By David Woods

13th Mar, 2020 | 7:00pm

'Succession plan' - Phil Hay suggests next Leeds manager, fan responds: 'First choice'

Phil Hay has suggested that Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone would be a good fit for Leeds United after Marcelo Bielsa.

Simeone masterminded a Champions League win over Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night that saw the champions crash out.

In a conversation following the match on Twitter, Athletic journalist Phil Hay praised Simeone and said there was a similarity between Bielsa and Simeone “in the sense that both of their teams are a clear extension of their minds and their emotions”.

One Leeds fans said, “I’ve always thought Simeone would be a great Leeds manager… he’d completely get the siege mentality of being Leeds.”

Hay said, “Maybe that should be the succession plan”.

The Leeds fan came back and replied, “It would be my first choice, we’d have to be Champions League to get him but he’d get us, absolutely”.

If Leeds get promoted to the Premier League – and that’s looking highly likely now, if the season gets finished – then all things point to Bielsa staying on as manager.

Lee Bowyer had been talked about as a possible successor by Hay but if Leeds do get up to the Premier League and establish themselves like Wolves, the rules of engagement will surely change.

We don’t know how long Bielsa would stay if Leeds get promoted – hopefully, a very long time – but if Leeds take investment and get into the European spots then the club would surely be targetting a very high-profile manager next.

Andrea Radrizzani already showed his ambition when he landed Bielsa, which many people thought would be impossible.

Simeone would represent a very similar level of coup.

In other Leeds United news, Times report details imminent Coronavirus plans that will have massive impact on Leeds run-in