Forget It Leeds – This Former Newcastle Manager Is Not The Right Man To Lead The Club

Why Leeds Should Not Consider Alan Pardew To Take Over As Manager

Former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka still holds his place at the top of the betting market to take over as the next Leeds United manager. However, ex-Newcastle and Crystal Palace manger Alan Pardew has also been linked with the job.

It’s hard to say whether the competition is worse for the clubs or for those looking to land jobs, with Crystal Palace, Hull City, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sunderland all on the lookout for new managers. Pardew has been out of a job since being sacked by Crystal Palace last December and was replaced by Sam Allardyce, who himself has now decided to retire.

Would Pardew be a good choice for the Elland Road hot seat though? Such an appointment would certainly divide opinion. The negatives are many and maybe it’s best to address those first.

Spells at Newcastle and Crystal Palace meant a points-per-game record of just 1.37, something that in a 46-game Championship season would barely lead to a mid-table finish. His departure from Newcastle, despite 1485 days in charge and 184 matches in the dugout, was long in the making. It was relatively acrimonious and was well received by Toon fans.

Leeds have tried and failed in the past to bring managers in from the south of the country, perhaps because the attitude is just intrinsically different around West Yorkshire compared to the south east and this would be another worry. Pardew has managed four clubs from in and around London plus one on the south coast, with his time at Newcastle being the anomaly.

His conceited attitude and brashness is not something that will go down well at Elland Road, nor would his more direct style of football. Is he all bad though? There are chinks of light in his profile. His spells in the EFL with Reading and Southampton at various levels brought him a points-per-game ratio of 1.8 which would give a side some sort of a chance at promotion.

Despite his own claims that he should be the England manager, his record overall though is just not good enough, considering that he has had the resources available to him to do well. Pardew seems to have short term impacts at clubs but ultimately cannot call his managerial career a great success.

Leeds is a massive club and one that really should be at the top level. Alan Pardew will not help them get there next year.