Cellino gives backing to Leeds United manager Rosler

The club’s chairman has described Rosler as “the best person for me” as United’s head coach worked to lift his players from Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.

Leeds’ second loss of the Championship season left the club on 11 points after nine games, lodged in mid-table with four points between Rosler’s squad and both the play-off positions and the relegation places.

Cellino was ruthless in his treatment of United’s backroom staff last season, dismissing four head coaches in the 13 months after his takeover of the club, but Rosler is four months into his job and has already survived longer than two of his predecessors, David Hockaday and Darko Milanic, combined.

The 46-year-old German, who signed a two-year contract in May, has insisted repeatedly that Cellino would show patience with him as he attempted to improve a team who finished 15th in the Championship in both of the past two seasons.

Rosler made eight signings during the summer and will add another player to his squad on Friday when winger Will Buckley joins from Sunderland on a 93-day emergency loan, ready to make his debut at home to Birmingham City the following day.

Cellino said: “This coach is the best person for me and for the team. He’s the coach I was looking for when 20, 30 people asked me to give them the job in May. I chose him and if you gave me the choice I would choose him again.

“If someone gave me the chance to change, I would take this coach and these players because we have something good here. This guy (Rosler), he is professional. I like him more than any coach I had here before.

“He needs help, he needs help to relax a bit and to let the players relax, but believe me I’m going to let this work. Last year was a nightmare. This year feels better. I’m never happy but I think we are growing. The coach thinks that, I think that.”

Rosler said on the day of his appointment that he was aiming to finish in the Championship’s top 10 this season and both he and Cellino have played down the likelihood of United winning promotion at the end of Rosler’s first term in charge.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s sixth, 10th, 14th, whatever,” Cellino said. “I only care about seeing this team grow and improve. If they grow, if they improve, then we’ve can say it’s a good season.

“Next season we will be in a better position for promotion. That is my view.”