Leeds: Danny Murphy believes it would be a risk appointing Andoni Iraola

TalkSPORT’s Danny Murphy has hailed the work Andoni Iraola has done this season, but believes it would be a risk for Leeds United to appoint him as manager.
The Lowdown: Orta may go for a risky appointment
After the first blow in Leeds’ search for a Jesse Marsch replacement in the form of Carlos Corberan signing a new deal at West Bromwich Albion, the Whites appear to have turned their attention towards to a riskier appointment.
It is being reported that Iraola is now seen as the frontrunner to become the new Leeds manager, despite being just 40 years old and having only ever managed in Spain and Cyprus.
That would certainly be seen as a risky move from Orta and Andrea Radrizzani, as given their position in the table, Leeds arguably need someone that can come in and hit the ground running rather than a manager who is unproven in the Premier League.
The Latest: Iraola the man Leeds are targeting
Murphy believes what Iraola has done in Spanish football in getting Rayo Vallecano from the second tier to their current spot in fifth place is very impressive and compared him to Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, but does acknowledge it would be risky to bring him to Elland Road.
He said: “He has done a remarkable job when you look at what he’s done, coming up and now they’re fifth and been in the semi-final of the cup.
“It’s a risk, but so was De Zerbi, so there’s no exact science to this – Simon [Jordan] will tell you that himself, you think you’ve got someone who’s been there and done it and fail.”
The Verdict: Leeds must do their due diligence
If it’s true that Leeds are starting to swing towards appointing Iraola sometime soon, Orta must be 100% sure that he’s the right man and not get it wrong as he did with Marsch.
If Orta does get it wrong again – Marsch won just 11 games as Leeds boss – the Whites could well be making a lot more midweek trips next season in the Championship.
While many fans may not have had an opinion on Marcelo Bielsa prior to him rocking up at Elland Road back in 2018, now he is a fan favourite, and there’s nothing to suggest that Iraola – who’s threatening to disrupt the Spanish elite this season – couldn’t achieve similar status in a few years’ time.
