Dave Hockaday’s tenure as Leeds United manager could prove to be a short one, with reports suggesting Massimo Cellino is set to wield the axe.
The summer appointment of the 56-year-old was a huge surprise for many, considering his past experience came in the non-league with Forest Green Rovers. And those who doubted his ability to coach the club, still thought to be amongst the biggest in the country, will have seen little in the opening weeks of the campaign to change their minds.
Despite narrowly beating Middlesbrough in their second match of the season, they have lost their other three fixtures with their latest loss, a 4-1 hammering at Watford, being their heaviest yet. This result leaves them just four places above the relegation zone, and although it is still early days, the writing appears to already be on the wall for Hockaday.
The travelling support at Vicarage Road voiced their concerns over their manager, but more significantly, report in his homeland claim Cellino is set to yield the axe. Yet this comes days after the Italian defended this summer appointment, claiming: “He doesn’t have the players he needs to do what he wants. I would like to blame Hockaday – that would be the easy thing to do and might make me feel better – but the truth is he just doesn’t have the players.”
Freelance journalist Simon Austin, who provided the above quote, claimed on Sunday afternoon that Cellino wanted to sleep on things before making any decisions. Whether Hockaday was able to sleep at all on Saturday evening is another matter altogether.
Leeds fans – is it already time to get rid of Hockaday? Or is now the time to stand by him and provide some stability to the club? Share your opinions by joining the discussion below!
