What unites Chris Wilder and Marcelo Bielsa and how Sheffield United manager 'awakens interest' in Leeds United's head coach

As players, Bielsa and Wilder did have something in common in that both played as defenders for their beloved local clubs, Newell’s Old Boys and Sheffield United respectively.

And while Bielsa did take charge of Newell’s, like Wilder has the Blades, the Argentine went on to take jobs all over the world, managing a pair of national teams and tasting life in the top flights of Spain, France and Italy before taking Leeds to the Premier League.

There’s little reason at all why Stocksbridge-born Wilder couldn’t take his talent abroad in future but to date he’s worked exclusively in England, working his way up from Sunday League football to the pinaccle.

His managerial ability has always been evident from the outset. He won four trophies in a single season with Northern Counties East League Premier club Alfreton Town, while Bielsa was managing Argentina.

Wilder went on to take Halifax to the Conference play-off final, won those play-offs with Oxford United, won League Two with Northampton despite the club’s financial issues and then won League One with the Blades.

He first crossed swords with Bielsa in the 2018-19 Championship season and in terms of head-to-head encounters the spoils were shared, each team celebrating a 1-0 win at the home of their rival.

When it came to the promotion race, Wilder got his nose in front with that narrow win at Elland Road and Sheffield United went on to finish second, leaving Bielsa’s Leeds to scrap it out – unsuccessfully – in the play-offs.

Last summer brought speculation and suggestions, mostly from outside Yorkshire that change would come for both clubs and yet the Whites and the Blades stuck to their guns.

In the Championship, with Bielsa commited to a second season, Leeds based their bid to follow Sheffield United into the Premier League around continuity, making few signings and playing the same football that took them close in 2018-19.

At Bramall Lane, the vast majority of their 2019 summer change came off the field, with stadium improvements and staffing increases.

On the pitch, despite predictions to the contrary, they continued to find success playing the same football that took them to the dance.

Bielsa is fully convinced of his relentless attacking style and man-to-man marking system, Wilder has full faith in his possession-based 3-5-2, with overlapping centre-backs.

Both men employ tactics that boast originality and that are unique to this country, at least. Neither man is for changing.

“We haven’t changed our philosophy since coming back to the Premier League, so there’s your answer,” said Wilder when asked about the possibility of switching things up for the clash with Leeds.

Bielsa has gone on record a number of times to leave no one in any doubt about what he will do with his Leeds team.

“We play every game the same way, always trying to deserve the victory playing better than the opponent,” he said before facing Liverpool.

“It’s not a question of vanity, it’s a question of conviction in the style of play. It’s the only way we play.”

Bielsa is far from dogmatic, however. He appreciates ideas other than his own and routinely reminds everyone that there is more than one way to skin a cat in football.

He also evidently likes to see other coaches who imbue their sides with a distinct philosophy and takes inspiration from them. Wilder is one such coach.

“I always remember from that point [Sheffield United v Leeds December 2018) the manager of Sheffield United had clear concepts and was able to carry them out,” he said this week.

“The way he manages to set up his team awakens a lot of interest in me to learn from him.

“This thought I had already expressed in the first season before we faced Sheffield United.

“I think there’s a lot of teams who have looked at their style and tried to implement their style of play. To add to that they’re a team who are very loyal to their style. They are a team that are very convinced of the way they have to play.”

The styles and formations might be different, when Leeds line up against their Yorkshire neighbours at Bramall Lane but the two sides share some DNA.

Both teams will be as well prepared and as well drilled as can be – both Bielsa and Wilder are meticulous, and both teams will be expected to run themselves into the ground – both systems demand it, both managers mandate it.

And both will attack with pace and bodies – Wilder’s side remained dangerous on the counter-attack even with 10 men against Villa in midweek, while Leeds continue to pour forward at any stage of any game, regardless of the scoreline.

Leeds’ Premier League involvement thus far has yielded more excitement than Whites fans might like, a 4-3 win over Fulham following the 4-3 defeat at Liverpool, but it could be ‘another one of those’ this weekend.

Bielsa will never sit and wait for an opponent to make a mistake, his team will always seek both control of the ball and victory. An almost inevitable byproduct of that will be counterattacking opportunities for the hosts.

Goals aren’t guaranteed but lightning-quick attacks are a given and Wilder has refused to rule out a thriller as two of English football’s irresistible forces collide.

“I’m expecting a competitive game, a game that’ll be interesting tactically, some good technical players on show, a lot of energy in both teams in distances covered and how the game’s played,” he said.

“Both teams will be going for a win so it sets it up for that type of game.

“Off the back of them scoring, they concede, and we’d like to change our record although I certainly don’t think we’re a million miles away.”