Marcelo Bielsa on why Middlesbrough's fortunes under Jonathan Woodgate will soon change as Leeds United test looms

Former Boro assistant boss Woodgate took the managerial hotseat in June but the Riversiders sit fifth-bottom and just one point above the dropzone five months on.

Woodgate's side had gone ten games without a victory before beating bottom of the table Barnsley 1-0 at the Riverside on Wednesday but Bielsa feels improvements are inevitable under Woodgate given the players at his disposal.

"Middlesbrough are clearly a team that are developing," said Bielsa. "It is in this process, they are trying to show his ideas.

"Of course Middlesbrough have important players, no doubt about that and if the manager has continuity in his job he will achieve building the team and respect, that's what I think.

"When I see a team that have ups and downs and some very good players, a team with good players that is searching to find his style it is just about time because they have good players."

As a player, Woodgate signed schoolboy forms with Leeds as a 14-year-old before moving to Wetherby two years later in 1996 and the defender went on to make 142 appearances for the Whites as part of the glory years at the turn of the century under David O'Leary in the Premier League and Europe.

Woodgate - who netted five times for Leeds - was one of the players to take Leeds to a Champions League semi-final against Valencia and Bielsa is fully aware of his standing but will respectfully leave the plaudits to others.

Bielsa said: "Of course I remember him but I don't have enough information to give an opinion but you in England do have more information so anything I say will be small in comparison."