Marcelo Bielsa equals David O'Leary's Leeds United record with yet another Championship award

The Argentine picked up the Championship prize for the month of July thanks to Leeds’ perfect record, adding to the awards he won in August 2018 and November 2019.

Bielsa also took the League Managers Association’s Championship Manager of the Year award, in recognition of his and Leeds’ achievement in finishing top of the division and securing a place in the Premier League.

Leeds put together an almost flawless July, winning all six of their fixtures as the season moved into its most crucial and tense stage.

It was made all-the-more impressive by the Whites’ mixed restart to the season in June.

A disappointing 2-0 defeat at Cardiff and a shock 1-1 draw at home to strugglers Luton Town introduced nerves and concern, outside the club at least, that things might go awry once again like they did in 2018/19.

But a 3-1 win at Blackburn put Leeds back on the front foot and they romped home in the end, presumably much to the relief of Adam Forshaw who had predicted promotion as a ‘formality’ during the suspension of football.

A 5-0 battering of Stoke City, a hardfought 1-0 win at Swansea City and an even tougher game against Barnsley that ended with the same scoreline, put Leeds on the brink of glory and results elsewhere pushed them over the line.

But even after West Brom and Brentford both stumbled to hand Leeds promotion and the title respectively, there was no let up from Bielsa’s men.

A much-changed starting XI, including three Under-23s, swept aside Derby County, before a side closer resembling full strength played wonderful, flowing football in a rout of Charlton Athletic.

Their 18-point July haul left them 10 points clear of second-placed West Brom and helped Bielsa beat Swansea’s Steve Cooper, Fulham’s Scott Parker, Luton’s Nathan Jones, Stoke’s Michael O’Neill and Barnsley’s Gerhard Struber to the award.

Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Wilson chairs the Sky Bet Manager of the Month judging panel and was impressed with how the Whites handled the pressure and an exhausting season to finish so strongly.

“When all the expectation is heaped onto one club for a matter of years, that pressure can break certain players and managers, but not Bielsa," said Wilson.

“Leeds went six games unbeaten at the end of the season to cement their return to the Premiership as Champions. Bielsa’s team have pushed themselves to the limit this campaign and deserved all the acclaim they’re receiving."

No Leeds boss has picked up three monthly awards since O’Leary earned his third Premier League prize in April 2001, leaving another piece of history on offer for Bielsa should he sign a contract extension at Elland Road. He's currently 8/1 to win a fourth award next season and would join Howard Wilkinson, who picked up a quartet in his time as Whites manager.