It's hard to imagine Leeds United before Marcelo Bielsa; the constant mid-table finishes, the seemingly never-ending stream of underwhelming managerial appointments and a half-empty Elland Road. 

As the full-time whistle blew against Queens Park Rangers to conclude the 2017-2018 season, few filtering out of Elland Road would have expected that they would go on such a rollercoaster ride over the 22 months that followed.

Only six of the 18 that were in Paul Heckingbottom's matchday squad remain at the club, with Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips being pivotal to what has developed at Elland Road since that 2-0 win over QPR.

Following the departure of Heckingbottom in June 2018, it would have been hard to predict that someone with a stature of Marcelo Bielsa would have been the next head coach through the Elland Road doors.

However, just two weeks after Heckingbottom's dismissal, the former Marseille manager was appointed as Leeds United's head coach. An appointment that immediately had the world's media talking.

Bielsa carried an aura with him with many Leeds fans not being ashamed to admit they knew little about 'El Loco' before he arrived in LS11.

The 64-year-old had won plaudits for his time as Newell's Old Boys, Athletic Bilbao, and the Argentinian national squad, as well as developing players such as Mauricio Pochettino, Pep Guardiola, Aymeric Laporte and Benjamin Mendy, many of whom he has stayed in contact with.

Bielsa has, for many of those who didn't want to take notice of Leeds, made them interested in the goings-on at Elland Road and, dare say it, made Leeds United fashionable to the wider footballing community.

Despite his stature in the game, Bielsa isn't a serial winner of trophies.

Other than two Argentine titles with Newell's Old Boys in the early nineties and a gold medal with Argentina at the 2004 Olympics, silverware has been few and far between for the 64-year-old.

Perhaps his lack of honours is what makes many desperate for the Argentine to succeed with United this term.

Although chants of 'Leeds are falling apart' echoed from three-quarters of the City Ground when Leeds slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in February, few since would be hard-pressed to justify that based on their style of play they don't deserve a place in the Premier League.

Since the Forest game, Leeds have been in scintillating form, picking up 16 points from a possible 18 and producing two potential Championship goals of the season in the process.

It isn't just on the pitch where Bielsa has won plaudits, it's his humility and character off the field that has endeared him with many of the Leeds United faithful.

There are the stories of Bielsa buying an £11,000 Volkswagen for the Christmas raffle, handing sweets out to the younger sections of United's fanbase and, of course, the willingness to pose for selfies in the likes of Costa Coffee and Five Guys.

Robbie Decker, 25, from Leeds and a life-long United fan, does not hide away from his admiration for Bielsa, telling Football League World: "Bielsa is the best thing to happen to the club in my lifetime.

"Not only has he got Leeds United playing arguably the best football the Championship has ever witnessed, but he has also got football fans across the world talking about Leeds United again."

Discussing the 64-year-old's human side, Decker added: "Even when Bielsa makes a mistake, he comes out the other side with more respect because of the way he handles it and is unbelievably humble."

Fellow Leeds fan Jacob Ehrlich, 27, adds to those sentiments: "Whatever happens for the rest of his tenure, be it just missing out on promotion again or winning the Champions League in a few years time. I will look back at his time with Leeds United as incredible."

That is the one fear for some United fans, should Leeds miss out on promotion again this season, it is unlikely Bielsa would stick around for a third crack of the whip. For some at Leeds it is a case of do or die with the 64-year-old this term.

No matter how Leeds' season concludes, those who have become endeared with Bielsa, whether they are Leeds or not, those who have followed Bielsa, whether it be his whole managerial career or just from his time in England, will find it hard to not want to see this true gentleman of the game achieve success.

Leeds have at times not been everyone's cup of tea, but few would begrudge 'El Loco' a place amongst England's elite next term.