Another stodgy defeat weighs heavy on Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa | Jonathan Wilson

The Argentinian’s injury-ravaged side follow 7-0 humiliation against Manchester City with a 4-1 home defeat by Arsenal

Heavy defeats can be purgative. In 1992, Marcelo Bielsa’s Newell’s Old Boys lost 6-0 to San Lorenzo in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, sending him into despair. He was an ambitious and idealistic young coach who had clinched the apertura in 1990-91 but then seen his side win only nine games in the whole of 1991. Could it be his methods were ineffective? Was his whole vision of football flawed?

For two days he locked himself away in the Conquistador hotel in Santa Fe. He wept. He rang his wife, Laura, and admitted he thought his career might be over. In the end, he gathered the players together and asked them if they still believed in him. Change approach, or play the same pressing game but harder, better? They insisted they still had faith and so, emboldened, Bielsa ploughed on.