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Leeds United: ‘I’ll go back to future if I don’t get the job’ - Redfearn
PROMISING: Charlie Taylor takes on Crystal Palaces England Under-21 international Wilfried Zaha.
Neil Redfearn insisted today that he would resume work at Leeds United’s academy without complaint if the club chose not to name him as their next manager.
Redfearn denied that his position at Thorp Arch might be complicated or threatened by a spell as United’s caretaker boss and said he was ready to revert back to the job of reserve and under-18s coach should a new boss arrive before the end of the season.
Leeds have given Redfearn four Championship matches to stake a claim for the manager’s job, and he made a positive start to his temporary reign with a 3-0 win at Bristol City last weekend.
He will coach United’s first team through a further three fixtures in what chairman Ken Bates said was a chance to “prove he’s the man for the job” but Leeds have received numerous applications, with former Chelsea defender Albert Ferrer the latest candidate reported to have put his name forward.
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Redfearn is a popular figure at Elland Road, however, and has been credited with the improved productivity of United’s academy since Leeds moved to reorganise their youth-team set-up towards the end of 2010.
Asked if an external appointment to the manager’s job at Leeds could cast doubt over his future, Redfearn said: “The thing that’s been said to me is that if it isn’t me I’ll be back doing my under-18s and reserve-team job. I haven’t got a problem with that.
“It’s a fantastic club and a great place to work and there are a lot of good people here. They’re all very genuine and they all want this club to do well.”
Redfearn has managed United’s under-18s since 2009 and he took on the task of coaching their reserves 18 months later after Leeds sacked former academy manager Neil Thompson. The under-18 squad are fourth in their Premier Academy League this season after 17 games.
With Redfearn occupied by the management of the club’s senior team, control of their under-18s has passed to former Leeds United Ladies boss Rick Passmoor.
Redfearn said: “Rick’s taking the under-18s and working closely with Chris Sulley, the academy manager.
“It’s important that the young lads progressing because they’re having a great season.
“We were second in the table not that long ago and we’ve got games left. Three or four of the lads are starting to come through and that’s vital for the club because we don’t want to lose them as assets.
“Your young players are the future and if you look at the senior team that’s taking to the field just now, it’s a young side. They can only get better.”
The club’s revamp of their academy in 2010 came with the under-18s stranded at the bottom of their league and concern growing about the flow of players from the youth team into the first-team squad.
Since then, senior contracts have been handed to Charlie Taylor, Alex Cairns and twins Lewis and Nathan Turner, and Redfearn expects another group of youngsters to follow in the near future. We’ve worked hard this season and the youngsters have been brilliant, absolutely outstanding,” he said.
“We’ve gone from looking at the group and thinking we might be struggling to get any of them through to looking at the group and thinking we’ve got three or four definites.
“I haven’t left them. I’ve been in contact and they’re part of this club. I genuinely believe that your young players are your future. If you can keep them and develop them then the club has to be better off.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 21 comments to this article
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Takeover2011
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 09:06 PMMick McCarthy wod be a fab manager for us. Out of the managers available I wanted Souness or dave jones but if big mick became available he would be my first choice.
whitewolf
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 04:36 AMneil...if your going back to the future bring bates,harvey,gray and lorimer with you and leave them there...what about the year 5m bc...thank you...you can stay there too.
LeedsBulldog
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 08:27 PMWell done Redfearn you fitted in with how we played today PERFECTLY - seeing as you had NO passion for the game OR the eleven LAZY players on the pitch who ALL looked like they had been on the p7ss the night before. heres a few questions for you mr Redfearn - WHY wont ANY of our players tackle anybody ? WHY wont they win the ball back when they lose it? WHY is lonergan the "captain" when he NEVER directs ANY player? WHY didnt you fire these players up for the game? WHY wasnt our sub used earlier - instead of the dying seconds? WHY oh WHY did the bearded snake install YOU instead of someone who knows how to manage a team? Brighton were Sh7t today redfearn - what does that say about OUR team?? Thanks for showing ya face Redfearn - you can fock off now mate!!!
apollo111
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 07:28 PMSorry to say I was not too disppointed with the defeat as it scuppers KB's plans to install Redfearn on the cheap - now he has to act on recruiting a top class manager who will take no nonsense from these lazy players. Sad I know to be writing these things but there is absolutely no way Redfearn can now be given the job permanently. Would be better off having the Venkeys at Elland Road, at least they come to the games once in a while.
horseoutside
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 07:23 PMIt sounds like the Leeds Ladies manager is next in line now then.
WhiteMagic
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 07:17 PMwhy did he put subs on...just for the sake of it? Or was he trying to win it? A 1-1 draw would have been ok against a club on the same points as us prior to the game! Back tactics under pressure! Not good!
Idlewhite
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:48 PMCannot blame Neil Redfearn for today's result the Referee Salisbury should have given a penalty when McCormack was fouled in the penalty area,Brighton's number six also fouled Becchio in the penalty area and dived and laid himself out as though he was injured the cheating waste of space the referee was whistle happy,the same refereed the Barnsley game ought to be struck off the list and sacked.Same old lack of marking by us we give too many goals away,the next manager needs to tighten up the defence as the last 3 years we have conceded far too many goals,cannot see promotion this season.
WhiteMagic
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:47 PMAnyone starting to wish we still had SG here still? I do!
revtheone
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:22 PMsame old rubbish today, no change from sgs way of playing . bring on a new man pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee
StevieDee
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:19 PMHaha, that's where we went wrong, tactics were based on having at least one man advantage! On that basis let's blame the referee. Keep Redfearn, all hail Ken, saviour of Leeds United.
mccarthy
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 05:57 PMi hate to be called negative simpley because facts are hard to digest. the man my heart bleeds for is neil redfearn, poor sod, had to play against 11 men today, now that calls for top management like sending subs on with only minutes left. LETS FACE IT WE ARE NOT GOING UP SO LETS GET A NEW MAN IN QUICK TO START LOOKING AT WHAT WE NEED NEXT SEASON. BY THE WAY TODAY HULL CITY 3 BRISTOL O JUST TO LET YOU KNOW HULL BEAT 11 BRISTOL PLAYERS SORRY ABOUT THE NEGATIVITY
dd12311
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 05:52 PMKen ur like fk in clueless clown fix up bates ur a soggy warrior
dd12311
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 05:51 PMRedfearn out
Gogol
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 05:31 PMAfter today's game that's Redfearn out of a job. Who's next?
cav
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 05:30 PMThat why all the players are shouting for Redfern, bunch of bottlers the lot of them..
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