Leeds United need a new manager and time is running out before pre-season training begins.
According to a report from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has been so impressed by Jaap Stam’s work at Reading this season that he has put him on a short-list to potentially take over at Elland Road this summer.
The problem is, the Italian may be wasting vital time considering impossible targets following his short-lived interest in David Wagner shortly after Garry Monk’s surprise resignation.
Given Wagner’s achievements with the Terriers, it was no surprise that Radrizzani earmarked him as a potential Leeds boss. The problem was even if Huddersfield failed to achieve promotion why would Wagner swap them for the Whites?
As it was, he guided the club to the Premier League in dramatic fashion, but the prospect of him ever taking over at Elland Road was slim to say the least.
It is a similar case with Stam, who may be facing another year in the Championship following his own play-off heartbreak, but who has overseen so much progress at the Royals that taking a sideways step at this point in his career seems pointless.
Leeds need a good manager, yet many of them are already in jobs and Radrizzani is unlikely to find the solution by looking up the football ladder.
That is the worrying situation Leeds find themselves in following Monk’s departure. Their owner wants to employ the right man to bring stability and success to the side but he is wasting too much time looking at men he simply cannot get.
A rash decision would have been foolish however it is time he focused on attainable targets. Otherwise Leeds will be fighting a losing battle before the campaign has even kicked off, with their top transfer targets moving elsewhere.
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