David Prutton has suggested that he would pick between Daniel Farke and Scott Parker for Leeds United’s next manager, with the pair having an edge over Patrick Vieira.
Prutton was speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post as Leeds continue their search for Sam Allardyce’s successor.
Fans will be hoping that the search is in its home straight now. The new Championship season is looming and many of the Whites’ rivals are already strengthening ahead of the campaign.
Prutton would choose between Farke and Parker for Leeds manager’s job
The Daily Mail reported last week that Daniel Farke is now the leading candidate to take the Leeds job. But Scott Parker and Patrick Vieira have also been on the shortlist.
Vieira seemed to do a decent job during his time with Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Parker’s tenure at Bournemouth ended in humiliating circumstances. He has also since had a brief, unsuccessful stint with Club Brugge in Belgium.
Nevertheless, Prutton suggested that he would pick between the two men who have previously clinched promotion out of the Championship.
“Scott’s done it with two separate sides and then you look at what Daniel has done so I would have it as neck and neck between those two because they’ve done it,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I’m not judging it on anything other than what I’ve seen with my own eyes and what I’ve seen in real time with regards to that. Patrick had a relatively longish delve in the current climate of Premier League football as a manager. Scott did a great job in the Championship and then it went slightly awry in the Premier League. The same with Daniel Farke.
“But what you need now and what Leeds need is best in class for what they need for the job and the job is promotion.
“Out of the three of them, for me, in relatively recent seasons in the Championship, it would be neck and neck with Farke and Parker.”
Vieira does have the advantage over the two men when it comes to being a Premier League manager. But Prutton is right to note that Farke and Parker have had real success in the second tier.
We have been spoiled with more than three-and-a-half years of Marcelo Bielsa. So it is no surprise that names such as Scott Parker leave supporters underwhelmed.
But what is important is that Leeds find someone who can not only potentially secure promotion, but can also re-establish the club in the top-flight if we get there.
Promotion is pretty meaningless if we end up continually returning the following year.
What you would say for Farke is that he was never able to splash the cash in the Premier League. Meanwhile, the Fulham side which went down under Parker included the likes of Alphonse Areola, Joachim Andersen, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
So it would arguably be a bigger gamble to turn to the Englishman when you turn one eye to what Leeds may do if they manage to secure promotion.
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