On Friday night, Brian McDermott was reportedly sacked as manager of Leeds United, just nine months after taking over at Elland Road.
The former Reading manager had been credited for improving the Whites’ playing style, and the fans had hoped for McDermott to lead the side through a period of relative stability towards the Premier League. However this has looked increasingly unlikely, with yet another takeover imminent by the Italian Massimo Cellino.
It was reported that McDermott had been sacked on the back of seven league games without a win, including a 6-0 thrashing by local rivals Sheffield Wednesday, and an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of League 2 side Rochdale.
However, on Saturday evening Leeds United announced that McDermott was still their man in charge. This followed the team’s 5-1 victory against neighbours Huddersfield Town, a fixture which the Whites played out under the helm of Assistant Manager Nigel Gibbs.
Both the supporters and the players reacted to Friday’s news with shock. Captain Ross McCormack told Sky Sports News that he was “absolutely gutted”, and that had he known McDermott was going to be sacked that he would have had “a right decision to make” about his own future.
Supporter and LS writer Kyle Hulme expressed his sadness: “We loved Brian.
“Brian was the first person from outside of Leeds in a long time to ‘get’ what being Leeds is. He understood the club, the history and the fans.
“Now Brian is sacked and Leeds’ fans are planning protests. Not one person is happy with this. People are livid.”
McDermott attended training today following the club’s dramatic U-turn, whilst Cellino told the Sunday Telegraph “I want the coach back.”
Leeds fans will be hoping that this episode will now be over, as McDermott is highly qualified for the side’s ambitions. The former Arsenal player led Reading to a shock Championship title just two seasons ago, despite the club’s modest financial backing and an indifferent start to the 2011/12 campaign.
Ste Topping
Image courtesy of The Telegraph