There was no anger inside Elland Road, no storming of the directors’ box amid calls for the manager to be sacked. Instead, a sad acceptance of a journey’s end.
It felt like a mournful goodbye to the family dog, and Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa have certainly lost their bite. It was time for change and, when Bielsa’s departure was confirmed at 11am yesterday, there was little protest from supporters.
Rarely, though, will a manager leave on the back of four straight defeats — and a club tumbling towards relegation — with as much affection and acclaim as that which will be afforded to the Argentine.