It’s embarrassing that he looks like the best option out of what’s available. I think it may have come to that point.
But do people really think he would have played the same style if Burnely had been bought by Qatar and the owners bought him Sterling and Aguero to play up top? And Modric the middle, who you certainly wouldn’t bypass. It’s deliberate ignorance.
Managers can say repeatedly that their philosophy is to play the way that has the best chance of getting results with the players they have available. But because they are stuck with that same squad for X years, that style of play becomes their only way of playing according to fans and media. Obviously better managers will come up with better ways to use the available squad, and that’s what separates the good from the bad.
Large Samuel has one of the biggest “he plays this way” reputations, mainly because most squads he managed in the last 20 years were relegation fodder low on confidence. Of course he would use the same methods. But his Bolton team did not play like his West Brom team.
Rodger’s Leicester don’t play like his RS. Before the last 2 seasons it’s been all about using Vardy. Less so now as Vardy less explosive.
If Bielsa comes, we will not be playing the same way as Leeds did for about 18 months, if ever. He will retire before this squad could be rebuilt to play that way completely. He will use what he has in the best way he can.
The main doubt about Dyche-types is not that they only play low block hoofball and refuse to play any other way, it’s that no-one really knows what they actually would do with a squad that is capable of more than that. That’s the gamble we’d be taking, not that we’d be a bit bored.
Still don’t particularly want him.