Marcelo Bielsa's legacy: The man who made a city fall back in love with Leeds United

For some, Leeds United's long-awaited promotion to the Premier League may be the defining achievement of Marcelo Bielsa's time as manager.

But his legacy at the club runs much deeper for the city which took him to its heart.

The Argentinian helped Leeds rediscover its sporting identity.

A city centre street renamed after him and murals depicting Bielsa the saviour in suburbs such as Holbeck, Guiseley, Hyde Park and Wortley attest to that.

As does the outpouring of sadness, indignation and even outrage from fans on social media at the manner of his departure. Did he have to go now, like that?

Bielsa transformed a mid-table Championship side into promotion contenders within a matter of weeks in 2018.

After 16 years of hopeless failure on and off the pitch, he made the fans fall back in love with their club.

He made the city stand up and sing for Leeds United.

But all good things come to an end and Leeds fans may begin to realise this was the way it was meant to be.

Leeds are, after all, English football's boom and bust club and not even Bielsa can keep pulling rabbits out of his hat forever. Not in the Premier League.

He came unstuck because he ran out of players. The ones he had he moulded in a notoriously small squad, which he insisted was the only way he could operate.

At one stage this season Bielsa was without 11 injured first-team players and the loss of Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and captain Liam Cooper to long-term problems was a conundrum too far.

Bielsa's critics said it was only a matter of time, that the physical demands required to play his turbo-charged pressing brand of football would take their toll.

In his fourth year at the club, Leeds have struggled to replicate the form which had swept them to a ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.

Bielsa's great entertainers have still made for compulsive viewing, but the 20 goals conceded in February, a new top-flight record for a calendar month, and 60 in total during this campaign has left them facing relegation.

After some boos at the end of Leeds United's 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, chairman Andrea Radrizzani felt compelled to act.

Some fans have criticised the Italian for not giving Bielsa the rest of the season to turn it around but Radizzani wiill argue he had no choice but to apply the brakes to a thrilling roller-coaster ride in order to protect the club's wider interests.

And so he felt Leeds' love affair with Marcelo Bielsa had to end.

Bielsa does not deal in pragmatism. He admitted himself he could never change his style of play and Leeds' joint-owners refused to risk more heavy defeats.

Bielsa the maverick, the reluctant hero, delivered more than just promotion and the city will be forever grateful that he came.

But whether we like it or not, it appears romanticism alone will never be enough to challenge in the Premier League.