Monday, 22nd September, 2014
Former Manchester United first team coach Phil Neville has blasted Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino for his impending appointment of Darko Milanic as the club's new boss.
Cellino is handing Milanic, who is arriving from Austrian club Sturm Graz, a two-year contract at Elland Road, with instructions to lead the Whites up to the Premier League.
Milanic will inherit a team in fine form, having won three and drawn one of their last four games under caretaker boss Neil Redfearn and fresh off a 3-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
And Neville believes the fact that Redfearn is not being handed the job on a permanent basis is nothing short of a "disgrace".
"He deserves the job to be fair", Neville told BBC Radio 5 live, referring to Redfearn.
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"I think it's a disgrace that they've gone to Slovenia, Leeds United, and brought back a lad, Milanic; I've never heard of him.
"They've got somebody with the quality and the experience [in Redfearn], and who knows what the club's all about, and if they are a club that want to bring through their own players…well this lad's been doing it for the last however many number of years", the former Manchester United coach continued.
"It just seems a stupid appointment to me."
Milanic's most notable achievement in management is leading NK Maribor to four Slovenian titles.
The 46-year-old is also bringing his assistant from Sturm Graz with him to Elland Road, while Redfearn moves back to his job with the club's academy.
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