West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini has become the latest high profile name to laud Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Both West Ham and Leeds changed managers in the summer. And both opted for a South American.
Pellegrini arrived in East London with title-winning experience and a CV including top clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Bielsa’s reputation as a coach was just as impressive.
Opinion was divided in football circles, though, as to whether either were right for their respective clubs.
Opinion was divided over South American duo
Pellegrini had a stint in China and was written off as past it in some quarters. But he has given West Ham their identity back and his style of play has delighted fans.
A lack of consistency – predominantly down to a Premier League-worst injury lists – has held the Hammers back. But a win over Fulham on Friday night will put them just three points off seventh place and potential European football next season.
Up in Leeds for those aware of his pedigree and backstory the appointment of Beilsa was seen as one of the managerial coups of recent years.
Others saw it as a huge risk because of Bielsa’s awkward nature and having walked out on Lazio just two days into the job.
Maverick manager hailed by world’s best
The fact is the Argentine is widely adored and even hailed as the world’s best coach by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino.
And it is not without good reason as Leeds fans will already testify.
Leeds are riding high and will top the Championship if they win their game in hand ahead of the run-in.
As many predicted the success has not come with controversy. Spygate made international headlines but is now firmly in the past.
Now Pellegrini has joined other profile names in praising Bielsa in an interview with the Independent and feels West Ham can progress by embracing the Argentine’s philosophies.
“He is always a manager that gives a style to a club,” Pellegrini told the Independent having been particularly impressed with what Bielsa did for his own country, Chile, by taking them to the 2010 World Cup.
Pellegrini says West Ham can learn from Bielsa
“Bielsa gave another personality to the Chilean players. Maybe he did not win anything with Chile, but playing against Chile was very difficult.
“He had good success because he was playing as a big team. The same I was telling you about what West Ham must do, we must play with the mentality of a big team.
“He did brilliant work in Chile, he got Chile to play as a big team in those years.”
Ironically West Ham courted Bielsa before eventually appointing Slaven Bilic.
Indeed the then Marseille manager named Dimitri Payet when he was reportedly asked by the Hammers owners which one player he would want to bring with him to East London.
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