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Leeds refuse to be rushed into naming Grayson replacement
Roberto Di Matteo. PA
LEEDS UNITED have no plans to approach any potential successor to Simon Grayson until after the weekend at the earliest, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.
The Elland Road club has been inundated with applications since news first broke on Wednesday that 42-year-old Grayson had been sacked after a little over three years in charge.
Chairman Ken Bates has spent the past 24 hours sifting through the list of potential candidates but is in no rush to make a decision with Neil Redfearn having been put in temporary charge for tomorrow’s game at Bristol City.
Among those believed to have registered their interest is former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, who within hours of the vacancy arising had been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite.
Former West Bromwich Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo was another to feature strongly in the early betting along with Gordon Strachan and Steve Bruce, while yesterday saw Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark’s odds slashed dramatically following suggestions that United chairman Bates was an admirer.
However, despite a flurry of bets on the Terriers chief, this newspaper understands that the 39-year-old is not under consideration by Leeds due to the club wanting a manager with experience of getting a team into the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Gus Poyet, who yesterday distanced himself from a possible return to Elland Road, is another not on United’s radar due to the club hierarchy being unhappy at the manner of his departure in 2007 when the Uruguayan quit suddenly on the eve of an important home game against Millwall to take up a role as Juande Ramos’s right hand man at Tottenham Hotspur.
A wish to appoint a manager with a proven record in the Championship would seem to open the door for both Warnock, who has led three teams to promotion from the second tier, and Di Matteo, the Italian having taken West Brom into the Premier League as runners-up behind Newcastle United in 2010.
Both would represent intriguing appointments with Warnock’s track record of achieving success on a budget chiming with chairman Bates’s thoughts.
The 63-year-old, who following his sacking by QPR last month was sounded out about a possible vacancy at Ipswich Town, is keen on a return to Yorkshire.
Di Matteo, meanwhile, has established a reputation as a bright managerial prospect following stints in charge of West Brom and Milton Keynes Dons.
From his four years as a key member of the Chelsea midfield, he is also close with Bates and his wife Suzannah, so much so that Zoe, Di Matteo’s wife, and the couple’s children were guests at the United chairman’s 80th birthday party late last year.
Others to have been linked with the job since Grayson’s exit include Paul Ince, MK Dons chief Karl Robinson and former Leeds striker Dougie Freedman, while caretaker manager Redfearn last night also declared his interest.
He said: “I am capable, that goes without saying. But the bottom line is the decision is up to the club.”
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
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terry.skill
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 11:33 AMColin for me, Ince and Bruce would'nt get an interview. I tend to agree with sc1964, if we get a couple of wins Redfearn may well be offered the job. Larry was removed presumably to make room for someone who can take the club that step further,would Neil Redfearn fit the bill, i personally don't think so. Its also going to take someone with a strong enough personality to take on the old shyster in charge. Whoever we get will need the support of the club and the fans to take the club forward and i wish him the best of luck, and good luck to Simon. ps.. If Colin gets the job, will we have to stop calling him Colin ?
belfastwhite
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:51 AMHas to be warnock or a possible loan deal for fergie :)
lufcprem10
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:46 AMNeil Warnock - The only choice for me, he's proved time and time again that he's quite simply the best manager outside of the Premier League when he's in employment. His record speaks for itself and he knows how to get teams promoted on limited budgets and gets the very best out of average footballers, many of which sit within our squad. Roberto Di Matteo - Won promotion from this league with WBA and would be my second choice despite his Chelsea links. He's a young bloke whose achieved a hell of a lot in his managerial career to date to say he's not done it for all that long and he again seems to get the best out of average players. Lee Clark - Still a rookie and has a lot to prove at Huddersfield. He's been there a long time now and so far failed to take Town into the Championship. I've no doubts that he will be a top manager but he's not what we need right now. Steve Bruce - The problem I have with Bruce is that even if he does take us back to the PL, I don't think he's capable of keeping us there and his style of football bores the living daylights out of me. His abilities in the transfer market are questionable and I don't think appointing him would excite many. Paul Ince - Utterly disgusted to hear that he has even been mentioned considering his woeful track record. A fantastic player but a manager he is not! He's beginning to get a reputation as poor as John Barnes for being a manager. If Bates appoints him, there's no way we'll get up this year or next. Gus Poyet - I don't know why Gus has been mentioned as him and Bates parted on a very sour note and I seem to recall reading that when Gary Mac left the club after our defeat to Histon, Poyet applied for the post and was told to eff off! Despite that, I think he'll be a very good manager in the future but he has no experience of guiding teams into the top flight so he wouldn't be my choice. Karl RobinsonDougie FreedmanNeil Redfearn - Simply not enough experience and would represent a massive gamble on Bates and Harvey's part...definite no!
sc1964
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 09:08 AMLIES, LIES,LIES. All a smokescreen to cover Bates antics up of replacing Grayson with a cheaper muppet, Redfearn is the new manager - he has been told this if he does well in the first few games. YEP why dont you just report on the truth?
Bluesman
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 08:54 AMThere are some good names on the lis (and poor ones)t but never under estimate Redfearn. He clearly has a lot of experience and talent! He deserves his chance!
newentwhite
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 08:53 AMInce .....forget it bates ......bruce ......no thanks. Warnock for me ...ps thanks sg for what you did for lufc and good luck in the future .
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