O'Leary leaves

Terry Venables Is On Leeds Shortlist
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El Tel for Leeds? (Allsport)
06/30/2002. Terry Venables has emerged as a surprise candidate for the vacant managerial position at Leeds United.

The former England boss is on a shortlist drawn up by the club to replace David O'Leary who was sacked earlier this week.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale told the News of the World, "I have always been an admirer of Terry Venables as a coach and he is on my list. I have arranged a meeting over the weekend. Once we have set out our target then I will start immediately to try and get him."

Venables took over Middlesbrough on a temporary basis during the 2000-1 season and helped them avoid relegation, however he has been working as a TV pundit of late during the World Cup.

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Venables May Not Accept Leeds Job Says George Graham
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Venables is the only man confirmed as being on Leeds' shortlist (Allsport)
06/30/2002. Former Leeds manager George Graham believes that Terry Venables would turn down the vacant position at Elland Road if he was offered it.

Graham, who quit Leeds for Spurs in 1998, feels that Venables would not take the job despite chairman Peter Ridsdale admitting that the former England coach was on his shortlist, but states that Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy would accept.

He said, "Terry had a short spell at Middlesbrough where he did very well. I don't think he wants to leave London on a permanent basis. He has a very good contract with ITV. But Terry loves a challenge and is full of surprises. Mick would be very keen to get back into club management for financial reasons alone. The Leeds job would be very tempting."

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i've heard that parma wanted o'leary as their next coach but they have already denied the rumor...hmm...very interesting...here is the story...

Parma deny O¡¦Leary rumour Tuesday 2 July, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Italian giants Parma have rubbished reports in England that they are lining up David O¡¦Leary as their next Coach.

The Irishman, sacked by Leeds United last week, was said to be a contender for the Tardini post according to the ¡¥Sun¡¦.

However, a club spokesman has denied that O¡¦Leary will soon be on his way to Italy.

"O¡¦Leary is a very good Coach," he said. "But we are concentrating on the new season ahead with our new boss Cesare Prandelli (pictured)."

The report in the tabloid newspaper suggested that O¡¦Leary could be in line for the Gialloblu after impressing in Europe against Italian sides such as Roma, Milan and Lazio in recent seasons.

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Leeds Talk Is `Speculation` Says O'Neill
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The plot thickens! (Allsport)
07/02/2002. Martin O'Neill has broken his silence over the rumours linking him to the vacant managerial position at Leeds, calling it `speculation`.

The Celtic boss returned to pre-season training at the SPL Champions today, and was quick to put the record straight over the reports.

He told the club's official web site, "I have had a chat with our chief executive Ian McLeod about a number of things, and I understand from him that there has been no approach from Leeds, or any other club for that matter, so the speculation continues to be simply that. We have just completed the first day of training and I am back to work with the staff and players. We are all looking forward to the start of the season and our Champions League qualification tie."

Hiddink Asks To Be Suggested For Leeds Job
News Archive

Where next for Hiddink? (Allsport)
07/03/2002. Reports are suggesting that South Korean World Cup coach Guus Hiddink has asked to be considered for the vacant managerial position at Leeds United.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has said that the Dutchman has approached Leeds over the position, despite allegedly agreeing to take over at PSV next week.

The Dutch side maintain that Hiddink will still take over as spokesman Pedro Salazar-Hewitt said, "We are waiting for Guus Hiddink to return home so we can talk to him about the possibility of becoming our new coach. We don't expect him to be back before Friday because of the celebrations in Korea. Our club approached him before the World Cup and we are confident he will sign."

Hiddink guided the unfancied South Koreans to the World Cup semi finals on home territory last month.

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Trapottoni Distances Himself From Leeds Job Stating That He'll Continue With Italy
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Trapattoni is staying with Italy (Allsport)
07/04/2002. Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni has distanced himself from the vacant managerial position at Leeds United, claiming that he would rather remain in national management.

The enigmatic former coach of Juventus, Milan and Inter, had been linked with the job at Leeds in the English media, however a move now looks increasing unlikely.

He said, "Probably I have made mistakes. But I am willing to continue (with Italy) because I don't feel like saying that I am leaving."

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OMG!!! trap??

Leeds United Deny Holding Talks With Venables
News Archive

Venables hasn't been approached (Allsport)
07/04/2002. Leeds United have denied speculation that former England coach Terry Venables has been interviewed for the vacant manager's job at Elland Road.

According to Leeds' official website an alledged meeting between Venables and chairman Peter Ridsdale is not true and nor is claims they have been snubbed by South Korea's PSV bound coach Guus Hiddink.

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Thursday, July 4, 2002
Leeds deny Venables rumours
By Chris Borg and Ian McGarry

Leeds United have denied speculation that they have interviewed former England boss Terry Venables about the vacant manager's job.

