With just seven matches remaining in the Skybet Championship season, it looks highly likely that Leeds United will miss out on a playoff place at the end of this campaign. There was a lot of hope and promise surrounding the Peacocks last summer as they looked to have a strong campaign this year. However, things have not panned out in Leeds’ favour as the West Yorkshire outfit were forced to part ways with their former manager Thomas Christiansen midway into their campaign after a string of poor results left their promotion hopes in tatters.
Paul Heckingbottom arrived at Elland Road in early February from Barnsley but he has failed to turn their fortunes for the better in recent weeks. The 40-year-old has taken charge of 8 matches for the Peacocks since his appointment but he has failed to live up to the high expectations at the West Yorkshire side so far. He has managed to win just one game, draw three and lose four of those eight matches with a poor PPG (Points Per Game) average of 0.75 (According to Transfermarkt).
A run of poor results in recent weeks has seen Heckingbottom’s team slump to the 12th place in the Skybet Championship standings with a total points tally of 53 points in 39 league matches. They are still nine points behind the final playoff spot, which is currently being occupied by 6th placed Middlesbrough. Only time will tell whether the Barnsley-born manager can conjure up a miraculous run of positive results during the business end of the campaign to give Leeds a chance of earning a promotion back to the Premier League.
With the Peacocks set to miss out on promotion this year, let’s take a look at three managers who can replace Heckingbottom at Elland Road and change the club’s fortunes for the better.
Tim Sherwood
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa boss will be a perfect fit for the Leeds managerial position. He is young but has the ability to inspire any group of ‘lesser known’ players to fight for the jersey and give their best. His tenure at White Hart Lane and Villa Park might have been short but he did a great job during that time to get the best out of the players at his disposal.
The Peacocks need a manager of his calibre to lift their current batch of players going into the new campaign.
Alan Curbishley
The former West Ham United manager is vastly experienced and could turn out to be a shrewd appointment at Elland Road if the Peacocks are able to convince him. The 60-year-old boss has a wealth of experience in English football and has a reputation to bring in quality players on the cheap which could be beneficial for Leeds when the transfer window opens in the summer.
Gordon Strachan
The ex-Scotland boss is one of the most reputed managers in British football and is also the most experienced manager on this list. He has a wealth of managerial experience in both England and Scotland which has seen him take charge of clubs such as Middlesbrough, Celtic, Southampton and Coventry City. Hence, he will be a perfect fit for the Peacocks if they can lure him to Elland Road in the near future.
