Victor Orta under scrutiny from Leeds United board as problematic manager search continues
Victor Orta’s position as sporting director at Leeds United is now under scrutiny as their search for Jesse Marsch’s successor as manager drags on, according to the Daily Mail.
The Whites were dealt another blow in their managerial search when Feyenoord manager Arne Slot rejected the proposal to take the reins at Elland Road in a press conference on Friday (10 February). [Voetbal International]
Adam Pope revealed on Friday that Orta had completed four interviews for the vacant position, but his lack of swift action in the past days may have brought his job into question.
The Daily Mail (Friday 10 February) wrote: “Leeds sporting director Victor Orta’s position is under scrutiny amid concerns over the club’s problematic search for a new manager and its impact on a planned takeover.
“Orta is leading the search for a new head coach following the sacking of Jesse Marsch on Monday – but their pursuit is not going according to plan.
“It is believed a deal for Corberan would have been relatively straightforward to achieve and would have been approved by current majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani – but Orta wanted to explore alternative options before committing to the Spaniard.”
Lack of planning
The blame for this debacle of this week can only be placed on Orta’s doorstep as a string of his top targets all turned down the opportunity to take up the job in West Yorkshire.
First, it was West Brom’s Carlos Corberan, then it was Andoni Iraola, and now the third blow has been dealt by Slot’s refusal to leave the Eredivisie league leaders. The brains behind the operation have quite simply been a mess and undone all of the fine work the sporting director did in the January transfer window.
Supporters were gushing over some of the activity that took place last month, with Georginio Rutter snapped up for a club-record fee, Max Wober signed for a modest price, and Weston McKennie brought in to complement Tyler Adams in the heart of the midfield.
He simply needs to get this recruitment right. Otherwise, his job could be on the line. Leeds fans have already been waiting long enough for a new name to be confirmed, and it seems like the search could well drag into next week.
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