OPINION
Leeds United have ramped up their search for a new manager this week, after club owner Andrea Radrizzani revealed that the club were currently in the process of interviewing candidates.
Their managerial hunt comes after the surprise decision by Garry Monk at the end of last month to resign from his post at Elland Road, despite serving just a one-year term as manager.
Monk, who was out of contract this summer, looked set to be rewarded with a new long-term deal after Leeds achieved a seventh-placed finish in the Championship last term, only for his resignation to rock the club to its core.
However, Leeds have wasted little time in identifying a replacement, with a host of high-profile names on the radar.
But one particular name that appears to be standing in good stead to fill Monk’s shoes at Elland Road is his former assistant Pep Clotet.
The 40-year-old Spaniard served as assistant manager under Monk at both Swansea and Leeds, and currently remains in the role following Monk’s departure.
The latest odds from leading bookmaker SkyBet price Clotet at 6/1 to become the next permanent Leeds manager, and his appointment remains a high possibility for the club.
The chances of an assistant manager being handed full control of the first-team have increased in recent seasons, and Craig Shakespeare became the latest success story after being handed the Leicester City job.
Leicester confirmed on their official club Twitter account on Thursday afternoon that they had appointed Shakespeare as their new first-team manager on a three-year-deal.
BREAKING: #lcfc confirm the appointment of Craig Shakespeare as First Team Manager: https://t.co/Ub4u9YqsnZ pic.twitter.com/LcGHppvsuR
— Leicester City (@LCFC) June 8, 2017
Shakespeare had earlier been appointed as manager on a short-term basis, following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri in February, but the former assistant coach has now been handed the job on a full-time basis.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough turned to assistant coach Steve Agnew in the absence of a full-time chief at the end of last season, but such an appointment can have mixed success – as in Agnew’s case.
But the recent willingness of club’s to hand such responsibilities to figures like Shakespeare and Agnew bodes well for Clotet as Leeds continue their search for a new manager.
Unlike an Alan Pardew or a Jaap Stam – two names that have been linked with the job – Clotet already knows the club inside out. Meanwhile, he worked under Monk, who deployed a system that brought Leeds on the brink of promotion to the Premier League.
Clotet would likely have similar ideas and would be a fine choice if Leeds were to consider the effects of Monk’s stewardship in their managerial hunt, because it could prove more successful than wiping clean the slate and starting afresh.
He does not have the most glittering managerial record, having endured tough spells as manager at Swedish outfit Halmstads, and Espanyol’s B team.
But Leeds have been through an unhealthy number of managers during the last couple of years, and a move that would bring further stability to the club would surely be the favourable option.