Pascal Struijk’s verdict on Marcelo Bielsa is definitive, and his own experience explains exactly why the Leeds United manager’s toughest methods were also his most effective.
Now 26, Struijk has become one of Leeds’ key players and remains one of the first names on the team sheet under Daniel Farke. He is now approaching 10 years at the club, having joined back in January 2018.
Having earned his debut under Bielsa, Struijk has clocked up 188 appearances for Leeds. In that time, he has played in multiple positions, scored 14 goals and become a fan favourite among the Elland Road fans.
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Pascal Struijk of Leeds United
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Speaking on the Leeds United podcast this week, Struijk named Bielsa as the “best” manager he has worked with in terms of his development and recalls a very harsh lesson he learned under the gaffer.
The ‘Pascal finished’ moment shows Bielsa’s standards in action
Struijk said Bielsa was the best he has worked with: “Amazing [to work under Marcelo Bielsa]. But very intense. Skills-wise, he’s the best I’ve worked with so far in terms of developing players.”
That description matters because it links Bielsa’s intensity directly to improvement rather than personality. It frames his methods as deliberate tools for development rather than uncontrolled demands.
Leeds United centre-back and vice captain Pascal Struijk
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Struijk recalled being sent back to the 23s in training during Bielsa’s early sessions at Thorp Arch. “As you see, where we started as a group. I was there, I’m going to say, around the first training session.
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“He was very strict on how you performed in training. There was this drill, if you didn’t do it well enough, especially as a 23’s player coming over, if it was not good enough, he would say ‘Pascal finished’ and I would have to walk over and go back to the 23’s.”
Stuart Dallas confirms it was a test, not punishment
It might seem incredibly harsh. Leeds fans saw Bielsa as a charming, charismatic manager that got Leeds players playing a style akin to his own personality. Chaotic, yet beautiful. This shows a different side.
Stuart Dallas said Bielsa was testing players’ reactions, not undermining them: “He was clever, though. He wasn’t doing that to kill your confidence; he wanted to see how you would react the next day.”
Stuart Dallas of Leeds United before Premier League match vs Newcastle United.
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“If he saw your reaction, he would say ‘oh this kid wants it’ but if you shirked away from that, maybe not wanted to come back the next day, then he’d know.”
Struijk’s Leeds career under Bielsa gives weight to his claim
Struijk spent Bielsa’s entire Leeds tenure at the club, arriving in 2018 and developing within that environment from the start. That context strengthens the credibility of his view.
He made his Leeds debut under Bielsa, meaning his progression into the first team came directly through those same methods he now credits. It came against Hull in the Championship in December 2019.
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Struijk’s experience removes any doubt about Bielsa’s approach because it connects the hardest moments in training to the outcome he values most. “It was a big part of building your mental strength, resilience.”
The detail in that account matters because it shows those moments were not isolated or accidental. They were part of a consistent approach designed to test and refine players from the very start of Bielsa’s era.
That is why the description of Bielsa as the best coach carries weight. It is not based on reputation, but on direct experience of a system that demanded standards and delivered development.
Bielsa’s methods were tough, but they were also precise, and Struijk’s career under him shows exactly why that balance mattered.
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