UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2021/22 SEASON THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER The behind-the-scenes story of the Marcelo Bielsa revolution at Leeds United and their first season back in the Premier League after sixteen years of hurt. FEATURING FRESH PERSONAL INSIGHT FROM MARCELO BIELSA On 27th February 2022, after 170 matches in charge, promotion to the Premier League and some of the most exhilarating football the English game has ever seen, Leeds United parted company with their most beloved and successful manager in a generation: Marcelo Bielsa. His parting gift was to embrace the crowds of adoring fans who turned up to say thank you as he left the club's training ground for the final time. In And it was Beautiful, The Athletic's Phil Hay chronicles Leeds United's glorious first season back in the top flight - which saw them finish ninth - after a chaotic sixteen-year absence. Phil pulls back the curtain on the hallmarks that now define the Marcelo Bielsa era, from his gruelling training schedule - including his infamous 'murderball' sessions - to innovative tactical methods that elevated Championship regulars into Premier League stars. Bielsa performed miracles, turning football into high art and making an extraordinary cultural impact on the city of Leeds. The result is a unique and fitting tribute to a Leeds United icon.

In June 2018 Leeds United made an appointment that shocked the footballing world. Despite being stuck in the second tier of English football and tagged the Championship's perennial chokers, they attracted one of the most revered coaches in world football. What followed captivated the hearts and minds of Leeds United's legion of passionate supporters worldwide. Marcelo Bielsa has crafted a team in his image, a team that plays in an almost bewildering attacking style with fluidity across the pitch. Leeds have become synonymous with exciting, attacking, vertical football and this style has seen them promoted back to the Premier League. Professional football analyst Lee Scott explains how, breaking down the tactics that have made Leeds so successful during Bielsa's time. He shows just how they occupy spaces and overload defences; how they press and cut off passing lanes to deny the opposition space to attack in the defensive phase; and more than that, he delves into Bielsa's mindset, to explain what makes the Argentine mastermind tick.

The book includes Marcelo Bielsa's tactics (and playing philosophy) for building up play from the back against high pressing teams with a full analysis of his 4-2-3-1, 3-3-3-1 and 3-4-3 formations with extensive analysis of Marcelo Bielsa in 9 different tactical situations, supported with 9 full training sessions (35 practices).

Description to come.

Since its release, this really has become one of the most popular coaching books in the world. The book looks to provide insight into the work of Pep Guardiola, the book looks through a six-week mesocycle and how the sessions might be delivered, and what might be delivered within this specific block. The amount of detail within these sessions will provide coaches with a 6-week opportunity to train players to play a more positional based practice, with a much greater understanding of how to keep possession, and how to attack through positional dominance. The book does however provide great detail in how to successfully defend whilst using a Guardiola-like game model. It also shows how the positional dominance of Guardiola's teams actually allows them to be successful both with and without the ball. The sessions should provide more detail than any book has ever provided before, as well as expose some myths as to how positional play can be developed.