Phil Hodgkinson has been comparing Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa to former Huddersfield Town chief David Wagner, insisting the coach’s ability outweighs the quality of the squad.
Leeds are battling for promotion under Bielsa for a second season running, with the Whites top of the Championship table with nine games of the campaign remaining.
Back in 2016/17, Wagner was on the cusp of guiding Huddersfield to the Premier League via the play-offs, with the Terriers defying all the odds to secure a top-flight return for the first time since 1972.
Current Town owner, Hodgkinson, has been making comparisons between his club’s class of 2016/17 and Bielsa’s table-topping Leeds side.
"When we got promoted we got promoted because we had a manager who had a system that was better than the players we had, which is what is happening at Leeds,” Hodgkinson told podcast And He Takes That Chance. “Bielsa's way of playing [is better than that squad].”
Whilst Leeds are waiting for the football season to resume to continue their assault on the Premier League, Huddersfield are facing a very different battle at the opposite end of the Championship table.
Under Danny Cowley, Town are threatened with relegation still, sitting 18th in the Championship table and only three points clear of the bottom three.
Last time out, Town suffered a 2-0 defeat at Elland Road.
QUIZ: These players have played for both Leeds United and Huddersfield Town – True or false?
The Verdict
This is a claim that is probably more accurate than it seems.
Wagner had Huddersfield performing way above their level in 2016/17, which is a similar story to what Bielsa is doing at Leeds.
He’s taken a mid-table squad, sprinkled it with a few additions and turned them into a table-topping side looking destined for the Premier League.
Thoughts? Let us know!
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