Former Leeds United defender Jonathan Woodgate says he believes Marcelo Bielsa would have kept the Whites in the Premier League had the Argentine stayed at the club.
Leeds parted company with Bielsa following the 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, which marked the club's fourth consecutive league defeat.
Although the Argentine had failed to steer the club away from a relegation battle this season, he was still adored by many supporters having lifted the club out of obscurity in the Championship. Woodgate, who represented the Whites at senior level between 1998 and 2003, has revealed he thinks Bielsa would have kept Leeds afloat in the Premier League if he had stayed.
Speaking on the BBC's 5 Live Sport, he said: "He's done a fantastic job at Leeds but the defeats have been alarming. They've conceded 20 goals in the last five games, which is not good.
"If he'd have still stayed in charge, I still believe they wouldn't have gone down but whoever gets the job is going to be one lucky man because they're an incredible football club."
The former Middlesbrough and Bournemouth boss also insisted Bielsa has never really had a settled side, having been forced to cope without Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford for large portions of the campaign due to injury.
He said: "I think it's been the manner of the defeats, to be honest with you. But you've got to remember what he did for Leeds. He took over when they were 13th in the Championship, then they got to the Premier League, they finished ninth last season.
"This season, they've missed Patrick Bamford, them 17 goals he scored, they've missed Kalvin Phillips, they've missed Cooper.
"They've never really had a settled side but what he's actually done for them players as well - Kalvin Phillips, he's made him into a £40m player. You watched him in the Euros in the summer, how good he was, Patrick Bamford in the England squad."
Former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch is reportedly close to being appointed as Bielsa's successor and if he does land the role before the Whites return to action, he will have just 12 games to reverse the club's fortunes.
Although Leeds occupy 16th place in the Premier League, they are just two points clear of 18th-placed Burnley and the Clarets have played two less games.
