A look at the latest Leeds United headlines on Thursday, 22 December.
Mark Jackson in 'advanced talks' with MK Dons over vacant manager role
Leeds United first team coach Mark Jackson is in advanced talks to become the manager of League One side MK Dons. Last season's play-off semi-finalists have struggled this year with Liam Manning losing his position at the beginning of December.
Football Insider claims Jackson has been offered the job by the League One strugglers and is on the brink of making the move. The Whites coach was promoted to the first-team set-up under Jesse Marsch having impressed during his time as Under-23's head coach.
Jackson is praised for helping the development of Leeds youngsters Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville, and Sam Greenwood.
Pep Guardiola admits Manchester City 'have no players' ahead of Leeds United return
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that his side 'have no players left' ahead of their clash against Leeds United as the Premier League returns next week.
City sent the most players out of any European team bar Bayern Munich to the 2022 World Cup over the winter break as 16 of their senior team travelled to Qatar to take part in the tournament.
However, despite the likes of Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne and Germany's Ilkay Gundogan being knocked out in the group stage, those who featured for the likes of Argentina, England, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands across the knockout stages are currently unavailable.
Rene Maric drops Leeds United midfield hint with Adam Forshaw role explained
Adam Forshaw seems to be leading the chase to step into Leeds United’s midfield against Manchester City next week. With Tyler Adams suspended for the contest following his red card at Tottenham Hotspur in November, Jesse Marsch has had a decision to make in the middle of the park over the World Cup break.
He has used the Whites’ three mid-season friendlies, against Elche, Real Sociedad and Monaco, to experiment with his options and give both Forshaw and Sam Greenwood time playing alongside Marc Roca. It seems that Forshaw is in the driving seat, though, with assistant coach Rene Maric speaking about the 31-year-old’s understanding with Roca following United’s final outing before the Premier League restart.
Forshaw started alongside Roca against Monaco, with Greenwood being seen on the right flank, dropping back into a midfield three when out of possession, and the former Middlesbrough man did relatively well as he continues to work his way back from injury. He contributed in the first half as Leeds looked comfortable against the Ligue 1 side and he could do little to prevent Monaco from scoring three goals within nine minutes at the start of the second half.
Ex-Leeds United midfielder reflects on 'special' Elland Road Champions League nights
Lee Bowyer has labelled the 'special times' at Leeds United as the favourite of his career as a player. Bowyer spent six-and-a-half years at Elland Road and established himself as a firm fan favourite during his time with the club.
The 45-year-old scored 51 goals across 256 appearances for Leeds and was apart of a side that enjoyed some extremely memorable nights together. The Whites secured five consecutive top five finishes in the Premier League in the late 1990's and early 2000's, while also reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Bowyer is still fondly remembered as one of Leeds' best players during the Premier League era thanks to his ability to score from midfield. Speaking on talkSPORT, Bowyer claimed the atmosphere of Elland Road Champions League nights were indescribable, before revealing how his former assistant at Charlton Athletic labelled Leeds as his 'second team' after going to a game together a few years ago.
Andrea Radrizzani opens up on his 49ers relationship and necessary Leeds United improvements
Leeds United chairman and owner Andrea Radrizzani insists the Whites must make necessary improvements over the second half of the Premier League season. The Whites are busy preparing for the return of the domestic competition with a clash against Manchester City on December 28 now on the immediate horizon.
Jesse Marsch’s side currently sit 15 th in the league ladder and just two points above the relegation zone after games, with notable wins over Chelsea and Liverpool bookending a disappointing run of eight games without a win. Radrizzani has a strong relationship with Marsch, revealing the pair contact with each other on a frequent basis, and he has faith in his squad’s ability to hit their target of a midtable finish this season.
However, he does acknowledge that progress must be made, particularly in front of goal, if they are to pick up the points their performances deserve.
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