The West Brom head coach, Carlos Corberán, and Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola rank high on Leeds’s shortlist as they seek a replacement for the sacked Jesse Marsch. The American left Elland Road after 11 months on Monday after a run of seven Premier League games without a win seemingly made up the minds of a Leeds board understood to have been divided about the prospect of switching managers.
While Victor Orta, the director of football who lined up Marsch as Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement, fought long and hard to keep the 49-year-old, other directors advocated change at a club scheduled to be taken over shortly by the San Francisco-based 49er Enterprises, which owns 44% of the club.
It happened 48 hours before Leeds – above the relegation zone on goal difference and on a run of two victories in 17 Premier League games – travel to Manchester United for a tricky league engagement before facing the same opponents at home on Sunday.
While Iraola and Corberán, a much-admired former assistant to Bielsa at Elland Road who subsequently impressed as Huddersfield’s manager before joining West Brom, are among the candidates under serious consideration. In the meantime, Chris Armas is in line to take caretaker charge. The American coach, a former Manchester United assistant manager, was appointed as Marsch’s No 2 a fortnight ago and could be retained.
Although Leeds narrowly avoided relegation last spring, defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday proved the final straw for Marsch.
The highly experienced Rafael Benítez is available, but although he has friends in the Leeds boardroom, the former Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton manager may not be the right tactical fit for Orta, who favours a high-intensity pressing game.
The similarly unattached Mauricio Pochettino could have greater appeal, but it is unclear whether the former Tottenham and Paris St-Germain manager would consider such a high-risk posting.
