Leeds United presenter and YouTuber Joe Wainman has called for Rafael Benitez to be appointed as Jesse Marsch’s successor and expressed doubts over Victor Orta’s ability to make the right appointment.
The Lowdown: Managerless Leeds in freefall
Wainman’s latest comments come off the back of the Whites’ latest setback in the Premier League, with Leeds dropping into the relegation zone this past weekend.
Their 1-0 defeat to Everton stretches the club’s winless run, which has not been stopped since their comeback victory over Bournemouth back in November.
Cup progress has been the only thing giving the fans any joy at present, while the board’s decision to sack Marsch earlier this month has yet to bear fruit - with caretaker boss Michael Skubala still in place for the time being.
While there have been plenty of targets linked with the vacant hotseat, one man not mentioned as a potential frontrunner to this point is former Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United boss Benitez.
The Latest: Victor Orta urged to hire Rafa Benitez
With little improvement on the pitch in recent weeks, Wainman is less than convinced by Orta’s credentials as he mulls over who will take over permanently at Leeds, as he claimed that he would welcome the Spaniard at Elland Road.
Speaking on the JustJoe Football Show on his YouTube channel, he said: “You've got Rafa Benitez, who people scoffed at, who's won Champions Leagues, who's managed at Real Madrid. He's even got experience in the Championship with Newcastle. With Newcastle. We played them that year.
“This guy is perfect, almost, for Leeds United, because guess what? If we do go down, if you do give him a project, I would be more confident of coming back at the first time of asking under someone like Rafa Benitez as opposed to some no-mark from Europe who once managed three games in the Champions League for a team that's in a farmer’s league - because that's what type of manager you'll get under Victor Orta. We’ve seen it before.”
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The Verdict: Do Leeds play it safe?
We like Wainman’s shout, as Benitez could provide something of a contingency plan should Leeds fail to escape the drop.
However, we feel the main task would be convincing Benitez to commit to Leeds for the long haul in a worst-case scenario of relegation. While he has done this before with Newcastle, there is no guarantee he will feel as hopeful of an immediate return to the Premier League in the event he is unable to keep the Whites up.
There are 15 games to go and Leeds are only two points away from safety, but within the next month alone, they face a huge clash against bottom club Southampton as well as trips to Chelsea and fellow relegation rivals Wolves.
Interestingly, the battle to stay up looks far more open than when Benitez took over at Newcastle back in 2016, with more teams involved and five more games than the 10 he had in his initial top-flight spell on Tyneside, so he may yet fancy his chances of turning things around.
But bar the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa in 2018, it is difficult to suggest Orta has a successful record when it comes to appointing managers, so we share Wainman’s scepticism over the Leeds board making the right decision. And with time of the essence, acting decisively could be key to determining Leeds’ fate.