What's going on at Leeds United? Players wait to hear by text

SOL Bamba is concerned with the current confusion at Leeds United, admitting the Whites are 'all over the place' and urgently need to learn from chairman Massimo Cellino the identity of next season's head coach.
WHAT'S GOING ON? Leeds United captain Sol Bamba walks off with Preston's former Whites favourite Jermaine Beckford. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.WHAT'S GOING ON? Leeds United captain Sol Bamba walks off with Preston's former Whites favourite Jermaine Beckford. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.
WHAT'S GOING ON? Leeds United captain Sol Bamba walks off with Preston's former Whites favourite Jermaine Beckford. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

The centre-back also revealed that United’s players have no idea when to return to pre-season training - and that the squad will discover news on that front and of who is next season’s boss by text.

United drew their last game of the season 1-1 at Preston North End on Saturday - a fixture which could have been Steve Evans’ last game as head coach.

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The Glaswegian is out of contract in June and has still not been offered a new deal and Bamba admits United’s players - and even medical staff - need to know now who will be taking Leeds forward next term.

The captain also admitted that continually changing head coach’s is unsettling whilst revealing that United’s players are now officially on holiday - and have been told to wait for a text to learn of when they are required back at Thorp Arch - and with details of who will be next season’s head coach.

Bamba - who also called for Cellino to “do better for our club and the supporters” on the last day of last season - said: “I think sometimes people think that we just need to get on the pitch and play football but it’s a lot more than that and we need to know.

“Some people are out of contract or some players have got another year or some other players have got more than that but we don’t know what is going to happen.

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“And let’s be honest, if we know who the manager is, then we can prepare better definitely.

“Even the medical staff as well, if they know who is coming they can meet with him and prepare for next season because pre-season is the most important thing in the season.

“If you have a good pre-season then you have got a good chance to have a good season. At the minute, we are all over the place but hopefully that can be fixed very quick.

“I think Steve deserves a lot of credit because he has worked under extremely difficult circumstances and he has done very well.

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“If this is his last game then obviously we wish him all the best but we will be sad because he has done very well.

“We just have to wait and see but we are like him in that we don’t any more.

“We are just going to go away on holiday tomorrow and receive a text to let us know when we need to come back and who is going to be the manager.

“It’s not ideal because we don’t know when we are coming back which is annoying but that’s what we are going to do.”

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Every decision ultimately lies with Leeds chairman Cellino who Bamba revealed he had a positive conversation with regards future plans earlier on this season.

Now the Parisian is calling for the Italian to turn promises into action.

Bamba revealed: “A couple of months he did say things would be different though obviously he couldn’t say any more to me about who is going to be manager and whether he is going to keep the manager or not.

“But he did say he was going to have a real go next year, and keep his best players while adding to the squad, to try and have a real go to try and get in the play-offs.

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“That’s all I know but I said to him ‘I think it’s good to talk but we need to act as well.’

“At the minute he is making a lot of promises but I think the fans and everyone involved at the club wants to see action, desperately.”

Bamba and the rest of the Leeds squad will now wait to see if Cellino is about to appoint his seventh head coach - and United’s captain admits continually making managerial changes is unsettling and harbouring progress at Elland Road.

“It’s difficult to put a word on this season,” said Bamba.

“There have been more ups and downs, like we know happens in Leeds but I think overall it is a disappointing season if I am honest because we had some good games and at the end finished mid-table but I think we could have done more.

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“But we’ll take it because at the start of the season we had one manager and then 12 games after we had another. Unfortunately we have to deal with it but I just think the key in any success, and Leicester is a good example, is consistency. If you have got that, I think that you have got a chance.

“I think I can clearly say and everyone can see that we lack that and that’s what needs to be adjusted.

“If that happens then I think we have the chance to do something good.”