Former Leeds United forward Andy Ritchie thinks the club are looking for managers from the lower divisions as someone of Rafael Benitez’s stature would never put up with the whims of Whites owner Massimo Cellino.
The Yorkshire giants are yet to offer Steve Evans a new deal despite the Scot guiding the club to a 13th-place finish in the 2015/16 campaign.
Leeds were heavily linked with Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke, who signed a three-year extension with the newly promoted League One outfit yesterday, while another of the club’s managerial targets, John Sheridan, left Oldham Athletic for Notts County.
On the other hand, Benitez put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with Newcastle earlier in the week despite failing to help the Magpies avoid relegation from the Premier League.
And Ritchie feels the reason why Leeds are trying to find Evans’ successor from the lower leagues is because they could never appoint someone of Benitez’s stature as Cellino interfers in strict footballing matters, something a top-notch manger would never tolerate.
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“Newcastle United have obviously signed up Rafa Benitez as their head coach for the next three years but from an outsider looking in, would you think that Rafa Benitez would be anywhere near Leeds United as it stands at the minute?” he wrote in his column in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I think we all know that the owner has a big say in who plays and what the team is, that’s how I feel anyway and that’s how it looks on the outside looking in.
“And do you think Benitez would have anything to do with that?
“I think that’s why they are having to look for these people in the lower divisions and that’s no disrespect to anyone else linked with the job.”
