PAUL Heckingbottom may not be the man Leeds fans want, at least if the outcry on fans’ forums is any gauge.
But after six months of a season that has veered from the sublime to the ridiculous, the 40-year-old Yorkshire-man may be the man they need.
In the 14 years since Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League, 19 men have occupied the Elland Road dugout. For many - not least Thomas Christiansen that seat proved far too hot.
As defeats mounted amid a disciplinary meltdown, the Dane became increasingly subdued and monosyllabic.
Serious
Even in the good times he appeared introverted and serious, a perpetually furrowed brow betraying the pressure of managing this fallen behemoth.
“I felt the players were a little bit stressed when they went into games,” said owner Andrea Radrizzani (pictured right), who rather harshly called Christiansen “a mistake”. “We needed a coach with personality to calm them.”
At first glance, Heckingbottom, lured from Barnsley after two years of quiet overachievement, doesn’t fit the bill. The former Manchester United trainee certainly isn’t a larger-than-life character in the mould of Neil Warnock or Harry Redknapp.
Bu hikaye The Football League Paper dergisinin February 11, 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Football League Paper dergisinin February 11, 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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