Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was one of the managers Victor Orta suggested to the Leeds United hierarchy as a potential replacement for Jesse Marsch before Javi Gracia was appointed.
That is according to a report from The Athletic, who have done an incredibly in-depth review of just what has gone on at Elland Road this season.
It is hard to now not feel that this campaign will end in relegation for Leeds. Any cautious optimism after Saturday’s spirited showing at Manchester City has largely evaporated with Everton and Nottingham Forest winning on Monday.
Leeds considered Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
Certainly, no-one involved can avoid a portion of the blame for what has happened at Leeds this season. But the decisions surrounding the managerial situation throughout the campaign have probably hurt the side more than anything.
Firstly, sticking by Jesse Marsch for so long seemed a very bad idea. But even worse than that was probably sticking by Marsch for so long, waiting for the January window to close and then letting him go with no replacement lined up.
Eventually, Javi Gracia got the job. But a number of names were in the frame. And one of those, according to The Athletic, was Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.
Orta put the Dutchman’s name forward, alongside the likes of Gracia and Alfred Schreuder.
Another underwhelming option Whites were forced to consider
Van Bronckhorst is out of work after being sacked by Rangers earlier this season. The 48-year-old did lead the Gers to the Europa League final and Scottish Cup glory during his time at Ibrox.
However, it says everything that his tenure is not remembered particularly fondly despite all that. The gap to Celtic got wider again under his leadership. And it appears that Michael Beale has a huge task now trying to close that gulf.
He did have some success with Feyenoord. But it is hard to imagine that he would have been a choice that would have inspired the Leeds fanbase.
Of course, you cannot really criticise Orta for putting his name forward. He is someone who has won trophies and was available. But the potential interest does highlight just how directionless Leeds seemed to be once they had decided to let Marsch go.