162-game ‘miracle’ worker now ‘most likely’ choice at Elland Road

Leeds United are “most likely” to appoint Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola as their next manager, journalist Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Jesse Marsch was sacked as boss on Monday afternoon after less than one year in charge and Jones believes the Leeds hierarchy have the Manchester United home game as their cutoff for appointing a new manager.

Leeds United manager news – Andoni Iraola

According to The Times, Iraola heads a three-man shortlist Leeds are looking at in response to their sacking of manager Marsch.

The ex-RB Leipzig chief was let go by Leeds this week, having won just 11 of his 37 matches in charge of the Whites – a win percentage below 30%.

It forced Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani into a sharp change, with the Yorkshire-based club looking to avoid relegation from the Premier League to the second tier.

One of the names, as per the report in The Times, is current Rayo boss Iraola, who has been dubbed as a “miracle” worker this season.

Iraola has guided Rayo to the European positions, with the Madrid-based club now dreaming of continental football next season.

Having moved to fifth in the La Liga table last weekend, the jubilant Rayo supporters were chanting about the prospect of playing Liverpool in the Champions League next season.

While that remains to be seen, not least because of Liverpool’s patchy form this season, there is every chance Rayo could be on the lookout for a new manager, should Iraola ditch Los Franjirrojos for West Yorkshire.

What has Dean Jones said about Iraola to Leeds?

Speaking on the potential of Iraola taking over at Elland Road, journalist Jones told GMS that the Rayo manager had emerged as the “most likely choice”.

On the current manager search at Leeds, Jones said: “The plan for Leeds United is to have someone in by the weekend and if that doesn’t happen it’s a bit of a disaster to be honest.

“That home game with Man United is when they really do want the new era to kick off.

“Iraola is emerging as the most likely choice to turn to at this stage because he seems to be the one on their list that is most attainable. So they’ve got to go to him now and really test his loyalty.”

What sort of manager is Iraola?

Having played under former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Club, it’s no surprise Iraola shares some of the same philosophies as the Argentine coach.

Iraola is a progressive coach, who has instilled a positive approach to the game, often adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation with the sides he’s managed (Transfermarkt).

According to WhoScored, Rayo sit sixth in the average shots per game rankings for La Liga clubs this season, notching up over 13 per 90 minutes.

What’s more, Rayo also average over 50% possession per La Liga outing too, indicating the kind of style Iraola would look to implement at Elland Road.

Leeds will be keen to make sure a new boss, whether that’s Iraola or someone else, is in the dugout when United visit on Sunday afternoon.

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