Leeds: 52 y/o manager now 'in the mix' at Elland Road | OneFootball

Leeds: 52 y/o manager now 'in the mix' at Elland Road | OneFootball

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GiveMeSport

·16 February 2023

Leeds: 52 y/o manager now 'in the mix' at Elland Road

Article image:Leeds: 52 y/o manager now 'in the mix' at Elland Road

Leeds United could potentially make a proposal for Pedro Martins to take over their vacant managerial position at Elland Road, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has suggested to GiveMeSport.

The Whites are still on the hunt for a replacement for Jesse Marsch, who was relieved of his duties at the beginning of last week.


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Leeds manager news – Pedro Martins

According to The Times, Leeds have held talks with Martins this week as they desperately scramble around to find Marsch’s successor, after approaches for Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot proved to be unsuccessful.

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Martins is currently in charge of Qatari outfit Al-Gharafa and is in contention to be the man selected to steer the Whites away from relegation trouble this season, though fellow countryman Nuno Espirito Santo is also in the frame.

Journalist Dean Jones has recently suggested to GiveMeSport that the club’s supporters would like to see Nuno given the job after his exploits with Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2017-2021 indicate that he can be an excellent Premier League manager, despite his unsuccessful stint at Tottenham Hotspur.

But Jacobs believes that Martins’ name is “creeping into the mix”, though he suggesta that Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou could be an excellent appointment as the Elland Road outfit look to secure their status in the top flight.

What has Jacobs said about Leeds and Martins?

Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Another name creeping into the mix is Pedro Martins, but I think that Ange Postecoglou would be another great option. Whether he leaves Celtic remains to be seen, he's doing very well there. He was asked about the vacancy and replied, as you would expect, saying simply that he's got one focus and it is on Celtic Football Club.”

Would Martins be a good appointment for Leeds?

There’s no doubt that Martins would be a gamble of an appointment for Leeds, with the 52-year-old having no prior experience of playing or managing in the Premier League.

The most successful period of the Portuguese coach’s career came recently, having won three Greek Super League titles in a row with giants Olympiacos in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but a current spell managing in the Qatar Stars League as well as a lack of a top-level CV, is hardly something that will raise the pulses of the Leeds faithful.

It seems that a manager in the vein of Nuno could be much more well-suited to the task of keeping the Yorkshire giants in the Premier League, with the current Al-Ittihad coach having managed in the division for over three years in the recent past.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that there is going to be much clamour from Leeds fans to get the appointment of Martins over the line.

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