Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo has admitted the players still use the trait of hard work which Marcelo Bielsa implemented during his time at the club.

Will Leeds survive the drop?

Prior to the international break, Leeds were able to take three huge points from their relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, which saw them rise to 14th spot in the table.

However, this is not to say they have climbed away from danger just yet, as only three points separate them and rock-bottom Southampton.

The difficulties experienced this season have seen Jesse Marsch replaced less than a year after taking over from Bielsa and Javi Gracia taking the role in the Elland Road dugout.

But speaking on the official club podcast, Firpo has admitted the players still have Bielsa's philosophy of hard work and covering every blade of grass ingrained in them:

"We are a team that we have our best strength - it's that all the team is running all the time. I think this is a theme that stayed over the years, it came maybe with Marcelo [Bielsa] or maybe before, I don't know, because I've been just with Marcelo.

"So this is a theme that stayed with Marcelo, after [when] Jesse Marsch as well was a coach, the same now Javi [Gracia's] more tactic [focused], but we still want to run, we still want to cover a lot of ground, and we're still able to do it. So I think this is our best strength."

Were Leeds better under Marcelo Bielsa?

The Argentinian manager certainly enjoyed some good times in Yorkshire after he ended the club's Premier League drought by gaining them promotion in 2020.

That being said, the 67-year-old also endured some struggles over the course of the 2021/22 campaign which saw him sacked in February last year.

Leeds were certainly headed for relegation issues with Bielsa in charge as their defence leaked goals from all over towards the end of his reign.

Conceding 20 goals in his final five games in charge didn't do his cause any favours, but there were some other potential reasons behind their demise.

On the back of scoring 17 league goals in their first campaign back in the Premier League, Patrick Bamford missed the large majority of the 2021/22 campaign through injury.

Adding to this, in the January transfer window before Leeds sacked Bielsa, the Argentinian was not handed any summer recruits to strengthen their survival hopes (via Transfermarkt).

Pep Guardiola once said back in 2018: "My admiration for Marcelo Bielsa is huge because he makes the players much, much better."

And there is certainly a case to be made that he got the best out of the Leeds side - Bamford being a key example - when he had his full squad available, while others have struggled since his departure.

Leeds - in their first season back to the top-flight - finished in a stunning ninth-place finish under Bielsa, with only three points separating them from a spot in the Europa Conference League.

Gracia is certainly showing signs of steadying the ship, however, there may be some regret from the Leeds board for not financially backing Bielsa in last year's January window.