Only strings attached to talks between McDermott and Cellino will be to Leeds bidder’s guitar
Yorkshire Post 11/2/14
BRIAN McDERMOTT has been given an apology by GFH Capital over the debacle that saw the Leeds United manager sacked and reinstated in the space of 48 hours.
Elland Road was thrown into turmoil on the final day of last month when the 52-year-old was dismissed by a lawyer acting on the instructions of would-be owner Massimo Cellino.
The Italian, however, had over-stepped the mark and after an SOS from managing director David Haigh and other representatives of GFH Capital, McDermott returned after United’s 5-1 derby win over Huddersfield Town.
With Cellino due back in England today from his Miami base ahead of meeting the Football League tomorrow about his proposed £25m purchase of the Championship club, McDermott’s future is again the subject of debate.
The two men are expected to meet after tonight’s game at Brighton & Hove Albion and McDermott insists he is looking forward to being able to sit down with Cellino.
He said: “We will just have a conversation. I don’t think there are any big mysteries about football. We will talk about football and where we see things and then go from there.
“He plays a guitar and we will talk about that. He is very good. I have seen him. Very, very good. He is better than me and has got a band as well and we will probably talk about that and we will talk about football and have a discussion.”
Victory tonight could move United to within two points of the play-off spots and, McDermott hopes, allow a line to be drawn under recent events.
He added: “I got an apology from David Haigh and (director) Salem Patel for everything that had gone on, which I appreciated.
“I also had support from other managers. (Leicester City’s) Nigel Pearson texted me the other day and he is top of the league. He texted me at about half past two (on Saturday) just before his game.
“That just shows you what a good guy he is and I have had a lot of support, which has been fantastic really.”
Cellino exchanged contracts with GFH last Friday, meaning approval from the Football League is the only remaining hurdle for the Italian to negotiate.
Despite that, Mike Farnan, the leader of a rival consortium, is still hoping he can conclude a deal with Gulf Finance House, the Bahraini bank that bought United from Ken Bates a little under 14 months ago.
As part of those efforts, the former Sheffield United and Sunderland marketing chief plans to contact the League over Cellino’s planned buyout.
McDermott, meanwhile, has been engaged in building bridges not only with Cellino but also Gianluca Festa, the former Middlesbrough defender who had been lined up as his possible successor.
A request for Festa to sit in the United dugout for the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town last month kick-started the saga that, by the end of January 31, had thrown the club into turmoil.
Despite that, McDermott has spoken to Festa by telephone and clear-the-air talks are believed to have gone well.
The Leeds manager said: “I don’t know if there is an olive branch needed. It is just about being respectable and doing what is right and proper in simple terms.
“I made a phone call, that is all I did. It is just treating people the right way. Because of the circumstances, I just thought it was the right and proper thing to do.”
As for the ownership saga, which is now well into its fourth month, McDermott added: “It is pretty straight-forward. It is going to go to the Football League and once it has gone to them, they will make a decision and we will go from there.
“Until we know what the Football League are saying, we don’t know.
“The only thing I am thinking of is the game against Brighton. Everything else is out of my hands.
“The ownership of the football club will be sorted out in due course, hopefully sooner rather than later. But I am certainly not swimming in the dark.
“Every football club needs clarity and, at this moment in time, we have GFH as the owners.”
richard.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk
BRIAN McDERMOTT has been given an apology by GFH Capital over the debacle that saw the Leeds United manager sacked and reinstated in the space of 48 hours.
Elland Road was thrown into turmoil on the final day of last month when the 52-year-old was dismissed by a lawyer acting on the instructions of would-be owner Massimo Cellino.
The Italian, however, had over-stepped the mark and after an SOS from managing director David Haigh and other representatives of GFH Capital, McDermott returned after United’s 5-1 derby win over Huddersfield Town.
With Cellino due back in England today from his Miami base ahead of meeting the Football League tomorrow about his proposed £25m purchase of the Championship club, McDermott’s future is again the subject of debate.
The two men are expected to meet after tonight’s game at Brighton & Hove Albion and McDermott insists he is looking forward to being able to sit down with Cellino.
He said: “We will just have a conversation. I don’t think there are any big mysteries about football. We will talk about football and where we see things and then go from there.
“He plays a guitar and we will talk about that. He is very good. I have seen him. Very, very good. He is better than me and has got a band as well and we will probably talk about that and we will talk about football and have a discussion.”
Victory tonight could move United to within two points of the play-off spots and, McDermott hopes, allow a line to be drawn under recent events.
He added: “I got an apology from David Haigh and (director) Salem Patel for everything that had gone on, which I appreciated.
“I also had support from other managers. (Leicester City’s) Nigel Pearson texted me the other day and he is top of the league. He texted me at about half past two (on Saturday) just before his game.
“That just shows you what a good guy he is and I have had a lot of support, which has been fantastic really.”
Cellino exchanged contracts with GFH last Friday, meaning approval from the Football League is the only remaining hurdle for the Italian to negotiate.
Despite that, Mike Farnan, the leader of a rival consortium, is still hoping he can conclude a deal with Gulf Finance House, the Bahraini bank that bought United from Ken Bates a little under 14 months ago.
As part of those efforts, the former Sheffield United and Sunderland marketing chief plans to contact the League over Cellino’s planned buyout.
McDermott, meanwhile, has been engaged in building bridges not only with Cellino but also Gianluca Festa, the former Middlesbrough defender who had been lined up as his possible successor.
A request for Festa to sit in the United dugout for the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town last month kick-started the saga that, by the end of January 31, had thrown the club into turmoil.
Despite that, McDermott has spoken to Festa by telephone and clear-the-air talks are believed to have gone well.
The Leeds manager said: “I don’t know if there is an olive branch needed. It is just about being respectable and doing what is right and proper in simple terms.
“I made a phone call, that is all I did. It is just treating people the right way. Because of the circumstances, I just thought it was the right and proper thing to do.”
As for the ownership saga, which is now well into its fourth month, McDermott added: “It is pretty straight-forward. It is going to go to the Football League and once it has gone to them, they will make a decision and we will go from there.
“Until we know what the Football League are saying, we don’t know.
“The only thing I am thinking of is the game against Brighton. Everything else is out of my hands.
“The ownership of the football club will be sorted out in due course, hopefully sooner rather than later. But I am certainly not swimming in the dark.
“Every football club needs clarity and, at this moment in time, we have GFH as the owners.”
richard.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk
