The World Cup break will make for intriguing viewing at Leeds United.
The tide may be turning against Jesse Marsch, but is it any real surprise that Andrea Radrizzani appears to be biding his time? After all, clubs tend to appoint new managers with a rather winnable series of fixtures on the horizon. Leeds, however, travel to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur before the so-called ‘Festival of Football’ begins in Qatar. Talk about throwing a new head coach in at the deep end.
And Leeds were to delay any potential changes in the dugout until the end of November, Marsch’s successor would have a couple of weeks to get used to his new charges. A mini pre-season, if you like.
Seven months after the American was chosen to step into Marcelo Bielsa’s shoes, who could Leeds turn to this time?
Diego Martinez
Martinez and Victor Orta go way back. The pair worked together at Sevilla in the mid-2000s. And, almost two decades later, the latter’s admiration for the former remains undiminished. According to Onda Cero, the 41-year-old Andalusian was one of Orta’s favoured candidates to take over from the legendary Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road before Marsch got the nod instead.
Martinez, at Granada, constructed a side far greater than the sum of it’s parts; dragging the Nazaries from the Spanish second-tier to the Europa League quarter-finals in the space of just two years. Martinez is now in charge of Espanyol but his contract expires in 2024.
If Leeds were to come calling, his loyalty would certainly be questioned. Martinez has never made an attempt to hide his admiration for English football (The Guardian).
Andoni Iraola
Like Martinez at Granada, Iraola is another who made his name on Spanish soil after taking over a second tier club before taking the top flight by storm. His Rayo Vallecano side are currently tenth in La Liga, with Radamel Falcao rolling back the years in attack.
Iraola is a disciple of one Marcelo Bielsa too; the seven-time Spain international having been a key part of the Athletic Bilbao team who tore Manchester United apart en route to the Europa League final a decade ago.
Iraola’s high-risk, high-pressing philosophy will resonate with Leeds supporters who pine for the rollercoaster days of old; before the lows started to outweigh the highs.
Kjetil Knutsen
It seems only a matter of time before Knutsen, like so many of his players, bids a fond farewell to Bodo/Glimt before making his name on a far bigger stage. That the team from the Arctic Circle are now a common sight in European football is largely down to Knutsen’s expert management; the 54-year-old Norwegian having masterminded famous and free-flowing victories over Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic and Jose Mourinho’s Roma last term.
In fact, Mourinho had never conceded six goals in a single game until the Gialorossi travelled north a year ago.
Famed for his ‘kamikaze’ style and an obsession with possession; the three-time Eliteserien Coach of the Year led Bodo to their first ever domestic title in 2020 before repeating the trick 12 months later.
“Dominating doesn’t just mean scoring. But also having the possession of the ball and dictating the rules of the game,” he explains. “We want to create a team identity that encompasses everyone; players, staff, managers, fans.”
Peter Bosz
Last year, former Ajax, Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz opened up about his admiration for Leeds’ most iconic manager since Don Revie.
“I like the intensity of (Bielsa’s) teams; when you see how the forwards and midfielders press at Leeds. I love it when you can see a coach’s signature,” Bosz told L’Equipe.
The 58-year-old Dutchman certainly shares Bielsa’s desire for thrilling attacking football. His critics, however, will point to the fact that Bosz’s teams are usually as error-prone at the back as they are exhilarating at the other end.
Lyon scored 66 league goals under Bosz last term. They also conceded 51 Bosz certainly he fits into Leeds’ high-pressing, all-action philosophy. But a more considered, cautious and pragmatic approach may be required if the Championship is to be avoided.
Which leads us nicely along to…
Julen Lopetegui
There were eyebrows raised, back in 2020, when The Sun named ex-Real Madrid, Porto and Spain coach Lopetegui as a leading candidate to take Bielsa’s place in the Elland Road dugout. As Sevilla supporters will tell you, a Lopetegui team isn’t exactly easy on the eye. In fact, despite winning the Europa League in 2020, he became increasingly unpopular at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan; frustrated fans pleading for him to release the handbreak.
At their best, however, Lopetegui’s teams tend to be well-drilled defensively and ruthless going forward. Two attributes Leeds have been lacking for far too long. His football is more functional than thrilling. But Leeds need results and that is where Lopetegui, having led Sevilla to three successive top four finishes, comes into his own.
The 56-year-old remains on the market after turning down Wolves for personal terms.
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