'It'll be really interesting to see how the Premier League cope' - Danny Cowley certain 'genius' Marcelo Bielsa is taking Leeds United up

The Terriers manager has put his admiration for Bielsa on the record before, calling him a footballing pioneer after December's meeting of the teams, when Leeds won 2-0 up open up an eight-point lead on the play-off places.

Yesterday the Whites secured another 2-0 victory over their neighbours, this time at Elland Road, and it put a seven-point gap between them and Fulham. It also put Leeds top, by a point, after West Brom were held to a goalless draw by Swansea.

Cowley was once again fulsome in his praise for Leeds' Argentine head coach.

"He's a genius, Bielsa," said Cowley, after Luke Ayling's wondergoal and Patrick Bamford's second half tap-in left Huddersfield three points off the drop zone.

"If you're going to get out-managed, get out-managed with a genius."

Bielsa, in Cowley's eyes, is Leeds' greatest strength. They have good players, but what they produce in terms of energy and intensity is down to the man working them so hard in training at Thorp Arch.

"Just look at them, they've got really good players, I don't want to take anything away from the players but look at the energy, the intensity, their behaviours and habits, he must be relentless in his demands in training to get them to play with that physical output," said Cowley.

"Some of tactically is a bit crazy, they're man to man, always got plus one defensively and if you can be good enough to play out of the pressure you can definitely hurt them in space but you've got to be really good to do that."

Cowley knows what it's like to revolutionise a club and elevate them to the next level, having won multiple promotions on his way up the English football pyramid and lit a fire under Lincoln City. Along with his brother Nicky he managed the Imps from the National League to League One.

He was reticent to draw any parallels between what they experienced at Sincil Bank and what Bielsa is doing at Elland Road, but admitted the atmosphere was tangible when Leeds went a goal ahead on three minutes through Ayling.

"Relative to the levels," he said.

"We had some good times at Lincoln, we did fantastically well. I'm never sure we got to that level of performance Leeds got to today. You could feel the energy and momentum in the stadium, particularly after they score the goal they did. There was a confidence in the stadium."

Cowley is not the first manager to tip Leeds for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season, the list is long and distinguished.

But he is 'absolutely' certain they will achieve their goal and he's keen to see Bielsa-ball grace the top flight.

"I'll be really interested when Leeds go up, to see how the Premier League copes with it," he said.

"I'd like to see how they react. I've got a feeling they'll work it out, the Premier League, because they usually do work it out, Championship teams. It's really interesting.

"I'd like to see a Premier League club be us today and see how they did.

"They're the best team in the division by miles."