‘It’s a grind’: Simon Grayson suggests why Marcelo Bielsa may have found it tough at Leeds United

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Leeds United’s hopes of pushing for promotion again next season may just hinge on keeping hold of some key men. Perhaps none more so than their manager Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine has reinvigorated the club this season, even if they did fall just short of promotion.

Bielsa’s future is now a key topic for Leeds fans. In fact, over the past couple of days, he has already been linked with AS Roma by Sky Italia and Celta Vigo by TMW.

Simon Grayson, who is the last man to have managed Leeds United at the start of two consecutive seasons, has shared his thoughts on Bielsa’s future with talkSPORT this week.

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“Who knows what he is going to do? He could surprise us all and say he’s going to stay or he could surprise us all and say he’s going to walk out.  

“There’s a lot at stake. Obviously, he’s on a huge salary. Have the owners got the money to back him again in the summer months? The thing you have to understand is that the way he works, the intensity and the attention to detail, it’s a grind in the Championship.

“He’s doing that Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday. He’s not 35, he’s not 40…He would have found this year really tough with the level of intensity.”

Grayson, himself a Leeds fan as well as former manager, makes a valid point. Bielsa has clearly given his all to the club and at 63-years-old will undoubtedly have suffered for his craft.

Historically, Bielsa rarely hangs around in his club appointments either. So no wonder Leeds fans are concerned.

As reported by The Times, Bielsa appears to be sticking around for at least one more crack at promotion.

But as Grayson rightly points out, this past season will have been a huge test on Bielsa. A man full of surprises, a poor start to next season could easily be the undoing of his relationship with Leeds.

Fans will hope the Whites can enjoy a good summer and get off to a flyer.