Sunday, 19th October, 2014
Neil Redfearn has insisted that all is well between himself and Leeds United manager Darko Milanic.
The Whites' academy boss filled in as senior manager on a caretaker basis before Milanic arrived and led the side to three wins and one draw in his four Championship games in charge.
It has been consistently suggested that Redfearn will join Milanic in the dugout for Leeds games to offer the benefit of his experience, however he has yet to do so, raising some eyebrows.
But Redfearn insists there is no issue and he has spoken with Milanic, with the pair coming to the conclusion that his work load is too heavy with the academy and its youth teams.
"The most important thing is that I've got a real, real big job on with the academy. With the advent of this EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) there's a lot of bases that we've got to cover and a lot of things we have to tie in – it's time consuming", Redfearn explained to the BBC.
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"Obviously the Under-21 group it gets bigger and diminishes with first team players dropping into it when there's a first team game coming on. And there's always on a day a match day and when the group need to train", he continued.
"So it's important that these lads have got that continuity with a senior coach with them.
"It's an important role that I've got and he [Milanic] understands that. I talk to him after every Under-21 game, I tell him the players that have done well, who needs pushing on, who needs to play, who needs to be around his squad, who would benefit his squad. Then he takes that information and does what he feels is right, which is as it should be.
"There's no problems. It's as it should be."
Leeds are still waiting for their first win under Milanic, going down to a 2-1 defeat away at Rotherham on Friday evening at the New York Stadium.
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