Leeds United: Redfearn reiterates the need for speed
Yorkshire Evening Post 3/5/15
Phil Hay
Neil Redfearn repeated his call for a swift decision on his future and that of players in Leeds United’s squad after the club finished their season with a goalless draw against Rotherham United.
Redfearn will look to sit down with United owner Massimo Cellino before the end of this week after the conclusion of the Championship term and the completion of Cellino’s ownership ban cleared the way for talks between them.
Cellino’s disqualification for a tax conviction – imposed on him by the Football League in January – ran out yesterday, allowing him to retake control of the club he bought last April.
The Football League gave him permission to attend both Saturday’s clash with Rotherham and United’s end-of-season awards ceremony later that night but the Italian did not turn up to either event.
Redfearn, whose contract as head coach ends this summer, said: “I’ve had no contact as such but we’re free now to discuss things and talk about stuff. I’d expect (this week) we’ll sit down and chat.
“Leeds United’s my club, the club I supported as a kid, and I have to say that whatever decision’s made and whatever way it goes, it’s still my club.”
A number of Leeds’ players are also out of contract this summer, including midfielders Rodolph Austin and Aidan White. Both featured in Saturday’s draw with White fit again after injury and playing for the first time since pre-season.
Seven others have reached the end of loan deals at Elland Road, among them influential centre-back Sol Bamba, who joined from Palermo in January.
“That’s the type of thing we’ve got to sit down, discuss and work out,” Redfearn said. “Whether players stay or go, what options we’ve got. That’s why it’s important we do talk.
“The important part now becomes recruitment. If I’m going to be here I’d like to be part of that. The idea of building is to recruit well and this close season we maybe need to recruit better.”
Tensions in United’s camp have been evident at stages of this term and Redfearn left Marco Silvestri out of his squad on Saturday, two weeks after the goalkeeper and five other players pulled out injured ahead of a visit to Charlton Athletic.
Stuart Taylor, another out-of-contract squad member, started against Rotherham and Silvestri voiced his anger on Twitter before deleting the tweet.
“The squad won at Sheffield Wednesday last week,” Redfearn said. “The message has always been that if the side plays well and we win, players keep their shirts.
“Nobody’s exempt and you’d like to think that the ones who are out the side back their mates and work hard to get back in.
“I don’t change the rules for different players. It’s the same whoever’s out of the side.”
Phil Hay
Neil Redfearn repeated his call for a swift decision on his future and that of players in Leeds United’s squad after the club finished their season with a goalless draw against Rotherham United.
Redfearn will look to sit down with United owner Massimo Cellino before the end of this week after the conclusion of the Championship term and the completion of Cellino’s ownership ban cleared the way for talks between them.
Cellino’s disqualification for a tax conviction – imposed on him by the Football League in January – ran out yesterday, allowing him to retake control of the club he bought last April.
The Football League gave him permission to attend both Saturday’s clash with Rotherham and United’s end-of-season awards ceremony later that night but the Italian did not turn up to either event.
Redfearn, whose contract as head coach ends this summer, said: “I’ve had no contact as such but we’re free now to discuss things and talk about stuff. I’d expect (this week) we’ll sit down and chat.
“Leeds United’s my club, the club I supported as a kid, and I have to say that whatever decision’s made and whatever way it goes, it’s still my club.”
A number of Leeds’ players are also out of contract this summer, including midfielders Rodolph Austin and Aidan White. Both featured in Saturday’s draw with White fit again after injury and playing for the first time since pre-season.
Seven others have reached the end of loan deals at Elland Road, among them influential centre-back Sol Bamba, who joined from Palermo in January.
“That’s the type of thing we’ve got to sit down, discuss and work out,” Redfearn said. “Whether players stay or go, what options we’ve got. That’s why it’s important we do talk.
“The important part now becomes recruitment. If I’m going to be here I’d like to be part of that. The idea of building is to recruit well and this close season we maybe need to recruit better.”
Tensions in United’s camp have been evident at stages of this term and Redfearn left Marco Silvestri out of his squad on Saturday, two weeks after the goalkeeper and five other players pulled out injured ahead of a visit to Charlton Athletic.
Stuart Taylor, another out-of-contract squad member, started against Rotherham and Silvestri voiced his anger on Twitter before deleting the tweet.
“The squad won at Sheffield Wednesday last week,” Redfearn said. “The message has always been that if the side plays well and we win, players keep their shirts.
“Nobody’s exempt and you’d like to think that the ones who are out the side back their mates and work hard to get back in.
“I don’t change the rules for different players. It’s the same whoever’s out of the side.”
