He has levels of access to the inner workings of Leeds United than most journalists and gives an incredible insight into the inner workings of Leeds United both past and present. This may result in small marks to the dustjacket and title page, please also bear in mind that each signature will be a little different from the one we show here. I found the jumping around time-lines a little confusing at first and there were a few sentences that came across as a bit clunky and needed re-reading to fully understand. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you.

By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. When Marcelo Bielsa was appointed head coach of Leeds United in the summer of 2018, the club had just finished 13th in the Championship - their 15th consecutive season outside the top flight - and were defined as much by their excesses and disasters off the pitch as their lack of success on it.The recap of the Premier League season was interesting as we are told of some of the ways in which a football team runs behind the scenes. If we didn't already have an idea about how badly the club had been prior to the arrival of Radrizzani as owner the tales are so farcical that you wouldn't believe them. By weaving in stories of crises from the club’s purgatory in the English Football League, he presents a comprehensive and compelling portrait of an enigmatic manager whose values are the antithesis of everything that has previously gone wrong at Leeds during the dark days of Ken Bates, Massimo Cellino and GFH. It's just the icing on the cake that Leeds happen to end 16 years of abject misery during the period the book covers. I bought this just before he left the club, but it didn’t matter, I was just as keen to hear about this unusual and private man who was happy to give up lots of his own time to fans that he met on the street or in the supermarket or wherever.

he is a Heart of Midlothian supporter and a football obsessive, which has been the case since he was a young boy. Some startling revelations such as Ashley Barnes not being signed because Luke Varney who was already at Leeds was rated on Football Manager or Massimo Cellino dismissing the catering staff and leaving nobody to replace the milk in the fridge at the training ground. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. In And it was Beautiful, The Athletic‘s Phil Hay chronicles Leeds United’s glorious first season back in the top flight – which saw them finish ninth – after a chaotic sixteen-year absence.

UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2021/22 SEASON THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERThe behind-the-scenes story of the Marcelo Bielsa revolution at Leeds United and their first season back in the Premier League after sixteen years of hurt. In And it was Beautiful, The Athletic's Phil Hay chronicles Leeds United's glorious first season back in the top flight—which saw them finish ninth—after a chaotic sixteen-year absence. The chapters interweave details of each month of the 20-21 Premier League campaign with the stories of the past, exploring what went wrong (everything) and how Bielsa brought the joy back. This is a must-read for any Leeds fan, but equally, there's enough here to keep any football fan entertained.

The format of the book alternates a recap of a month of the Premier League season with the episodes from the recent history of Leeds United.Phil Hay is a fantastic football journalist as evidenced through his work for both the Yorkshire Evening Post and more recently the Athletic. You experience the ups and downs of the championship, whilst learning about the great Marcelo bielsa. It's about emotional connections, and how Bielsa's ideas moved Leeds United from a team going nowhere to a team that had re-engaged a whole community and started what might be a path to success.

This story of how the team were raised up from Championship also-rans to Premiership leading lights is one for the ages, and I would recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in the game. With his unique tactical approach, strict diet and body fat controls and a gruelling training schedule - including his infamous ‘murderball’ sessions - Bielsa has shaped a gang of Championship misfits and journeymen into a team that plays breathtakingly relentless attacking football and is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the game’s established heavyweights. An excellent book that details the rise of Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, as well as giving an in-depth look at the owner Radrizzini and his right-hand man, Victor Orta (Director of Football).His parting gift was to embrace the crowds of adoring fans who turned up to say thank you as he left the club's training ground for the final time.