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Leeds United have a new manager in their sights as they make plans to replace Daniel Farke.
The Leeds boss is under increasing pressure at Elland Road with the club sitting in the Premier League’s relegation zone. The club’s owners, the 49ers, have ambitious plans for the Whites and that means that an immediate return to the EFL Championship is not an option.
It’s been suggested that Leeds needed to pick up points against either Man City or Chelsea for Farke to keep his job, but after losing 3-2 to Pep Guardiola’s side, it seems that his future is now riding on Wednesday’s fixture with the Blues at Elland Road.
Leeds Eye Gary O’Neil
With uncertainty over Farke’s future, Leeds are stepping up their plans as they look to line up a swift replacement. According to Football Insider, Gary O’Neil is now a serious contender for the role.
O’Neil has been out of work since leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers 12 months ago.
Brendan Rodgers has also been heavily linked with the job after resigning from his position with Celtic at the start of November. The Northern Irish boss was regarded as favourite for the role, but that has now changed with O’Neil since emerging as the leading candidate to replace Farke.
Having been linked with roles at Wolves and Southampton in the last month, O’Neil is certainly highly regarded but is seemingly holding out for the right job to tempt him back into football.
O’Neil Has The Credential To Guide Leeds To Safety
If pursued, O’Neil would be an excellent option for Leeds United. After taking charge of Bournemouth on a caretaker basis in 2022, he guided the club to safety in the 2022/23 campaign before being replaced by Andoni Iraola.
He then got the Wolves job and led the club to 14th in the Premier League and to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – a huge achievement after losing a number of key players with the club tipped for relegation.
During his time at Molineux, Wolves’ chairman Jeff Shi described the 42-year-old as a “very young, talented, capable and outstanding manager.”
Renowned for his tactical and motivational skills, O’Neill boasts a 30.68 percent win percentage during his roles at Wolves and Bournemouth – a vast improvement on Farke’s win rate of 14.52 percent in the top flight.
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