Marcelo Had Huge Part – Leeds Legend Sees Bielsa Fingerprints On Whites Star
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Leeds United legend Stuart Dallas has praised the lasting influence of Marcelo Bielsa’s training on Pascal Struijk, singling out the defender’s passing as a standout feature shaped by the Argentine’s methods.
The centre-back joined Leeds in 2018, the same year Marcelo Bielsa took charge, arriving from Ajax to initially feature for the Under-21s before forcing his way into the senior set-up, earning early praise from the Argentine tactician for his technical quality.
During Bielsa’s tenure at the club, the 26-year-old racked up 55 appearances in a Whites shirt, acknowledging the significant impact the coach had on his development.
The Dutch centre-back has featured 29 times this season under Daniel Farke and has played a key role in helping Leeds hold 15th place in the Premier League standings.
Dallas highlighted the influence of past coaching on Struijk’s development, pointing to the 70-year-old’s role in sharpening his passing ability.
He added that while the defender’s grounding at Ajax emphasised a possession-based approach, Bielsa’s methods demanded greater technical precision and constant repetition, with that work now evident in his ability to execute a wide range of passes effectively.
Dallas, in conversation with Struijk, said on The Official Leeds United Podcast (33:35): “Obviously, you already touched on certain coaches developing you, and you talked earlier about your passing being one of your biggest strengths, and I think Marcelo had a huge part to play in that.
“I know you came up through Ajax, and that’s a big part of their academy, you play in possession and stuff, but when I think back to the training that we did under Marcelo, when you had to make a pass, your technique had to be good.
“And the amount of players that Marcelo improved that technically weren’t very good, and he kept putting repetition after repetition to make your passing better, and I think that shows in your game now.
“Your ability to wrap a pass in or play a pass through your laces.”
With the international break under way, the centre-back will enjoy a brief respite before re-joining the Whites for the FA Cup quarter-final clash against West Ham United on 5th April.
Many Leeds fans still rue the club’s decision to sack Bielsa and then club chairman Andrea Radrizzani explained he never imagined he would take the call to part ways with the legendary boss.
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