Should Leeds United appoint a British or foreign manager, and is it important?
Gone… Former Leeds United manager Garry Monk
Leeds United are pushing ahead with their head coach search as they look for Garry Monk’s replacement.
New owner Andrea Radrizzani is keen not to rush the task, taking to Twitter to re-assure supporters on social media last night that he is keen to get it right.
One of and if not the key factor involved is whether Leeds United should have a British manager for the 2017/18 season and hopefully beyond.
Italian owner Radrizzani has brought in a foreign director of football in Spaniard Victor Orta, and has Ivan Bravo taking up a key board position.
In appointing Angus Kinnear as new chief executive, Radrizzani has shown he does not want an ‘all-foreign team’ behind the scenes, and a British manager could be crucial.
Picking British isn’t always best
How important it is is open to debate. The right candidate is better than nationality. Massimo Cellino’s disastrous appointment of Dave Hockaday demonstrated that.
Yet with both Radrizzani and Orta hailing from overseas, a British head coach would provide crucial balance and experience of the Championship.
The top British bosses in the running at present according to SkyBet are Alan Pardew, Stuart McCall and Simon Grayson.
Leading British candidate Alan Pardew
The right foreign manager can still be an asset, as Jaap Stam showed at Reading this past season and David Wagner at Huddersfield.
Roberto di Matteo however was a disappointment at Aston Villa, and the nous of Steve Bruce was required to get them back on track.
At Birmingham the decision to get rid of Gary Rowett and replace him with Italian boss Gianfranco Zola was a disaster, and Harry Redknapp had to come in and mop up.
The problem for Leeds too that their past experiences with Darko Milanic and Uwe Rosler simply didn’t work.
Radrizzani may be going into the process with an open mind, but being a Championship novice himself, getting a manager with serious experience in English football could be a priority.
Do you think Leeds need a British manager?
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