Is the curtain coming down in Bilbao?

Old Trafford followed by la Catedral. One memorable night for Marco Bielsa’s young guns, closely followed by another. Dismantling the premier league leaders in both legs of their Europa League tie earned el Loco and his Lezama disciples plenty of plaudits from all corners of the footballing globe, and rightfully so. Not only did the Basque lions beat Manchester United twice, but they did so in exhaustingly emphatic fashion. Not by respectfully sitting back and hoping to nick a goal here and there, but instead by mercilessly suffocated the Red Devils from start to finish. Sir Alex was mesmerised by the incessant work rate his side had to deal with over the 180 minutes and magnanimously held his hands up in admiration of the hungry lions.

What the fawning admirers failed to pick up on over the past week was the fact that on either side of Athletic’s home leg victory over United, Bielsa’s side lost both of its league matches, first against local rivals Osasuna and then at the hands of Valencia.

Muniain does his Usain Bolt impression before rifling the ball past De Gea

But the very credible talk surrounding Athletic’s chances of going all the way in the Europa League, and the hotly anticipated Copa del Rey showdown in May against Barcelona in the Calderón, are big enough distractions to keep the red and white army’s eyes diverted away from studying la primera league table too attentively. Of course, any team can become a victim of its own successful cup run -- anyone remember how Ipswich Town’s flirtation with the UEFA cup during the 2001/02 season ended up with the club suffering relegation?

While that is an extreme example, it is still a relevant one where Bielsa’s team is concerned. Not only has the Argentine’s side had to tog out on 45 separate occasions so far this season (27 Primera liga, 10 Europa League, 8 Copa del Rey), but sterling performances from the likes of Javi Martínez, Fernando Llorente, Andoni Iraola and Iker Muniani have not evaded the attention of Vicente del Bosque, who now requires their services during the international breaks. On top of the extra fatigue these four very talented pairs of legs have to endure in the name of national pride, Óscar de Marcos, Mikel San José, Ander Iturraspe and Ander Herrera are also relied upon by their country, with Luis Milla counting on them for his Spanish under 21 squad, which is also acting as the precursor to the squad for the Olympics. And that’s without mentioning Fernando Amorebieta, who has clocked up an enviable amount of air miles traipsing back and forth across the Atlantic to marshal his native Venezuelan defense.

Bielsa goes loco as Osasuna leave his side pointless

 Although there may be 33 first team squad members on the Basque books, rotation is not a word that features heavily in the manager’s plans. There are 13 players who are relied upon far more than anyone else by the video tape opposed coach, and making up that number are all nine of the aforementioned internationals, as well as Gorka Iraizoz, Markel Susaeta, Ander Iturraspe, Jon Aurtenetxe and Gaizka Toquero.

In the press conference following the first leg of his side’s eventual elimination by the Spanish side, Sir Alex explained of how he looked on with exasperation as Bielsa had his team practicing drills for three hours with all the intensity one would usually reserve for a pre-season training session, the day before their encounter. The effects of such an energetic approach by such a small group of players was plain to see when the giant killing heroes took on fellow fourth spot chasers Osasuna in the Reyno de Navarra the following Sunday. Then the high-pressure game, which is probably still keeping Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans awake at night, was nowhere to be seen. The home side took all three points that night, as Valencia did with ease a week later in San Mamés.

Soldado gives Gorka the slip to begin his Catedral hat-trick

Muniain isn’t worried about these dropped points though, as he told Marca, “these two defeats haven’t been down to tiredness because you can see we run like dogs”. While this 19-year-old may have all the exuberance of a canine in heat, teammate Llorente’s body is slightly more mortal, as was seen when he limped off against United. His absence is a huge lose to any starting XI and he was sorely missed against Valencia. Diego Simeone no doubt rubbed his hands in mischievous joy upon hearing that his Atlético defence wouldn’t have the towering Lion King tormenting them in tonight’s important league clash.

Any thoughts that the highly inconsistent performances by the teams looking to bag the valuable fourth spot would continue indefinitely seem to be numbered. Santi Cazorla’s stunning last minute equaliser on the weekend, which left the Bernabeu so silent you could almost hear Mourinho’s heart rate increasing, capped off an impressive month for Malaga. While the nouveau riche club had been stuttering to find form for most of the season, the last four matches have seen them pick up an impressive 10 points from 12 and confidence seems to be soaring within Pellegrini’s ranks. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the Malaguistas only have the league to concentrate on. Bad news for the other clubs chasing the, perhaps not-as-available-as-before fourth spot.

Not that failing to reach the Champions League would be a massive catastrophe for Athletic, one of Spain’s only solvent clubs. However, hanging onto some of the most coveted players in Europe would be a lot easier with an extra few million euro in the bank. The summer is going to feel like an eternity for the fans as the inevitable offers come in for Martínez and Llorente and who knows who else.

Bielsa is not one to concern himself too much with looking ahead to the next season, but given the precarious nature of this golden generation’s future at the Bilbao club and the unlikelihood that the team will finish the domestic campaign much higher than it did last season (6^th), even he must be worried that if neither of the cup runs amounts to silverware, his legacy at the club may just become a footnote in the history books.