Marcelo Bielsa has England and the world tuned to his channel and it’s a joy to watch

Yes, and that one month break that teams not playing European football got while the others had three weeks, or thereabouts. Which means that for Manchester United, for example, their season, after a foray into the Europa League, ended on August 16th and restarted September 19th. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, saw their season end on July 26th and restart on the 12th of September.

A weekend distraction from their daily lives, because no matter how bad or good it had been during the week, a terrible game of football always proved to be a cathartic release. But when games are played back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, it becomes hard to differentiate what day of the week it is. Everything merges into one, all-mighty mush of memories with very little to knock about the difference between a 1-0 win for Burnley against Liverpool and that 1-0 win for West Ham over Burnley.

Tim Stillman put it brilliantly in a Twitter thread, that has now been lost on the interweb, but the basis of it was how a lot of football is average and forgettable. Now while that is an opinion many fans won’t agree with, it is true and especially applies to the Premier League over the last few years. And you can’t really blame the teams especially when they’ve got 120 million, for the teams that finish 17th with that figure rising, on the line. That is just for surviving in the Premier League and that is a helluva lot of money.

So you can’t really blame teams like Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, or even a Burnley when they replace an identity for stability and something that will help them survive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but it doesn’t really make for great viewing or a great spectacle which is possibly, ever so slightly, why so many Newcastle United fans hate Steve Bruce with such venom. Because here is a manager who is doing nothing more than helping the Magpies survive a Premier League season.

Because within two and a half years, Marcelo Bielsa has transformed this team from a mid-table under-achieving side to a team that is now going head-to-head with England’s best. And they’re having fun, playing a brand of football that is a breath of fresh air to what had become a stagnant league despite it boasting the Klopps and Guardiolas.

But yet Bielsa won’t change. Here is a side that beat Newcastle United 5-1, lost to Manchester United 6-2 then beat Burnley and West Bromwich Albion by a combined 6-0 scoreline. Then they lost to League Two side Crawley Town 3-0 in the FA Cup and the emotional roller coaster goes on. 23 league games played and yet every single Leeds United game is like watching a brand new one. But even now after consecutive losses across the league and cup, Bielsa will never change and that is just a part of the fun.

Watching a stubborn old man stick to his principles, his ideals perched on a stool while the new world order battles and tries to belittle him makes it even better. Stick this in a courtroom and no lawyer would ever cross-examine and hit out at the man the way many pundits and football experts across the interweb have and yet Bielsa doesn’t seem to care. And why would he?

His side sit 10th in the Premier League, the drop zone is SEVENTEEN points away, they have the joint (level with Chelsea) fifth-best attacking record (according to goals-scored) and that is despite all the injuries they’ve had. It’s a joy to watch Bielsa’s murder-ball, even if his side does look tired now, and it’s why Magpies hate Steve Bruce so much. Because once upon a time Kevin Keegan’s Magpies used to be called the “entertainers of the Premier League” but now, that title has been bestowed upon Leeds United and they’re doing a lot more than justice to it.

They’ve somehow managed to elevate it to a new level while playing football amongst the super-elite and the billionaire-funded clubs. That’s something Keegan’s Magpies never had to deal with and yet, Marcelo Bielsa continues on with not a care in the world and that makes it even better. Because despite a few billionaire-funded thrashings, with a few more set to arrive around the corner, and a few weird results, Leeds United are not going to change.

Think back to a two-day spell at Lazio, his threat to leave the Chilean national team. and then him following through on that despite the fact that the election to appoint Jorge Segovia as President of the Chilean Football Board was annulled. Then go to the chaos with Olympique Marseille where he resigned after the opening game of the 2015/16 season with a simple "I have finished my work here, I will return to my country." Many never liked that but it has only added to El Loco's charm and the mystique around the 65-year-old.

So, enjoy it, revel in this because in this relentless age of football, in this 24-hour news cycle that demands instant gratification, in a world filled with revolving doors for managers, we just don’t know how long this will last. Either way, one thing is clear. Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa are a credit to the league, so strap in for the wildest ride of your lives because even if you try to outlive him, you will end up being swallowed by the shark.