M.I.A - The missing recruitment drive

With Leeds set to end the season with the future of the head coach being questioned, it's not looking like we have it all together when it comes to infrastructure.
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The players are waiting to receive texts that include; who will be their head coach, diet plans for preseason, when to report back to Thorp Arch and whether they should come back or just find a new club.

The club are in dire need of organisation and structure from above and without that, the situation is only going to get worse.

We are currently without an academy manager, youth coaches, chief scouts, scouts and most importantly the head coach is clueless as to what's going on with his job.

The man in charge of recruitment is formerly a furniture salesman from Miami and if rumours are true, he has more to do in the club than most of the coaching staff.

It's a far cry from what we had last summer when Adam Pearson joined the club and with him came a real head of recruitment, a club secretary, an academy director previously famed for improving Leeds in the 90's and other members of staff. These additions made the club look not only organised, but actually professional for once.

We eventually became the laughing stock again when Pearson left and with him went the head coach, head of recruitment and eventually academy boss Paul Hart quit his role falsely citing 'personal reasons'.

If any club is to be successful,they need to start with the foundation. We need a full backroom staff of experienced coaches to aid the head coach in selecting the correct team and improving the players performance.

We also need a secondary goalkeeping coach who can assist Neil Sullivan in improving the emerging talents Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Will Huffer and Eric Grimes.

We need a head of recruitment who's experience is more than just flogging Cellino's wife a nice leather number. A man who knows the ins and outs of the English leagues and can find emerging talent that is able to improve our squad from head to toe.

We need at least two or three scouts who can work under him and find us players that are out of the box, who can give us something no-one has ever seen before.

If Cellino is still hell bent on buying Italian knock-offs, then sign an Italian scout and let him report to the head of recruitment about who can be a successful signing. No-one needs another Edgar Cani.

We are in desperate need of another Academy Director who can take the pressures of a large academy of talented players. Leeds have some of the best emerging talents in England and they need to be nurtured by a professional who cares, not an Italian owner who hates them because Man City stole one of their teammates.

We need someone to replace Adam Pearson as Executive Director. The club looked to have more stability when some of the decisions were taken out of Cellino's hands.

Finally, we need to keep Steve Evans at the club. I was never a fan of Evans and when he took over at the club I was appalled at Cellino's decision.

However, it may be the only decision Cellino has got right. The Scot has turned the club's performances around and clearly has passion for the role. The players have warmed to him and many are calling for him to be kept on in his role.

I for one think with a full backroom staff and more free reign to make his own additions, Evans can deliver on his promise of a promotion challenging season, at least until December when he's sacked.

By Ryan Ingham