Patrick Vieira now serious contender for Leeds United job with admirers at Elland Road
Former Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has now emerged as a serious contender for the vacant Leeds United managerial position, according to the Daily Mail.
Vieira, who was axed by the Eagles in March having not won a game in 2023, has been out of work ever since and is now emerging as a contender for the role in the past 24 hours[Sky Sports, 20 June].
Business Day print revealed on 21 June [page 47] that Leeds United were in official talks with the Frenchman over the role, with the Elland Road hierarchy also planning interviews with Daniel Farke and Scott Parker.
However, according to the Daily Mail [21 June], it is Vieira who has now emerged as a “serious” contender to take over at Elland Road with the Arsenal legend having plenty of admirers at Elland Road.
Hope it’s the right choice
With a gruelling and testing Championship campaign on the horizon, this may well prove to be one of the most important decisions over the past decade for Leeds United, especially with ambitions to make an immediate Premier League return.
The pressure is certainly on 49ers Enterprises, after their confirmed full takeover, to make the right choice in regards to the new boss as it could potentially have a positive or negative domino effect on how things pan out from here on in.
The appeal to appoint Vieira is there, given the job he underwent at Crystal Palace but the way they tailed off during the latter stages of his reign in South London could leave some doubts in the mind of the Leeds United fanbase.
The Whites need a manager with the right winning mentality, character and most of all experience at this level, and Vieira certainly doesn’t have the latter calling card in his pocket. Leeds’ other targets in Farke and Parker do, but it seems as though the Elland Road hierarchy have already made their choice.
Every managerial decision presents a different risk.
For Leeds’ sake, let’s hope this particular choice is the right one.
In other Leeds United news, a BBC pundit has been left stunned as Phil Hay has dropped a fresh update on who the Whites are considering bringing in as manager this summer.