Leeds United fans cannot knock Massimo Cellino "too much", former Whites star Andy Ritchie believes, crediting the Italian for his part in the Whites sitting inside the Championship playoff spots and claiming he "resurrected" the club.
Potentially the beginning of the end of the Cellino era at Elland Road unfolded earlier this week as the Whites owner sold 50 per cent of the club to Andrea Radrizzani; Radrizzani is claimed to have an option to purchase the remaining 50 per cent in the summer.
Cellino has been dogged by controversy throughout his time as Leeds owner, which started in 2014, as he has suffered bans, sacked head coaches and been involved in spats with broadcaster Sky Sports.
A significant section of Leeds fans have also turned decisively against Cellino, with a 'Time To Go Massimo' protest group being set up.
But Ritchie believes Cellino deserves a big slice of the credit pie for how Leeds are doing at present and the shape they are in. He wrote in his column for the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Massimo Cellino deserves credit for where has got Leeds to and you can’t knock him too much.
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"I know it has been a rocky road along the way and he hasn’t really endeared himself to the fans of late.
"But the club could have gone out of business before he came in.
"He resurrected the club, he bought it and he has built a steady foundation and you have got to say that the man that is coming in has seen that", Ritchie continued.
"Otherwise it wouldn’t have happened."
However, Ritchie does believe Cellino often quickly changing head coaches has undermined stability at Elland Road.
"Not everyone has agreed with what Cellino has done and I have said that many times – more on the footballing front in the way that he has brought in, but then got rid of head coaches.
"I have not agreed with that and not purely just because I have been in that situation myself but I think the stability of the club going forward and the work ethic of the football club is hampered by that."
Cellino opted to let Steve Evans go as head coach in the summer, bringing in former Swansea City boss Garry Monk after being knocked back by Karl Robinson and Darrell Clarke.
