Marcelo Bielsa has been fired as Leeds United manager after another heavy loss dropped the team to within two points of the Premier League relegation zone.

“I have to act in the best interest of the club and I believe a change is required now in order to secure our Premier League status,” Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani said.

“Recent results and performances have not met our expectations.”

A 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham came at the end of a seven-day stretch in which Leeds was also defeated 4-2 by Manchester United and thrashed 6-0 at Liverpool.

Leeds United can confirm the club have parted company with head coach Marcelo Bielsa

— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 27, 2022

Leeds are in their second season back in the top division, where Bielsa led the Yorkshire team after it spent 16 years in the lower leagues following relegation in 2004 brought about by financial mismanagement.

Leeds plans what it calls a “permanent tribute” at Elland Road to the coach who led the northern English club for nearly four years in his first job in English football.

In its two years in the Premier League, Leeds have been one of the most exciting teams to watch, scoring many goals and conceding even more thanks to Bielsa’s hard-running and adventurous approach of attacking in waves and pressing man to man all over the field.

If all the rumours about Bielsa leaving Leeds are true I think he will be a huge loss to our game. Maybe his stubbornness to never change is his downfall but Leeds have had horrific luck with injuries to key players this season. Huge shoes to fill if he does go…

— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) February 26, 2022

It has appeared naïve at times, especially against the big teams, but Bielsa has refused to eschew his long-standing philosophy that influenced coaches such as Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Paris Saint-Germain Mauricio Pochettino.

Leeds has conceded 20 goals in five games in February – a Premier League record for goals allowed in a single month.

-AP