Leeds United parted ways with head coach Marcelo Bielsa after the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, leaving a city he had lifted with his impact on the club in mourning.
Reports claim the appointment of American coach Jesse Marsch as his replacement are imminent but the emotion at Elland Road remains raw following the abrupt end of a tenure which yielded memories that will last a lifetime.
When the emotion is extracted, there is a debate to be had as to whether it was the right decision for Bielsa's time in charge of the Whites to come to an end.
It is a debate which is currently prominent across the country and LeedsLive have rounded up what national newspapers have had to say on the Argentine's exit.
'It felt like a mournful goodbye to the family dog'
Mail Online 's Craig Hope likened Bielsa's departure as a goodbye to the family dog, admitting that injuries to key players did not help the Argentine but claiming there was a loss of belief in his methodology.
He said: "It felt like a mournful goodbye to the family dog, and Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa have certainly lost their bite. It was time for change and, when Bielsa’s departure was confirmed at 11am on Sunday, there was little protest from supporters.
"Rarely, though, will a manager leave on the back of four straight defeats — and a club tumbling towards relegation — with as much affection and acclaim as that which will be afforded to the Argentine.
"Leeds are here, in the Premier League after 16 years away, because of Bielsa. He turned Championship players into top-flight stars, making England internationals of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, both of whom are currently sidelined. That has not helped.
"But what we have seen in recent months is a squad losing faith in Bielsa’s unbending methodology, a man for whom the notion of change does not extend much beyond the colour of his side’s jerseys. Without that belief, some have started to look like the second-tier players they perhaps always were."
'What shone brightest was Bielsa’s humble perspective'
The Guardian 's James Ricah described Bielsa as a man of integrity, hailing his humble perspective and insisting he was 'the best manager for Leeds at the best possible time'.
He said: "For all his idiosyncrasies, his trips to Costa Coffee and Morrisons, his former flat above a Wetherby sweet shop, what shone brightest was Bielsa’s humble perspective. During the pandemic, when Leeds lost many club legends and the whole world faced a daunting new reality, it was a comfort to many that a man of integrity was leading the club.
"Throughout his reign Bielsa never criticised a referee, never blamed VAR or spoke in negative terms about any individual. When "Spygate" rumbled on he publicly chastised himself and paid the fine out of his own pocket. He was a man you wanted in your corner when life was out of control.
"Bielsa was the best possible manager for Leeds at the best possible time. After so many years of stagnation, years of waste and anger, he proved the perfect antidote. In the early days there were constant fears that he would simply leave, that the Leeds curse would snare him, yet he stuck to his beliefs even after a catastrophic end to his first season."
'He came unstuck because he ran out of players'
The impact of injuries Bielsa's fourth season with the club was highlighted by The Independent 's Mark Walker, who wrote: "He came unstuck because he ran out of players. The ones he had 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 had only been a matter of time, that the physical demands required to play his turbo-charged pressing brand of football would take their toll."
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'Endings have rarely seemed so sad'
Over in The Times, Martin Hardy also reflects on the sombre mood at Elland Road.
"Before kick-off on Saturday, the crowd at Elland Road belted out the name of Bielsa to the tune of the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. It felt as if it was a last stand even then, a final thank you, a forlorn wish that the corner could be turned, that his glorious tenure was not coming to an end.
"Deep down, most knew it was. The euphoria in the stadium earlier in the season at being back in a raucous ground in the top division, marching on together for the first time since 2004 had given way to a feeling that Leeds' home had lost its power, just as Bielsa's magic touch had begun to elude him.
"Endings have rarely seemed so sad, the leader of a cultural change axed. The neutral enjoyed watching Leeds that seemed novel and 24 hours after singing his name for the final time inside Elland Road, the Leeds United Supporters' Trust set up a site entitled Gracias, Marcelo, where fans could share messages of gratitude for Bielsa. The site was almost overwhelmed. Each minute, more and more heartfelt messages were posted, hundreds in total."
