Leeds United may well have to make a decision on Daniel Farke very soon after defeat to Nottingham Forest. Who they would replace him with is of course up for debate.
United are in a tricky spot right now after three defeats in their last four against sides they really should have fancied themselves against.
Nottingham Forest were the latest, putting three past Daniel Farke’s side in what was a turgid performance yet again from Leeds.
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It leaves Farke obviously now facing the most scrutiny he’s ever seen at Elland Road, and the growing potential of the trigger being pulled on his time here.
As we await any updates on whether that decision might come during the looming international break, I look at three managers who should be considered as replacements…
Carlos Corberan
The first and most obvious name that most fans will think of when looking at potential replacements is Carlos Corberan.
A familiar face after being Marcelo Bielsa’s eye-catching understudy, to then cut his teeth in the senior game with Huddersfield Town, somehow dragging them to within a 90-minute robbery of Premier League football at the hands of this Forest side.
Carlos Corberan’s work since leaving Leeds United has been exemplary at three different clubs. (REUTERS/David Klein)
A brief unsuccessful stint at Olympiacos was put behind him as he shone again in the EFL at West Brom, as a core theme emerged of the Spaniard being incredibly pragmatic, building his setup based on the opposition and getting every last drop out of his squad.
Overachievement is something Leeds need to stay in this division, and Corberan has built his career on punching above his weight. At Valencia, he dragged them from likely relegation to safety. But, he is now struggling this season as reports suggest he’s on the brink.
Should that be the case, a homecoming to LS11 makes a lot of sense.
Thiago Motta
A manager out of work that would certainly suit the current Leeds setup is another self-proclaimed Bielsa disciple, Thiago Motta.
The media narrative in Italy still focuses on Motta’s ill-fated time at Juventus. But prior to that, the 43-year-old rightly earned his first big gig through two stunning jobs at Spezia and Bologna.
Thiago Motta has done very well in Italy, and has been an avid supporter of Marcelo Bielsa before. (REUTERS/Massimo Pinca)
His Spezia side were perennially tipped for relegation, and in two campaigns, kept them up before moving to Bologna. There, he broke club records to help them qualify for the Champions League.
Often seen deploying a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and back three setups, he’s another like Corberan that has been able to consistently get much better levels out of his squad, as well as demonstrate shrewd, pragmatic systems too.
When applying for his UEFA Pro License, he cited Bielsa during his thesis and how possession without any direction towards the goal is pointless:
“The possession of the ball must not be confused with a sterile, and therefore useless, series of horizontal passes, but must be preparatory to a verticalization as effective and rapid as possible.”
Inigo Perez
The third name is a bold shout, because he’s doing incredibly well in his job and Leeds have previously failed to prise a manager out of this club before.
Rayo Vallecano’s Inigo Perez had the unenviable task of trying to recapture the brilliance of Andoni Iraola, having been the now-Bournemouth man’s assistant at Rayo. But, now sitting comfortably in mid-table this season suggests he’s going great guns alongside their Conference League campaign.
Their latest result a 0-0 draw today at home to Real Madrid. He has also this season taken a point off Barcelona at home while running Atletico Madrid close too.
Inigo Perez is doing an incredible job at Rayo Vallecano. (REUTERS/Isabel Infantes)
Rayo are on course to progress through to the Conference League knockouts, sitting above Crystal Palace as things stand.
“The Premier League was a dream for me, a really exciting challenge,” he told The Athletic this week. Work permit issues stopped him following Iraola to the South Coast in 2023. On his style, he said this:
“Our idea is to win the ball back as soon as possible, and then to attack very quickly. For the opposition never to get comfortable on the pitch. That’s what I like at Rayo – high pressing, direct play, dynamic positions, structures, a kind of ordered chaos to create chances and score goals.”
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