Next Leeds Manager Odds: Updated four candidates for the job
It’s been far from plain sailing for Leeds United in their search for Jesse Marsch’s replacement.
Just over a week after they gave the American the boot, Leeds appear rather stumped in their pursuit of their third manager in a year.
Former Whites coach Carlos Corberan penned a new contract at West Brom, Feyenoord's Arne Slot and Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola aren’t believed to be interested in swapping jobs due to their fine seasons, and River Plate legend Marcelo Gallardo has his sights set on a summer start instead.
As for Alfred Schreuder, he emerged as the red-hot betting favourite over the weekend, but is now out of the running; potentially due to a fan backlash over a potential appointment.
So, where do Leeds go from here?
We’ve had an updated look at the next Leeds manager market and honed in on four possible candidates for the job.
Nuno Santo
Nuno Santo did an incredible job at Wolves.
The Portuguese coach took over a club that had just finished 15th in the Championship, propelled them to the title in his first season, then recorded back-to-back 7th-place finishes and a memorable run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
As can often be the case, the steam ran out in the fourth season, but he made a swift return to the dugout with Spurs. It didn't work out, although it would be pretty harsh to judge him on that stint: just 17 games
Since the summer he's been managing out in Saudi Arabian with Al-Ittihad, who are currently joint-top of the table.
The affable boss with a stupendous beard would bring structure and organisation to a side that often struggled defensively under Marsch.
He'd surely be tempted by a return to the Premier League and over the last 24 hours has had his odds slashed from 22/1 into the 3/1 frontrunner in the betting.
Michael Skubala
U21s-coach Michael Skubala (9/1, Paddy Power) has overseen the last two matches against Man Utd: a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, followed by a 0-2 loss at Elland Road.
As the clock continues to tick on Leeds' manager search, it becomes increasingly likely that the club could simply hand caretaker Skubala the job until the end of the season.
Not the most inspirational appointment by any means but a series of rejections coupled with the lingering uncertainty means the hierarchy must make a decision soon and that could mean placing their trust in Skubala.
It's a big risk, admittedly, however he knows the players and would do his prospects no harm with a win over relegation rivals Everton on Saturday in what is a huge game at Goodison Park.
Steven Gerrard
Would probably be quite a marmite appointment with fans.
After Steven Gerrard (7/1, bet365) fired Rangers to the Scottish title without losing a single game, it seemed inevitable that he'd soon test himself in the Premier League, which came in the form of Aston Villa in November 2021.
His appointment generated a real buzz and he initially enjoyed a bright opening, only for stagnation to set in with a clearly talented side struggling to sparkle. His relationship with the fans then completely unraveled and it wasn't much of a surprise when the club pulled the plug back in November.
Gerrard, who is also being linked to Southampton, is a proud man and he'll be bitterly disappointed with how everything spiraled. Yet a determined Gerrard with a point to prove could be worth taking a risk on, that's providing he's learned the lessons from his Villa tenure.
Marcelino Garcia Toral
At the time of writing, the above three options appear the most likely to get the job.
However, if you're after a left-field selection in the market then Marcelino Garcia Toral could attract attention out at 66/1 with Bet Victor.
It would be a big gamble given he's never managed outside of Spain, but previous targets such as Arne Slot, Andoni Iraola, Marcelo Gallardo, and Alfred Schreuder have never managed in the Premier League either.
Marcelino's resume is very impressive: he won Valencia the Copa del Rey after beating Barcelona, had Spanish Cup success and featured in two other finals with Athletic Bilbao, took Santander to 6th in La Liga and into Europe, was promoted into the Spanish top-flight with Recreativo de Huelva, Real Zaragoza, and Villarreal; this was followed by an impressive three top-six finishes with the latter, plus a Europa League semi-final.
As you can see, the former Sevilla boss is not exactly short of experience and has the added bonus of being available to hire
Browse the latest in the betting just below...
