Garth Crooks believes that Leeds United have lost the fearless approach to the game that they had proudly and aggressively displayed under former Argentine boss and legend Marcelo Bielsa.
The Whites had brazenly earned plaudits for their high-octane football under Bielsa last term, which ultimately garnered them a top ten finish in their first season back in the Premier League from the Championships.
However, the way things have progressed, Leeds are going through a much tougher campaign being currently locked in a messy relegation scrap, while Bielsa, who had been removed from the club owing to their poor results, has been replaced by American Jesse Marsch.
Former top flight star Crooks feels Leeds under the helmsmanship of Marsch now lack the fearlessness that they proudly brandished when the Argentine called the shots in the dugout.
Crooks stressed that Leeds are currently struggling to adapt to Marsch’s pragmatic approach to the game, which is a far cry from their previous style they had been accustomed to under Bielsa.
“They [Leeds] no longer have that fearlessness they had under previous manager Marcelo Bielsa, when they first burst onto the Premier League scene and gave the then-champions a huge fright at Anfield on the opening day of the season”, Crooks wrote in his BBC Sport column.
“This is a Leeds United who are having to play with their heads and not their hearts and it is proving difficult.”
Leeds are in 17th and are just two points above the drop zone at present, while 18th placed Everton boasts a game in hand over them.