Leeds United board cannot share Michael Skubala's philosophy in Jesse Marsch replacement hunt - YEP 11/2/23

Leeds United caretaker Michael Skubala can look no further than the end of his nose, but his singular focus cannot be shared by those above him.

By Graham Smyth

Manchester United, away, was all he could think about when handed the role, alongside Chris Armas and Paco Gallardo on Monday, 24 hours after a game and 48 hours prior to another.

That situation afforded him just 20 minutes of shape work and though three days have sat between his first and second matches in charge, this week's hectic fixture scheduling has made recovery a priority and ruled out lengthy, extensive work on the training ground.

The message from upstairs that he will definitely lead the team into the game at Elland Road was greeted with the same mindset as Monday's conversation with the board.

"I'm not planning for anything other than a day-to-day communication with Victor [Orta, director of football] and communication with the board on a day-to-day basis," he said on Friday.

"I'm just doing the best I can do in this short time."

Skubala's entire focus when it became clear that he was the man for Sunday's game, was Sunday's game. In a way, permanent managers might envy a scenario in which you're entirely unfettered by long-term thinking, processes and projects. And players might welcome it, because what has impressed the board about Skubala this week is the calmness and simplicity he's brought to what has been an intense, sometimes fraught environment over the past 18 months. 'Calm and polite' is how he told the media he intends to be with the players. He's not much one for shouting. This job, looking after professional players and keeping the seat warm, does not require it, he feels.

It makes certain sense. While he evidently wants to win, Skubala is not planning an escape from relegation, for that responsibility does not rest on his shoulders, and he's not - or at least he shouldn't be - losing sleep over his job security based on the state of the Premier League table. He's picking a team and giving them a plan for one game, against Manchester United. The word clarity has been bandied about ad nauseam for the past year at Leeds. It's become a meme. But suddenly, it exists, because Skubala's role and his approach is so clear. One day at a time, one game.

"I've always had the philosophy 'look after today and tomorrow looks after itself,'" he said.

If only that philosophy and that singular focus was a luxury the club's decision makers could afford. This time last year, when Victor Orta lined up Jesse Marsch as Marcelo Bielsa’s successor and the new man was through the door almost as soon as the Argentine closed it behind him. This time it’s different. Marsch was sacked on Monday. The process to replace him is ongoing. It’s not yet where Leeds want it to be. It’s not yet at panic stations either, because things change quickly in football and it's always possible that a breakthrough somehow occurs prior to Sunday's game, but a Saturday appointment feels increasingly unlikely.

Ultimately, they wanted a swift appointment, there was even talk of midweek white smoke from the majority owner Andrea Radrizzani, and the ideal world outcome was a new manager paraded at Elland Road, or at least sat in the stands, before kick-off against Manchester United. It's probable, at this stage, given the difficulties around extricating Andoni Iraola from Rayo Vallecano, Arne Slot's declaration of loyalty to Feyenoord and a complete absence of smoke from another iron stoking the fire elsewhere, that Leeds' hunt goes into a second week.

And while Skubala keeps things simple and busies himself with the Red Devils, the board have got to be eyeing Everton, Southampton and the rest of the season. If Iraola was, as Leeds suggest, simply one of four very good shortlisted options and not the man, then him staying put for whatever reason should not be a disastrous setback. Nor should Slot's Friday messaging, if he was just a fifth option to be explored, just as Carlos Corberan's new West Brom deal should be no significant blow to Leeds, if he was not among the frontrunners. The problem for Leeds is that a picture has been building up, over the course of five days, that makes the process look a lot less smooth than Radrizzani and the 49ers would like. It currently looks more red light than green and that's the worst colour at the best of times for this club.

Iraola might not be a dead end, Slot may even not be as ruled out as he made out and the as-yet-unnamed shortlisted options Leeds talk about could find themselves on a private plane to Yeadon in the hours between now and Sunday's game, but if not, and if this takes much longer, then the more it will feel like further irons need to be heating up.

A football club never, ever, wants to give off a whiff of desperation and perhaps Skubala can ensure that they don't, with another stunning result this weekend. That said, the suggestion that Leeds are in a comfortable place, holding multiple options, will hold less weight if the Everton game comes into view without a puff or two of the white wispy stuff. At least, at the very least, Wednesday night's performance, which in the circumstances was impressive, and Skubala's cool demeanour in the hot seat, will give the board a reassuring sense that while they look after tomorrow, today is in safe hands.