McDermott feels he owes it to the fans not to quit

DEFIANT Leeds United manager Brian McDermott has vowed not to walk away from Elland Road in the face of the off-field crisis threatening to engulf the club.
Brian McDermottBrian McDermott
Brian McDermott

The 52-year-old reiterated his grave concerns about the chaotic situation at United after Tuesday night’s draw with Ipswich Town, with club owners Gulf Finance House (GFH) now believed to be locked in discussions with controversial Cagliari owner and president Massimo Cellino regarding a potential takeover.

Cellino, who spent time in England last week with a number of associates speaking to club officials about purchasing Leeds, appears to be in the box seat to take over the club with Sport Capital’s bid looking increasingly doomed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Representatives of Cellino were present at United’s Thorp Arch training ground at the start of this week, including his close ally, former Middlesbrough and Portsmouth defender Gianluca Festa.

The 44-year-old – who served as a player under Cellino – is understood to have observed training on Monday ahead of the midweek game with Ipswich and asked to sit on the bench for the first-team fixture following a request from Cellino.

This was denied and while McDermott refused to divulge details regarding what amounted to outside interference prior to the Ipswich clash, his sense of unease at developments behind the scenes was also emphatically clear.

McDermott, just nine months into a three-year deal he signed after being appointed manager last April, said: “I’m a strong person, I’m resilient.

“Having said that the last few days have been a big test.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Some of the stuff that’s gone on has not been pleasant and doesn’t belong in football in my opinion.

“I’ve had to go through a lot as a manager that you’d never think you’d have to go through in the last few days. It’s been beyond frustrating.”

Stressing his determination to remain at the club despite the effective undermining of his position, he added: “No, never would I walk away from the club.

“I’m a long way from home but I’d never do that, I’d never do it to the players or the staff or the supporters. They deserve better. They are fantastic supporters.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When I was brought here, I was brought here on a three-year contract to stabilise the club and take them forward.

“As far as I’m concerned, that hasn’t changed.”

The takeover saga took a fresh twist ahead of Tuesday’s game when Andrew Flowers – a leading member of the Sport Capital consortium seeking to complete a 75 per cent buy-out of the club – voiced deep concern at GFH’s 11th-hour decision to speak to Cellino, warning of “major negative repercussions for the club, its staff and fans” if the deal was pushed through.

He also revealed that GFH had refused to accept a revised offer for a majority stake, which was made “because a number of things have come to light which were not originally described”.

With Sport Capital’s deal, fronted by United managing director David Haigh, now in major jeopardy, GFH have firmly engaged with Cellini, who initially held discussions with Haigh and Flowers about investing in the club before striking out on his own with a separate takeover bid.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 57-year-old has two convictions for fraud and is awaiting a trial for embezzlement charges and would have to satisfy the Football League’s Owners and Directors Test to take over.

League ownership rules require that prior to the completion of any deal, certain information has to be provided to them, including financial information regarding the funding of a club going forward.

Part of that involves the relevant people seeking to take over any club being certified by the league under the owners and directors test. Any prospective new owners must comply with that.

Stuck in the middle in what is an increasingly invidious position is McDermott, who admits he is currently going through the toughest time of his managerial career, with results on the pitch having compounded matters.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leeds head into Saturday’s West Yorkshire derby with Huddersfield Town without a win in eight matches, with McDermott admitting he is in the dark regarding his prospects of being able to boost his squad ahead of tomorrow’s 11pm transfer deadline.

On whether he will be able to bring in any players before tomorrow night as he seeks to arrest Leeds’s decline, McDermott said: “I have no idea because I don’t know where we are. I don’t know.

“We don’t know where we are as far as bringing in players goes.

“I’m trying to get as many points as I can before the summer, get everything resolved and move again in the summer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The more important thing for me would be to resolve the ownership situation.

“The football’s been peripheral this last 10 days and that can’t (continue to) be the case.

“Everything’s got to be harmonised and we had that a month ago. At this moment, I can’t say that we have.

“I’m desperate to see an end to this. You keep getting light at the end of the tunnel, but it doesn’t happen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We need this resolving at the top and we need the right people in place.”

Striker Luke Varney, who refused to play in Tuesday’s match ahead of transfer talks with Blackburn Rovers, is expected to complete his move across the Pennines before the window deadline.

The deal has been delayed slightly by the going-ons behind the scenes at Elland Road, but is set to be sealed shortly.

Life and times of Massimo Cellino

Cellino was born in Cagliari, Italy in 1956. He is aged 57.

The agricultural magnate, nicknamed “King of Corn” took over his hometown club in June 1992.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He has a reputation for sacking coaches quickly, axing 36 in around 20 years.

In January 2010 he lost out to David Gold and David Sullivan in the race to buy West Ham United.

In March of that year he revealed his interest in buying Crystal Palace, with reports suggesting their London neighbours QPR represented a second option.

Cellino is told two months later by administrator Brendan Guilfoyle to stay away from Selhurst Park, due to his chequered past.

He has two convictions for fraud and is currently awaiting trial on charges of embezzlement.