Gabby Agbonlahor is at it again on talkSPORT discussing hotly-contested Leeds United news, this time questioning FIFA’s choice to nominate Marcelo Bielsa for the Best Men’s Coach in 2020.
Marcelo Bielsa’s are the reason we find ourselves in the Premier League this season, after his complete transformation of the club from the summer of 2018, with his philosophy filtering down into the players and helping unify the city with the club once again after 16 long years out of the top flight.
On the pitch, Bielsa has masterminded turning a mid-table Championship team into one that can match Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and be just the seventh team in history to have more possession in a game against the Spanish manager. A career not laden with trophies, Bielsa has always been regarded by high-profile professionals as one of the best around, and his achievement to drag Leeds out of the Championship is one of his best throughout his long career.
This has seen him recognised by FIFA for the Best Men’s Coach award for 2020, nominated for the fan-voted award alongside Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, Bayern’s Hans-Dieter Flick, Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane, and Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui. While Leeds fans and neutrals (who pay attention) could easily justify why Bielsa has been nominated for such a prestigious award, some pundits can’t fathom why his league title with the Whites is worth being in the vote,m including a familiar face in Gabby Agbonlahor. We saw a lot of empty talk before the Aston Villa win from the former Villa striker, claiming Bielsa to be a ‘myth’, and he’s at it again following this news.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor wasn’t too pleased with FIFA’s decision. He stated: “Listen, he’s done a great job at Leeds, getting them promoted and their good start to the season in the Premier League.
“But I do think it’s a bit ridiculous for him to be in that top five.” The former Villa man said.
“I think there are so many great managers in world football out there who have done a better job than Bielsa.
“I’m quite shocked. Maybe Danny Mills has done the nominations?
“No, I’m not having it.
“Thomas Tuchel, the PSG manager, he isn’t even on the shortlist! No, he didn’t win the Champions League, but he got to the final and won the French title… but Bielsa is in front of him? “I’m lost for words!”