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Leeds United: Aston Villa boss drops hint on Fabian Delph
Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has hinted that he will consider recalling Fabian Delph from Leeds United when the midfielder’s loan expires in a fortnight’s time.
Leeds face a battle to retain Delph beyond the end of his one-month deal after McLeish admitted he is not yet ready to commit to a longer loan with the Championship side.
United signed their former academy player during the January transfer window and have fielded him in three successive matches against Ipswich Town, Birmingham City and Bristol City.
He is set to remain at Elland Road until after their visit to Portsmouth two weeks’ today but United failed to persuade Villa to extend his loan until the end of the season before last month’s window closed.
The 22-year-old’s emergency deal can run for a maximum of 93 days, and it is understood that Leeds could time the extensions to allow him to feature up to and including their penultimate game of the season, away to Cardiff City on April 21.
But McLeish said: “We haven’t made any plans to extend anything at the moment. We’ll take stock when the month is up and have a look at things again.”
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Former Leeds boss Simon Grayson claimed at the time of Delph’s arrival that the England Under-21 international favoured the option of joining United for the rest of the Championship term, but Villa were reluctant to forego his services for a prolonged period.
Delph last played for Villa in December but was a regular member of McLeish’s match-day squads and Leeds have made full use of him since bringing him back to West Yorkshire.
His departure after seven games would be a blow to United with their Championship play-off hopes in the balance.
Asked if Delph had indicated a desire to remain at Elland Road, McLeish said: “Not as such.
“I heard that he said that in the first few days, but I haven’t spoken to Fabian.
“If he’s playing well he might see there’s an opportunity for him here. We hope he’ll come back at a level where he says to us ‘there’s no way you can leave me out now’.”
* Leeds United’s npower Championship fixture at Middlesbrough scheduled for March 10 has been put back to Sunday, March 11, kick-off 12.15pm. The match will be televised live on the BBC.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 30 comments to this article
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whiteknight1959
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 05:06 PMnothing to do with the manager or our owner if he stops or stays if aston villa want him back that what going to happen that the trouble with loan players ..He came to us to get match fit nothing else . We do the same eg parker
Alan Childs
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:53 AMI posted my comments at the end of the story of the Fans march go have a look White as a Sheet cos you and I seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet as far as Gray and Lorimer are concerned, well the match was bloody awful the team were and Redfearn just looked like a Grayson clone tacticly inept and clueless. The ref didnt help but you cant blame him for all our misgivings on the pitch. I am not a religious man but I will go to church and pray for a miracle if I thought it would do any good. The future well no crystal ball here but you dont need one to know that Redfearn will get the job because he is the cheapest option, Redfearn not for me. Bates wont want a strong manager in he wants subservience someone with no opinion no back bone no voice so the Warnocks Curbishleys Davies Freedmans and I read somewhere Shearer and Keane you have got more chance of knitting fog than manageing our great club ,with that said I hope I am way off the mark but somehow I think not
White As A Sheet
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:58 PMWhat an embarrassing shambles our once proud club has turned into. Keep your fingers crossed that Bates pops his clogs pronto. I'm sure he's alraedy got his dream team lined up to manage and coach the club. Peter Lorimer as Manager, and Eddie Gray as Coach. They will both be playing, but only 45 minutes for Lash. Eddie will handle the half-time team-talk, as Lash will be off to the East Stand to fill his gut with pop and nosh a few pies. So Uncle Albert has arranged for Larry to come back on loan and play in the 2nd half - "a very exciting acquisition". Anybody buying a season ticket for 2015-16 season before tomorrow will get the chance to clean Larry, Eddie and Lashs's boots. You will also have the chance to sup the dregs from Lash's pint glasses (if there's out left), and as a bonus you will receive a framed Pukka Pie tray signed by KB, Lash and the lads. All for the meagre price of 5000 squid ! Get this b@$#@%d Bates out of our club, and he can take his b%tt%m boys Lash and Eddie with him ! & Delph ! MOT, LEEDS ! LEEDS ! LEEDS !
Idlewhite
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:54 PMGod help us if Fabian Delph returns to Villa he was the best man on the field today
dd12311
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:13 PMredfern out
dd12311
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:01 PMshambles ken sort it out asap ur a mug
steven742
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 02:45 PMkoppite, it was you and your best mate that sack the poor man!
original koppite
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 01:29 PMHad SG still been with us the chances of getting and keeping loans would have been better because SG has spent the last 25 years building relationships with top players and managers whereas NR has been playing with the likes of Scarboro and other basement clubs.
steven742
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:59 PMdoes this amount to bullying what we are doing to our great chairman?
steven742
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:57 PMat one point the FA have to put a cap on it otherwise it will just get silly!
Bluesman
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:37 PMTell Mc Leish to take him back. Wont get any better with current policy at Leeds! Who would ever have believed it?
Bluesman
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:34 PMloan out Bates - to who?
maidonian
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:22 PMDon't see the point of this article. McLeish hints that he will recall Delph when his loan period expires in two weeks time. Well, that was the arrangement wasn't it? If you fill the squad with loan players you have to live with the consequences.
docsmith
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:14 PMHe could always sell the programmes from the toilet! Bosman has a lot to answer for. I expect when he was fighting for his "workers rights" he didn't expect the mess he was going to create with no footballer showing any kind of loyalty to their football club and no football club being able to create a team of legends unless they are paying way to much money to keep their so called stars!! I think they call this progress!!
Liam123
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:05 PMThat's what happens when you get a player, looking for match fitness, in on loan for a month. They get match fit and go back. Why is anybody surprised?
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