ELLAND ROAD — Marcelo Bielsa put a consoling arm around Gerhard Struber at the final whistle while Leeds owner Andrea Radrizanni hugged his trusted lieutenants, Angus Kinnear and Victor Orta.
As Orta, the ever-excitable director of football who like everyone of a Leeds persuasion struggled badly to control his nerves, roared to Bielsa’s players as they came off the pitch, the gesture was returned.
Captain Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas and Gaetano Berardi all signalled their delight to the director’s box and, after sixteen years in the wilderness, the Premier League had never felt so close for this famous old club.
“We are not yet promoted and until we can resolve this problem mathematically, we cannot talk about this,” Bielsa said after an uncomfortable second half during which Barnsley posed plenty of problems with no reward.
“I want to recognise the work of our opponent today because they tried in every way and possibly they deserved a different result. That is the comment I made to Struber at the end.”
Asked if he was targeting the title, the reply was classic Bielsa: “This question has only one answer.”
Bielsa’s appointment in June 2018 was daring and expensive; one of the game’s most-respected coaches arriving from Argentina to revive a sleeping giant of English football.
A football romantic, Bielsa saw the appeal in that and now, as his second season draws to a close, the 64-year-old ‘El Loco’ should soon be able to reflect on a hugely significant achievement.
Should West Brom fail to win at Huddersfield on Friday teatime, Leeds will be back in the Premier League.
If Albion do not record a victory, and Brentford also slip up at Stoke on Saturday lunchtime, Leeds will be champions by the time they run out at Derby on Sunday.
Either way, Bielsa’s men appear almost certain to reach the top flight as title winners, as they did 30 years under Howard Wilkinson, in what would cap a glorious renaissance for the Yorkshire club.
Do not underestimate how bad things have got at Elland Road since Leeds tumbled out of the Premier League in May 2004.
They have endured numerous rotten ownership regimes where Leeds United has been a byword for mediocrity and at times abject failure.
Things only really began to change when Radrizzani, an Italian media rights entrepreneur, took control three years ago.
Do not overlook that either.
After one of the worst performances of their two seasons under Bielsa, Leeds did enough to seal another priceless win here.
They fell agonisingly short of winning promotion in Bielsa’s debut campaign last season, but nothing is likely to stop them now.
Credit to Radrizzani, of course.
His investment in Bielsa and handful of key backroom staff has not been cheap, but will feel like small change once the £170million ticket to the promised land is confirmed.
There is an energy about Leeds right now, on and off the pitch, although this latest victory was far from vintage and came from a 28th-minute own-goal by Barnsley’s Michael Sollbauer.
After Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich’s fine pass set Patrick Bamford free inside the right channel, his shot was blocked by Mads Andersen, who had headed just wide for the visitors at the other end moments earlier.
Yet Bamford had the presence of mind to cut the ball back into the six-yard box where Sollbaeur, under pressure from Helder Costa, diverted the cross into his own net.
Leeds, already missing key midfielder Kalvin Phillips to a knee injury, lost Costa to a rib problem early in the second half.
Struber’s spirited Tykes grew in confidence and began to fashion several half-chances against Bielsa’s reshaped side.
Orta, whose histrionics should be pure theatre for the next installment of Leeds’ documentary series, was almost beside himself with nervous energy.
For Barnsley, relegation beckons as they remain bottom and four points from safety with two games remaining.
Their spirited performance was scant consolation for Struber, who said: “Bielsa found the right words for me and understands my situation.
“Leeds have done a brilliant job this year and he’s a great coach, but my players will never give up. We still have a chance to stay in the league.”
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