Bielsa (standing) - bereft of ideas (Allsport)

By Scott Dougal, PA International

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If Marcelo Bielsa ever meets Nick Leeson, the two should have plenty to talk about.

Like the man blamed for bringing down Barings Bank, the Argentina coach took a fortune to the Far East and blew it all.

But where Leeson lost millions on the Singapore derivatives market, Bielsa squandered the richest playing pool in world football.

Despite dominating possession like no other side at the World Cup, Argentina lost to England and drew with Sweden and have earned themselves nothing but an early exit.

Back home, Bielsa's friends might try to offer consolation - if Michael Owen hadn't won a first-half penalty, a point from the England game might have seen them seen them through.

If just one of the host of chances created against Sweden had sneaked in, maybe they'd be contemplating a route to the final featuring Senegal and possibly Japan.

But Bielsa, like the Old Testament's Job, will take little comfort from kind words.

He'll know that his side, shining with potential, weren't expected to squeeze into the last 16 - they were supposed to glide onward, gently buffeted to the final by cooing admiration from the rest of the world.

The Argentina boss arrived in Japan able to luxuriate in the knowledge that he had at two world-class players for almost every position.

Juan Sebastian Veron not quite performing? No problem, call up on Pablo Aimar.

Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina's leading all-time goalscorer, having an off-day?

Why worry when you've got £32m striker Hernan Crespo on the bench?

Nobody in South America could live with the Biancoceleste in qualifying as they finished 12 points clear at the top of the group.

Shrewder observers might have noticed Ecuador in second place and questioned the quality of the opposition.

But bookies and punters alike took one look at the figures, another at Bielsa's subs bench and backed them down to 3-1 outright favourites at one stage.

A 1-0 win over Nigeria in the opening game seemed the perfect start, especially as Sweden and England both looked no better than average in that day's other Group F match.

The margin of victory, earned with a Batistuta header from a tight angle, had been small but the Roma striker could have hat-trick with Veron looking Caesar-like in midfield.

Argentina, it was assumed, would give someone, somewhere a battering.

Then came England, and Argentina were exposed as threadbare.

For all the golden talent ranged around him, Bielsa suddenly found himself bereft of ideas against a side that defended efficiently.

Thanks to David Beckham's penalty the South Americans went in at half-time a goal down but Bielsa still had time to turn the match.

His side had owned the ball for long stretches but had been unable to prise apart Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell.

Veron had been suffocated in midfield by Manchester United team-mates Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.

What Bielsa needed was to surprise his opponents who looked ready to defend all night if necessary.

What he offered, however, was more of the same.

Veron was withdrawn for Aimar but the boy-like Valencia playmaker was soon muscled out of the game after threatening only briefly.

Batistuta had looked every day of his 33 years as he battled alone up front.

But instead of offering support to the former Fiorentina legend, Bielsa replaced him with Crespo who looked even less likely to score.

The opportunity missed against England was the turning point of Bielsa's World Cup as Sven Goran Eriksson's compatriots were no less obstinate.

Against Sweden, Argentina again took a 90-minute lease on the ball, again they could not make it pay.

It's difficult not to have some sympathy for Argentina's fans with the country knee-deep in economic misery.

A third World Cup success would have been a welcome distraction from spiralling inflation and weekly changes of government.

But while poverty has dogged his homeland for months, Bielsa wasted a fortune in just 10 days.