Leeds United might just have landed on their feet with Brian McDermott, who becomes the latest manager attempting to elevate the west Yorkshire club back into the Premier League.
It is nearly ten years since the Whites were playing in the top flight, having gone down to League One between 2007 and 2010, although the appointment of McDermott should see the team thriving next term despite the presence of QPR and Reading.
Many Royals supporters are scratching their heads as to how McDermott has been replaced by Nigel Adkins considering the former won the Championship with the Berkshire side last season, while the latter steered Southampton to second place.
Not that it will bother Leeds fans, who can be fairly confident that the 52-year-old can work wonders with a modest squad, while McDermott might well have kept Reading in the Premier League if a bigger investment had been made back in August.
Last season, the Royals drew with Millwall and won at Reading in their first two matches before a five-game losing run suggested they might be suffering a hangover from the previous campaign, where Swansea had beaten them in a play-off.
However, an eight-match unbeaten run followed, with the Berkshire side enjoying eight wins on the spin between January and March which really turned them into promotion contenders. Former Leeds defender Ian Harte actually played a key role in ensuring that Reading were bound for the top flight come May.
The Championship is a fairly flat division and Leeds already have a squad that is capable of reaching the top six in the league. By appointing McDermott with a few games remaining, it means that the manager can work out which players should remain at Elland Road and then get busy signing new ones in the summer.
Written by Matthew Glazier from Bettingpro.com.au.
Source: LeedsUtdMAD
Source: FOOTYMAD
