakable sense that it just was not as fun under Farke as it had been under Bielsa. You may like Carlos Corberan made his name in England as Marcelo Bielsa's assistant (Image credit: Danny Lawson) Looking at it from the outside, that may be slightly unfair."
"Farke arrived with a huge burden of expectation set by Bielsa's successes and the new money that has poured into the club over the past few years. For Farke's side to finish third in his first season at the club and then lose in the play-offs was seen as an under-achievement. When Bielsa had done the exact same thing five years earlier, it was a triumph for a club that had not finished in the second tier's top six since 2006."
Leeds United fans remain nostalgic for Marcelo Bielsa's era, credited with ending a long wait for Premier League promotion, achieving a ninth-place finish, and introducing a distinctive, exciting style of play. That style has largely been absent since Bielsa's 2022 dismissal, despite promotion under Daniel Farke, leaving supporters feeling matches were less fun. Farke faced high expectations due to Bielsa's legacy and new investment, and finishing third then losing in the play-offs was perceived as underachievement. Fans view Carlos Corberan—Bielsa's former assistant who progressed from Leeds youth coach to Huddersfield manager and reached the 2022 play-off final—as a possible restorer of that identity.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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