[ad_pod ]
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
There have been conflicting reports as to why Pontus Jansson was sold by Leeds United this week.
Journalists have reported that it was due to his poor attitude affecting the dressing room, while the man himself stated that it was due to financial reasons.
Former United man Danny Mills has now given his version of events as to what happened between the Yorkshire club and the Swedish defender.
What’s been said then?
The ex-England international has told Football Insider what he has heard about Jansson’s exit.
He said: “The reason he fell out with Leeds was because he wanted extra time off after the summer internationals.
“He kept asking Bielsa and Bielsa kept saying ‘no’.
“It came to the point where Bielsa said, ‘that’s enough’. Jansson wanted special treatment and Bielsa wasn’t willing to give it to him. He has a firm plan for the direction the team is going and was not willing to change that.
“All of the others players, including those who played end-of-season internationals, were happy to come back. Jansson felt he deserved more time off. That was the final straw for Bielsa.”
Bielsa’s stubbornness
For all of Bielsa’s good qualities as a manager, he has one glaring issue which can sometimes cost him. Both Phil Hay and Jonathan Wilson have described him as stubborn, and in this case it’s cost him a top centre-back.
Indeed, Jansson probably should have reported back to training on time, but the summer internationals are gruelling, and if the Swede was so desperate for some more time off then Bielsa surely could have found a compromise.
Instead, the Argentine was headstrong and took this as an act of defiance which in the end saw Jansson sold to Brentford.
The 28-year-old was incredible last season making it into the PFA Championship Team of the Year, but Bielsa was unwilling to allow him extra time off.
It could be argued that Jansson is in the wrong here, but when weighing up the pros and cons of this move, you have to say that Bielsa has made the wrong decision.
When having to choose between giving a player an extra week off or losing one of the best defenders in the division the choice should be simple, but the Argentine was unwilling to change his methods to suit Jansson, and that ultimately ended the Swede’s Elland Road career.