Will Leeds’ next managerial appointment define Cellino’s reputation?
36 managers in 22 years as owner of Italian club Cagliari Calcio earned current Leeds United chairman Massimo Cellino the nickname Il mangiatore di direttore, which translates as ‘The Manager Eater’.
It is therefore of no surprise that the ruthless Italian businessman’s takeover of the Elland Road club earlier this year attracted much publicity, as well as doubts as to whether he was fit to have anything to do with, let alone run, an English football club at all.
Initially, these doubts proved to be legitimate. Before Cellino had even been formally announced as the new owner of the club, he attempted to relieve then-manager Brian McDermott of his job, only for McDermott to be bizarrely reinstated the following day. This, coupled with the problematic takeover process – Cellino was initially deemed to have failed the ‘fit and proper persons’ test by the Football League, only for this decision to be overturned in April – only reinforced many Leeds fans’ fears that the Manager Eater had not lost his appetite one bit since his move to England, and that the club was under the mercy of a man who would bring instability to a club who had experienced enough of it already during the past decade.
McDermott was never going to stand a chance with Cellino in charge of proceedings, and by the end of last season he was swiftly sacked, to be replaced by the unheralded, undecorated and unheard of Dave Hockaday, whose only previous managerial experience came during an unspectacular spell in charge of Conference side Forest Green Rovers.
Naturally, his appointment came as a shock to many. A working partnership between an obscure former non-league manager and the notorious Cellino was, for many, a disaster waiting to happen. After Leeds’ disappointing start to the season, the omens were not good. A solitary league victory against Middlesbrough in the second game of the season was followed by successive defeats to Brighton and Watford, with Leeds finishing the match against the latter with nine men. With Cellino widely reported to be preparing his latest managerial feast, he then proceeded to stun everyone by displaying his previously non-existent patient side, opting to back Hockaday and pin the blame on himself for the club’s unimpressive start to the campaign.
This was a highly significant moment in Cellino’s career as a football chairman. The Italian had defied his accurate reputation and resisted the temptation to consign yet another manager to the sack. His change of heart offered a glimmer of hope that the man had done away with his reckless ways, and may even be a fit and proper person to lead a football club after all.
The faint rays of hope were not to last long. After League Cup elimination to third-tier side Bradford City, Cellino gave the orders, and Hockaday left Leeds after just 70 days in charge. The Manager Eater was back, and with a vengeance.
However, the brief moment of hesitation, the rare display of compassion which followed the Watford game suggests that all is not lost for Cellino. He may never shake off the reputation of being an irrational, brutal and slightly crazy owner (the number 17 shirt at Leeds United has been retired at the behest of Cellino due to superstitious reasons); however, by displaying some patience – which he did, albeit very briefly with Hockaday – Cellino may finally find the one manager who satisfies his needs and desires.
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Nevertheless, one gets the impression that Cellino is in the last chance saloon. Leeds fans are crying out for stability, and a constant overhaul of managers is never healthy for any football club. If he is to prove himself to be a competent, responsible owner – which will be no easy task – he must be very careful about his latest managerial appointment. And with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler – two former fan favourites at Elland Road – both expressing their interest in the job, this decision may prove to be the most important one of his turbulent, controversial career; mistreatment or unjustified dismissal of a man once adored by Leeds fans could prove very costly indeed. Cellino’s last remaining shreds of credibility depend on his next choice of manager, as well as how he deals with the inevitable rough patches that all football clubs experience on the pitch. Change his ways, and there may be a chance of redemption. Live to his nickname, and there will be no turning back.
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