It doesn’t take much to get Leeds United fans riled up enough to take to social media, not much at all. As with from many clubs, they devour news on almost anything linking to the club.
One of the bigger topics being discussed amongst Leeds United fans is just how the club are going to claw back from the morass that the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship descended into. One thing fans will be looking for is a few new faces, and quality ones, coming in via a transfer window that is already open.
Allied to this, and perhaps more important in the grand scheme of things, is the direction that the club are going to take away from the playing side of things. In this respect, the spotlight falls on one man – Paul Heckingbottom – and Leeds fans aren’t convinced that he’s the man to take the team from disappointing and mediocre to promotion challengers.
To this end, and even before the season crawled to its inevitably saddened finish, Leeds United fans were looking for the future successor to Paul Heckingbottom. With every sacked manager came the ubiquitous ‘Manager X for Leeds. What you think?’ posts across social media.
Rumours began to build, swirl and eventually die back down to the ether as it looked like Heckingbottom might just get the nod to carry on as boss at Elland Road. However, over the weekend came supposed news from Italy, and publication Corriere di Bologna, that seem to link United to former Italy ace Filippo Inzaghi – currently manager of Serie B Venezia
In a story about his wish to push Venezia through the Serie B play-offs, Corriere di Bologna say that the former Italy international “had received a request” from Leeds United – musings written about here yesterday on the72. At the head of this story was a tale of an ‘agreement’ reached between Inzaghi and Bologna, an agreement that is tangled to say the least.
Amidst all the swirling rumours and questions and comments about “foreign maverick” coaches, there is the growing question from Leeds United fans about whether Claudio Ranieri is the man that the Whites are looking at.
With all of that being discussed, journalist Phil Hay’s comment and reply (below) to a Leeds United fan on Twitter throws a definite cat amongst the rapidly scattering pigeons.
different foreign coach has been mentioned to me. Not saying who because I don’t know if it’s got legs. As for Ranieri, honestly not sure.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) May 27, 2018
Leeds fans, desperate for some degree of momentum, and change in fortune, will no doubt read Hay’s words with some regard. Whilst he remains ‘unsure’ about whether United are in for Claudio Ranieri, it’s the “different foreign coach” comment that arouses much more interest – even if there is a sense of ambiguity in that he won’t reveal the name he’s been told.
