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Leeds: Phil Hay claims something drastic has to change if they want to appoint Andoni Iraola
Phil Hay believes Leeds United will struggle to land Andoni Iraola given Rayo Vallecano’s stance unless there is a sudden change of heart behind the scenes.
The Lowdown: Desperation may start to kick in
Leeds have been trying to replace Jesse Marsch since he was sacked over a week ago, but they have thus far been halted in their attempts, with the likes of Iraola, Arne Slot, Alfred Schreuder and Marcelo Gallardo all proving unattainable.
Iraola was seemingly one of the frontrunners for the job early on, but given what he’s managing to do in La Liga with Vallecano by guiding them into the top six, the Spanish side are very reluctant to let Leeds speak to their manager.
Soon after Marsch’s sacking, Andrea Radrizzani claimed that an appointment could occur very quickly, but with no successor in sight, this will have only angered fans, while nothing appears to be imminent unless something changes quickly.
The Latest: Iraola not looking likely
While Leeds have since confirmed that caretaker boss Michael Skubala will take charge of their upcoming fixtures, Hay has claimed on The Phil Hay Show that while Leeds would like to appoint Iraola as Marsch’s successor, things would have to change drastically at Vallecano’s end to make it happen.
“I still believe that the prime strategy was ideally to lure Iraola over from Rayo Vallecano, but it’s perfectly obvious that that’s not going to happen unless something dramatic changes.”
The Lowdown: Leeds must move on
If Leeds are still seemingly fixated on landing Iraola – who is clearly not going to be allowed to leave unless he kicks up a major fuss – it will only force their search for a new manager to be dragged on further.
Instead, Leeds should be looking further down their list of potential candidates and trying to recruit someone for the here and now on a short-term deal – and if they stay in the top flight, they can recruit a longer-term appointment in the summer.
However, that may seem an unattractive proposition, so perhaps Skubala could be an option for the rest of the season if Leeds’ hearts are truly set on Iraola or perhaps Gallardo. That said, they would be relying on the caretaker boss to keep the Whites in the top flight, but it does seem as though he now has the opportunity to show his worth.
Leeds travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday in what will be viewed as a must-win game for the Whites as they will otherwise find themselves in the bottom three.
