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Leeds could land their own Eddie Howe in ‘courageous’ 40-year-old who delivers ‘high-octane’ football – TBR View
Leeds United are in pursuit of a new manager after parting company with Jesse Marsch on Monday.
The Whites have been struggling in the lower reaches of the Premier League table and the board decided to act.
Leeds sacked Marsch a day after the club’s 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The encounter in the Midlands was the Elland Road outfit’s seventh Premier League game without a victory.
Leeds haven’t won in the league since 5 November and only goal difference separates them from the bottom three.
In addition, the reported frontrunner for the role has since committed his future to his current club.
Carlos Corberan, who assisted Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, has penned a contract extension at West Brom.
However, he is just one of numerous names who have been linked with the vacant Leeds hotseat.
Arguably the most exciting of those is Andoni Iraola, who currently manages Rayo Vallecano.
‘Bielsa-like’
Iraola ticks quite a few boxes for Leeds.
The 40-year-old’s stock has risen massively in the past few years.
Iraola has taken Rayo from the Spanish second division to the top five of La Liga.
He has also coached two different sides to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Iraola led Rayo to the final four last season, and two years earlier, he steered second-tier CD Mirandes to that stage.
Those are some decent achievements for such a young manager.
Next is Iraola’s style of football. He is an attack-minded coach who played under Bielsa and has learned from him.
Last year, scouting outlet Breaking the Lines : “His ideas are Bielsa-like – bold, courageous, high-octane.
“His demeanour (is) reminiscent of (Ernesto) Valverde – more reserved, calm and calculated.
“His philosophy is refreshingly high risk, high reward, relying squarely on athleticism and commitment to maintain some sort of order within the chaos, whereby attacks are full-blooded and direct, and defence is immediate and aggressive.”
‘The best league in the world’
So far, so good. But that’s just scratching the surface.
Iraola has also spoken of his desire to manage in the Premier League, and has learned from one of its current leading managers.
In 2021, Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe spent a week watching Rayo – and Atletico Madrid – train ahead of taking the Magpies reins.
“We spent a lot of time talking and exchanging ideas, learning off each other,” Iraola told the .
“But above all I was learning from him because he has lots of experience in the Premier League which for me is very valuable.
“We spoke about certain games he had and the best way to approach matches against the top teams.
“I wanted to learn his methods of training and he made a big impression on me.
“I’m delighted that not long after he got an opportunity with Newcastle and I’m convinced he’s going to do well there.
“He told me he has been educating himself in this time without a team, analysing many aspects of the game, and I wish him all the best.”
Iraola also told the outlet: “To get to the Premier League things would need to go very well for me.
“I’d have to have a very good career to get there. But I’d love to because right now it’s the best league in the world.
“But I’m conscious that I’ve just started. I have had 13 games in La Liga and I have to do a lot more to prove myself as a coach.”
This was then. Now, Iraola has certainly proven himself in La Liga. If Leeds offer him the job, then he might be able to achieve his dream sooner than he anticipated.
As far as potential new managers go, the prospect of a Bielsa-Howe-Valverde hybrid who’s got his team punching above their weight with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona would surely be an exciting one for Leeds fans.