16 Jan 2019 20:08:24
Well done Frank, you poked the bear and it ripped your arm off! Everyone everywhere is calling Bielsa a genius just to rub in a bit of salt. I'm not sure Lampard saw this one coming 😂

Ed001, you've always said Bielsa was a master to so many students, and WOW you were not kidding. His prep work is absolutely meticulous. Do any other managers that you know of go to this level of detail? I'm not sure if Bielsa is a pioneer, or just the only one honest enough to share this stuff.

{Ed001's Note - well Mourinho used to, hence why Andre Villas-Boas was employed to go spy on other team's training. Pep is similar as well. Emery is a bit obsessive, but mostly about videos. Bielsa is a one off mate, there is no one quite like him.}

1.) 16 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 20:27:27
I just saw the whole thing as well MK, the level of detail is just ridiculous. I think he mentioned at one point, he looked at Luton’s last 26 games because Stoke just appointed the manager from there and Leeds is due to play them (Stoke)! Loco indeed. Is our set up and prep level similar to this Ed?

{Ed001's Note - nobody's prep level is quite like El Loco's mate, nobody's.}

2.) 16 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 21:04:37
Leaves me speechless Ed001. It's staggering. I sincerely hope he isn't punished for something that is not even against the rules.

{Ed001's Note - it is ridiculous, there are multiple complaints about people watching training made by teams on an almost daily basis. Liverpool didn't build a wall around Melwood for the hell of it! Man Utd moved ground to try and hide it away more easily, as did Man City, who used to regularly have people on the public footpath next to their old training ground watching training. Middlesbrough's training ground has a hotel in the grounds and they used to be very happy to allow people to watch training there. I used to go up there every time I visited my parents as it was in the same village as their home a while back. I think Lampard has tried to play mind games and just been shown up by a much more intelligent and experienced manager.}

3.) 16 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 21:22:53
Fingers crossed it goes away then. Lampard complaining specifically about the pliers is so far my funniest moment of 2019. His words were along the lines of "They weren't just watching, the guy was on his knees with pliers" 😂 who knew Frank was such a drama queen?

{Ed001's Note - and it was an outright lie. There were no pliers found according to the police.}

4.) 16 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 21:42:23
I really like Derby. They have always had our younger lads on loan. Wisdom, Ibe, Wilson etc. But they're embarassing themselves over this.

5.) 16 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 22:12:15
Spot on, Ed. El Loco is a phenomenon. Benjamin Mendy once said recently that while Bielsa was at OM, his assistants (not just the players) had to prove they were good enuff to be on the bench with him based on how they responded to his demands in training during the week. If any of them could not hack it, they would be in the stands, and not on the bench with him. Can you imagine that? If that was ever done by a manager in England, the pearl-clutchers in the media would be well, clutching their pearls.

As for the whole spying thingy, I agree that Lampard got his arse handed to him for making a mountain out of a mole-hill hence, embarrassing himself. This spying thingy happens all the time which is why sometimes, training happens in indoor facilities so as to finalize tactics and systems they would use during games OR build a wall around the ground like at Melwood and so on. There is NOTHING illegal about it and well, Lampard is being taught a lesson in football at the highest level cos he is not in Bielsa's league. 'Hope he learns from this.

6.) 17 Jan 2019
17 Jan 2019 01:15:43
i'm really hoping no stupid rules emerge from this incident. i mean, rather than trying to learn from someone that is thoroughly meticulous in preparation that can actually help to improve English football, are we seriously going to invent some new rules / laws in the name of fairplay to kill off innovation, good practices that can actually help English teams to get better?

Lampard has been half decent for Derby, but he ought to hold his hands up that he hasn't worked quite hard enough to get the better of Biesla on the pitch. If only he learned and say 'hey, i'm going start doing that too, i'm going to be even more thorough in my analysis of opposition, preparations, etc', perhaps he might turn out to be a good manager later on.

7.) 17 Jan 2019
16 Jan 2019 23:58:08
Blown away by Bielsa, what would Colin make of the professionalism of it crossed my mind🤔.

8.) 17 Jan 2019
17 Jan 2019 08:19:15
It seems to me that spying on an opponent’s training session is like tapping up. They are both seemingly widespread within top level football but whenever someone is caught doing either there is manufactured outrage from clubs, pundits, the media and others. Hypocrites.