Micah Richards believes sacking Marcelo Bielsa last season, and the subsequent indecision over direction, has ultimately cost Leeds United their Premier League status.
Leeds' three-year stint back in the Premier League came to an end of Sunday as defeat to Tottenham on the final day of the season confirmed their relegation to the Championship. It came after Sam Allardyce, the third manager of the campaign, was unable to arrest the slide and save the Whites from the drop.
Leeds sacked Jesse Marsch just shy of 12 months after he replaced now-Uruguay boss Bielsa at Elland Road, with the club 17th in the table. They replaced him with Javi Gracia but the Spaniard lasted just 12 games before being replaced by Allardyce. But Match of the Day pundit Richards believes the decision to let Bielsa go last season ultimately led Leeds to this destination.
READ MORE: Leeds United's repeated blunders starting with Marcelo Bielsa sacking set stage for relegation
Richards told the BBC Football Daily podcast: "They should never have got rid of Bielsa. I think I said that at the time as well, only because the fans absolutely adored him.
"So it was always the case that whoever came in was always going to have a difficult job. I think they went with the right fit in terms of if they were going to get rid of Bielsa with Marsch, because of the way they play - the high press and the high energy.
"I thought that could have worked out okay, but then you completely change tactics and go to a more defensive-minded manager and then you go with Big Sam. They've had too many changes in a short space of time and it's not worked out. I would have stuck with Bielsa personally."
READ NEXT:
Leeds United’s Sam Allardyce appointment branded ‘most ludicrous decision in the history of football
Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch linked with Monaco role
Leeds United board talks expected as Sam Allardyce pinpoints first major decision to make
Leeds United's repeated blunders starting with Marcelo Bielsa sacking set stage for relegation
The 11 damaging moments that led to Leeds United's Premier League relegation
