Sky Sports journalist shares Leeds board update live from outside Elland Road
Sky Sports journalist Tim Thornton has provided an update on the Leeds United board with Michael Skubala set to remain in charge for the foreseeable future.
The club confirmed on Tuesday evening (14 February) that the under-21s boss would remain in charge after leading the team in the back-to-back fixtures against Manchester United.
Thornton has since revealed the board are “really impressed” with the Englishman’s man-management skills.
“For the crucial relegation matches against Everton and Southampton he [Skubala] will be leading the team. It means, at last, there is some clarity,” said Thornton (reporting live outside Elland Road, Sky Sports, 14 February).
“We’ve been waiting for a development here at Leeds in their pursuit of a new manager and at least some short-term clarity. It also means Leeds will continue their search for a long-term solution. The board will continue to work on that, they’ve been trying to find a solution. The managers they’ve targeted haven’t been available.
“They’ve looked at potential short-term solutions and interim managers but they’ve decided to go with one of their own. It takes a little bit of the pressure off and it also rewards Skubala for the job that he has done over the course of the last eight days.
“The management team have been really impressed with the way he’s tweaked tactics and his man-management skills.”
Smart call
Considering the mess Victor Orta has got himself in during this manager hunt, this isn’t the worst move from the Leeds board. Skubala has shown enough to suggest he can get a consistent tune out of this group of players.
Furthermore, Leeds’ next two fixtures are a lot more winnable than the two matches against Manchester United which have just been and gone. The game at Old Trafford clearly demonstrated that this side are capable of avoiding the drop with Skubala in charge.
The decision to allow the under-21s boss more time also allows for the board to make a slightly more well-thought-out decision when it comes to their next manager.
If uncertainty had remained they could have made the wrong call and appointed a manager who wasn’t the right fit. Skubala steering the side to safety and then reassessing the situation in the summer would be the ideal scenario.
The caretaker boss will be desperate for three points in this weekend’s huge clash against Everton at Goodison Park.
In other Leeds United news, click here to see breaking, around-the-clock updates on Leeds’ search for a new manager in our interactive live blog.
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