da fazobetai： A lot has changed at Leeds United over the past couple of years.
da bet7： The squad’s fortunes have completely turned around since the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa as he took Leeds from being a side that were finishing 13th in the Championship to genuine promotion contenders.
The most impressive thing about Bielsa’s impact is that he’s done it without changing the squad too much.
Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich, Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Pablo Hernandez were all on the books at Elland Road when the Argentine arrived, and they remain key players to this day, all starting at least 22 league games this term.
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However, one man who was a key player prior to Bielsa’s arrival could soon be ushered out of the club.
Indeed, reports over the past few months have indicated that Leeds have no immediate plans to offer Gaetano Berardi a new contract, and will instead wait to see whether or not they gain promotion before considering extending his terms beyond the summer.
But some recent comments from Pontus Jansson indicate that they should reconsider their stance.
The Swede named the defender as his favourite ever teammate stating that he was like a father to him and that he helped him through the tough moments at Leeds.
Bielsa has always been keen to bring young players into the first-team, and having a player like Berardi around will make that process so much easier.
You can read more on this and other top stories via our Leeds United News page.
A lot has been made of the psychology of Leeds’ players as of late, and if Berardi’s personality is as Jansson describes then he will always be a handy presence in the dressing room.
The 5 ft 10 defender isn’t just a glorified agony aunt either. His impact on the pitch shouldn’t be underestimated, with Leeds winning 2.4 points per game when Berardi plays – a tally higher than anyone else who has played at least four games this season.
Add into this the fact that United have just one senior centre-back signed on beyond the end of this term in the shape of Liam Cooper, and it’s a no-brainer.
The 31-year-old’s contributions both on and off the pitch should see United reconsider their stance on his future. Rather than letting it hinge on promotion, Berardi should be seen as an important part of the squad going forward.
In other news, one Leeds man showed both his best and worst attributes on Saturday.