Marcelo "Loco" Bielsa's Bilbao spell a classic case study of the method behind the madness

Bielsa brought with himself a deluge of technical and tactical renovations, with an emphasis on synchronised movement across all players so as to move the ball up the field quickly and efficiently, but on the ground. All this for a team that relied on long balls from back to front as their main weapon during football matches.

The changes were revolutionary, and some players were often caught between forgetting their antiquated methods and embracing the contemporary demands. The results were that by the end of the 2011/12 season, several first team players had impressed enough to warrant interest from big European clubs. Martinez forced a move to Bayern Munich, Iker Munain was linked to Manchester United and Fernando Llorente was a target for at least 3 major clubs. Bilbao’s profile was certainly on the rise, and Bielsa deserves credit for turning this mid-table, glamour-less side into one that played urgent, non-stop, high stakes football that was just as appealing and compelling as Barcelona’s famed tiki-taka.

The Bilbao adventure may have ended for the 57-year-old, but there are more clubs out there for Bielsa. Sure, his press conferences last for 4-5 hours as he insists on answering every question, from those assembled, to the best of his abilities. Yes, Bielsa courts controversy, deliberately or inadvertently, and his obsessive, compulsive pacing of the touchlines in careful, measured steps is unnerving. An intense person, Bielsa is the poisoned chalice of football managers. But there is method to his madness, and the lure of beautiful football that Bielsa promises may be too strong to resist for club owners. The time is right for Bielsa to move to a top club; perhaps the Bundesliga could attract him as it will give him a chance to go up against his old friend, Guardiola, who graciously refers to Bielsa as “the best manager in the world”. Bielsa’s genius deserves to a grander stage, for it’s managers like him that will take football to the next level.