Steve Bruce serves up unparalleled praise for Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa as Newcastle United head to Elland Road

Bruce will take his Magpies side to Elland Road tonight for what will be his 840th league match in English football management against a 65-year-old Argentinian overseeing his 114th fixture in the English game and with every one of those coming with Leeds.

One of those contests came against Bruce back in April 2019 when the 59-year-old Magpies boss was in charge of Sheffield Wednesday as the Owls fell to a 1-0 defeat at Championship hosts Leeds.

A Whites side that had finished 13th the previous season looked destined to seal automatic promotion in Bielsa’s first campaign in charge only to fall away and finish third before suffering heartache in the play-offs.

One year later, the Whites stormed to promotion in the ultimate style as champions.

By then, Bruce was one year into his new job at Newcastle and extremely impressed at the way Bielsa had masterminded United’s promotion in improving a team to such a degree that he had never seen before.

“Whenever a foreign manager comes in you take them at face value for what they can bring,” said Bruce.

“Bielsa brought something to the Championship when he came in. He transformed Leeds.

“The same group of players, I have never seen anyone have an impact like it on the same group that he had at Leeds.

"They went from being average to the top of the Championship.

“Physically, he transformed them. I’m a big admirer of his. When they’re eccentric and a bit different like him, it makes them a bit more intriguing.”

Just three points separate Bruce’s 12th-placed Magpies and Bielsa’s 14th-placed Whites though Newcastle are heading to Elland Road following back to back victories whereas Leeds are looking to respond from back to back defeats.

The latest of those came in Friday’s reverse at home to a West Ham side managed by David Moyes.

“It’s no surprise Moyesy can get one over on him,” said Bruce.

“If you’ve done 400-odd games in the Premier League, you’re capable of beating anyone.”

That, now, is the challenge for Bruce, who is looking forward to all of the eccentricities that Bielsa has to offer - including the ‘bucket’ seat from which the Argentinian oversees his Whites.

“Maybe I can share his bucket!” laughed Bruce. “That would be a sight for sore eyes, to share his bucket.

“I think we all like people who are different and eccentric and right the way through his career, it’s been like that when you see the way he’s done things and what he’s done and how he’s achieved it.

“I’ve got the utmost respect because I know how difficult it is. He’s right up at the top. “

"You know that when you hear Guardiola and Pochettino speaking so highly of him.

“I’ve never seen a team transformed the way he transformed Leeds with the same players.

“Sometimes you can do it if you have the ability to change players very quickly.

“But to do what he did and change things so quickly with the same set of players was quite incredible.

“I don’t know how he does it but he transformed the team physicality wise. That’s a big achievement.

“Nothing surprises you with him. He’s got that eccentricity, he’s different, he’s brought something refreshing to the Premier League and the Championship.

“When people are unique and different you also have to have the ability to do it. He’s certainly been fascinating to watch.”

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/new-dates-and-kick-times-leeds-uniteds-january-games-revealed-all-five-fixtures-live-sky-or-bt-sport-3069288

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/our-challenge-be-superior-marcelo-bielsa-leeds-uniteds-premier-league-adjustment-3068439

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins