Farke sack threat sees Mourinho and Chelsea, Man City prospects on 10-man Leeds shortlist

The Leeds owners are reportedly considering showing Daniel Farke the door at Elland Road after leading them back to the promised land, accepting that a very good Championship manager may not necessarily being a very good Premier League manager: a reality borne out in Farke’s top-flight win percentage of 12%.

The 49ers are now thought to be assessing alternatives and we reckon these 10 managers will be on their radar. They could soon be joined by Ange Postecoglou.

Jose Mourinho (Fenerbahce)

We don’t profess to know much about the Turkish Super Lig but we know more than enough about Mourinho to recognise that when he says “we fight opponents and the system” that there’s a fair amount of gaslighting going on.

It’s really just an extension of the It’s Us Against Them philosophy that made him so successful in the early part of his career and now makes him a parody of that world-class manager in what is a painfully long-drawn-out denouement.

But we could see Leeds fans getting on board with a batten down the hatches, stick it to the man approach. It would be a marriage of aversion – we all hate Leeds; we all hate Mourinho – that would undoubtedly end in acrimonious divorce, but it would be fun while it lasts.

Francesco Farioli (Ajax)

“It was a compliment that a club like Leeds was interested, but we are doing something great,” said a certain Arne Slot in February 2023 before Leeds plumped for Javi Gracia and then Sam Allardyce as they sought to avoid Premier League relegation ahead of Farke’s appointment that summer.

Farioli is The New Arne Slot in so much as he’s taken a sleeping giant in Ajax – like Feyenoord under Slot – from fifth last season to the title. If Leeds don’t get him, another Premier League side surely will.

Marco Rose (free agent)

He was sacked by RB Leipzig last month as a poor run of results saw the Bundesliga side slip to sixth in the table, but he did a perfectly decent job there, leading them into the Champions League in consecutive seasons and winning the German Cup in 2023, having also impressed at Borussia Monchengladbach before keeping things ticking along at Borussia Dortmund for a season.

The lack of compensation will also have its appeal on top of Rose being a top manager, and there’s the Red Bull link to consider as the fizzy drinks brand hold a minority stake in Leeds which could ease his appointment.

Claudio Giraldez (Celta Vigo)

Leeds also approached Andoni Iraola after sacking Jesse Marsch in February 2023 but were blocked by Rayo Vallecano before Bournemouth came calling at the end of the season. A similar bid for top young La Liga talent could see them take a punt on 37-year-old Claudio Giraldez, who’s led Celta Vigo to eighth after three consecutive seasons finishing in the bottom half of the table.

His football is characterised by his players wasting as little time as possible in getting the ball forward, much like an Iraola side, with one Spanish outlet describing them as a ‘psychedelic, captivating watch’, which sounds bloody brilliant.

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Gareth Southgate (free agent)

We have absolutely no idea what level of club Southgate will end up at, if he ever does return because while the Manchester United job felt way too big we’re also not sure anything much less could tempt him from what must be a very comfortable life.

But that life is in Harrogate, about 15 miles north of Leeds, which is a big city for a big club that would probably be harder to turn down than most if it weren’t for PSR and the other huge challenges facing promoted clubs.

Edin Terzic (free agent)

It would be quite something to land a manager whose last game in charge of a club was the Champions League final, and while finishing fifth in the Bundesliga that season didn’t exactly provide a ringing endorsement of Terzic’s qualities as a manager, Borussia Dortmund lost the title on goal difference to Bayern Munich in his only other season in charge and have been even worse since he left last summer.

Michel (Girona)

Girona are actually in danger of being relegated this season as they sit just three points above the relegation zone, but their side was gutted in the summer after Michel’s astonishing achievement of taking them into the Champions League having only guided them into La Liga two seasons before.

As manager of Manchester City’s ugly sibling, Michel has been heavily tipped to replace Pep Guardiola when he leaves the Etihad, but Leeds could provide him with some useful Premier League experience before he takes that giant step.

Will Still (Lens)

The 32-year-old reflected on a career which now must be the dream of anyone undertaking the University Centre Myerscough’s foundation degree study programme in Football Coaching while on Monday Night Football this week having worked his way from video analyst at Sint-Truiden to manager of Lens.

He also provided the audience with tactical insight which seemed to be of a very high standard, though we said the same about Gary O’Neil not that long ago.

Kjetil Knutsen (Bodo/Glimt)

With a stadium that holds just over 8000 people and a squad value less than Pedro Porro, Bodo/Glimt will take on Tottenham in the Europa League semi-final having taken the scalps of Porto, Braga and Besiktas in the group stage and getting past FC Trente, Olympiacos and Lazio in the knockouts.

It’s quite the story in which Knutsen is the chief protagonist, having led them to their first ever league title in 2020 and then three more since, with success in Europe making a previously unknown – and let’s face it, funny-sounding – entity now a club name which rolls off the tongue.

Liam Rosenior (Strasbourg)

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali said he sacked Rosenior after they just missed out on the Championship play-offs last season over a “football philosophy” which has seen Strasbourg move from 13th last season to seventh this term and just three points off the Champions League qualification spots with four games to play.

It’s not a dissimilar case to Michel’s as Strasbourg are one of Chelsea’s sister clubs, but the Blues owners are adamant that Enzo Maresca’s job isn’t under threat, so Leeds could be a stepping stone to Stamford Bridge for Rosenior.

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