Former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is in contention to land the Leeds United job.
Alan Pardew
Odds have been cut by SkyBet on Alan Pardew landing the Leeds United head coach job, which has remained vacant since Garry Monk resigned.
Pardew is out of work since losing the Crystal Palace job in December, but it is his role at former club Newcastle United which best prepares him for the Leeds United challenge.
At Newcastle a similar structure existed to the one at Leeds, with a director of football in place overseeing transfers.
If other candidates were worried about working under new technical director Victor Orta, don’t expect it to phase Alan Pardew, who had Joe Kinnear in charge of transfers for part of his spell at Newcastle.
Joe Kinnear with Mike Ashley
Pardew will be used to the demanding Leeds United fanbase, which are desperate for the club to regain their previous top flight status.
There is pressure on Garry Monk’s successor to deliver after Leeds’ promising 2016/17 season.
Pardew has experience dealing with demanding circumstances, and also has promotion experience, leading West Ham and Reading to promotion campaigns.
Alan Pardew
His top flight experience will bring with it a host of contacts, which can feed into Leeds’ transfer policy.
Pardew might not be every supporter’s first choice but he has the CV and a solid track record.
Leeds could do worse, and in the past they have done a lot worse. Last season gave them a platform from which to build.
A steady pair of hands is just what Leeds need and Pardew can provide that.
The ownership and behind the scenes structure at Leeds is very much an unknown quantity at present, but Pardew’s ability to deal with Mike Ashley at Newcastle suggests he can deal with whatever is thrown at him.
Alan Pardew
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