Leeds United are looking for their new manager following Garry Monk’s surprise relegation.
Garry Monk stunned Leeds with his resignation earlier this week
With Leeds United now looking for a new head coach following Garry Monk’s surprise resignation earlier this week, the Elland Road faithful have unsurprisingly been throwing plenty of names around.
One name who has been mentioned and is reportedly in the running for the role is Monk’s assistant from his time at Elland Road, Pep Clotet.
Pep Clotet (L) working alongside Monk at Swansea
Wales Online speculated that Clotet may have left the club following Monk’s departure, but with nothing being confirmed by the Whites and with Spanish newspaper Sport suggesting on Thursday that the 40-year-old is a potential rival for Aitor Karanka for the post, it may not be out of the question to suggest that Clotet may be in with a chance of being involved at Leeds once again next year.
And while some may deem that to be a gamble, the success that Chris Hughton has enjoyed since moving from being an assistant to a number one should tempt the Whites to seriously consider taking a chance and handing Clotet his first managerial job in England.
The brilliant managerial career of Chris Hughton should tempt Leeds to consider Clotet
Hughton spent several years in the assistant manager role at Tottenham, and also took on a number of jobs – including assistant – at Newcastle being appointed permanent manager following a brilliant spell as caretaker beforehand.
That season, Hughton led the Magpies to promotion out of the Championship and has subsequently proven himself to be arguably one of the most underrated managers in the English game.
He took Birmingham City to the play-offs in the second tier – while they also competed in the Europa League group-stages – and of course, did a sensational job with Brighton which has culminated with their automatic-promotion to the Premier League this season.
Clotet would undoubtedly surprise many if he achieved anything like what Hughton has, but given that he was a key part of the team at Elland Road that came so close to the play-offs this past season, it may be a smart gamble to take.
He will already know the squad, and his appointment would surely restore a lot of the positivity that has probably been lost since Monk’s departure, which, in turn, should boost the club’s chances of keeping their best players.
Some Leeds fans may want an established name, but perhaps taking a chance and turning to Clotet may give the Whites the best chance to ensure that the foundations that were laid this past season, and are threatening to become something special, are built upon in the coming years.
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