One of Leeds United's rival owners has delivered a hilariously bold verdict during a recent appearance on a podcast. This one's sure to rile up a few supporters at Elland Road...

What's he said?

Huddersfield Town majority shareholder Phil Hodgkinson believes his Terriers side possess better players, and it is merely only Marcelo Bielsa's influence that is steering their Yorkshire nemesis' to promotion.

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That's quite a claim considering there are a massive 29 points separating the two teams in the Championship standings currently, and with just nine games remaining, those 'better' footballers have it all to do to turn that around.

Speaking on the And He Takes That Chance podcast, Hodgkinson said:

"When we got promoted, we got promoted because we had a manager who had a system that was better than the players we had, which is what is happening at Leeds. Bielsa's way of playing [is better than that squad].

"If you look at that Leeds game, if you cut those two squads together, I would not say, in my personal opinion, that Leeds have got better players than us barring one or two. I believe we've got better players in most positions.

"But on the day the way they played, they just outplayed us, it was the way they played.

"That's no criticism of our manager at all, quite the opposite, but they just had a better system."

Phil Hodgkinson to the 'And He Takes That Chance' podcast

Hilarious claim

It is quite the statement to make given the vast difference between the two rivals in the league this season, and he's quite wrong to even suggest that they have better players as it would inevitably show on the pitch.

Leeds are where they are as a collective, not just because of Bielsa's managerial ability. It isn't the Argentine slamming in Patrick Bamford's 13 goals nor is he controlling Jack Harrison's wizardry on the wing with some sort of games console controller.

He may coach them a certain way, but it is the players that do the business out on the pitch.

These comments merely sound like sour grapes in all honesty. He's effectively taking aim at his own manager, Danny Cowley, too, especially if he truly believes their system it at fault for their struggles this term.

A rather bold yet bitter verdict from one of United's arch-rivals.

AND in other news, Leeds fans discuss ex-striker Ross McCormack...