Hiddink: Leeds link
(BrianBahr/Allsport)
A club statement refuted reports that Venables had met Elland Road officials - and chairman Peter Ridsdale said the board was still in talks over who would succeed the sacked David O'Leary.

Leeds have also refuted claims that they had been snubbed by former South Korea coach Guus Hiddink, who looks set to join PSV Eindhoven.

Ridsdale said: 'I have been talking to board members again and we will continue to make sure we get the best possible candidate for the football club.'

The Venables speculation came amid reports that Hiddink was poised to end talk about his future and honour an agreement to sign a three-year contract with PSV.

It was claimed that Venables, who last worked at club level with Middlesbrough in 2000/2001, had met Ridsdale earlier this week. The chairman has already declared that he is an admirer of Venables' managerial abilities.

Meanwhile, Hiddink is set to be given one last chance to agree to listen to an offer from Leeds - but a return to his homeland would satisfy the Dutchman's professional and personal life.

Martin O'Neill, who topped Leeds' original wish-list, slipped even further out of the equation after it emerged that Celtic had offered him a new contract with improved personal terms and an enhanced transfer budget.

It is understood that a three-year deal with immediate effect was put on the table which would take O'Neill's earnings at Celtic close to £2million a season.

O'Neill, who is famously cautious in all business dealings, stalled on accepting Celtic's offer, believing it had been made merely in response to speculation about the Leeds job.

However, the delay gives Elland Road chairman Peter Ridsdale little cause for optimism since O'Neill has already rejected Leeds' overtures and their offer of a five-year contract worth £10m - preferring instead to see out the last year of his contract in Glasgow.

Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy is the only remaining name on Ridsdale's original list of three candidates and remains the most viable option.

Ridsdale, who is coming under mounting pressure from supporters disillusioned by recent events, claimed that the club's thinking has been influenced by the emergence of new names.

Among them are believed to be former Inter Milan and Blackburn boss Roy Hodgson and Bryan Robson, while others, such as John Gregory, Graeme Souness and Steve McClaren, have also been put forward by intermediaries.

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No Leeds Approach For McClaren Means Business As Usual Says Middlesbrough
News Archive

Steve McClaren is the latest name to be linked with the Leeds job (Allsport)
07/07/2002. Middlesbrough have stated that they have received no approach from Leeds United regarding boss Steve McClaren.

The former Manchester United number two has been hotly linked with the vacant managerial position at Elland Road, however Boro are quick to pour cold water on the media speculation.

Chief executive Keith Lamb told BBC Online, "As Steve said to me, it is business as usual. We've just signed two players and are preparing to sign two more."

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has also denied making any move for McClaren as he added, "I can say unequivocally that I have had no contact whatsoever withSteve McClaren. Reports that I have are unfair on Middlesbrough and Leeds United. We have identified who we want to bring in and I would be very surprised if we don't have him in place within the two week time frame we were working towards when David O'Leary was sacked."

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Sunday, July 7, 2002
O'Leary dreams of Leeds return

David O'Leary admits he harbours a dream to return to Leeds as manager one day.

O'Leary: Would return
(StuForster/Allsport)
The Irishman, sacked by the club almost two weeks ago, also believes Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is the best man for the vacant hotseat at Elland Road, but will come under severe pressure if he fails to deliver any silverware.

O'Leary wrote in his Sunday People column: 'I have some unfinished business at Leeds, and my dream is that I can go back to Elland Road as manager one day.

'If that sounds crazy, then people don't understand just how much Leeds meant - and still means - to me.

'I haven't said goodbye to the Leeds fans because I hope, under different circumstances, I'll come back.

'My time there was fantastic, an incredible adventure, a real rollercoaster ride.

'I have been hurt by my sacking, of course I have. I'm a manager, someone with deep-rooted football instincts who loves the game and I've been professionally wounded.

'My pride has taken a knock. Getting the sack from the job you love is never easy, especially if you have never been given the bullet before.

'And I've been stung too, by the suggestions that dressing room unrest wasbehind my sacking.

'I had a good relationship with the players, but any manager will tell youwhen you are trying to improve a squad you'll always fall out with people who aren't in the team. Some can be sour but others are fine.'

O'Leary is convinced the club could have won a trophy last season had it not been for the court case hanging over two of his players, Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate.

He added: 'My only regret is that circumstances on and off the pitch conspired against us and prevented us winning the Premiership in the past two seasons.

'We could have done and given the wonderful Leeds fans the trophy they crave and deserve.'

O'Leary is in no doubt that O'Neill has the best CV of the managers linked with the United job, but warned him the expectation levels will be sky-high.

'If Martin O'Neill is the new man - and I told him if he ever gets the chance to manage Leeds he has to take it - he'll really have to deliver.

'Clearly, he'll have to do better than me. I thought I did more than okay under the circumstances of horrendous off-field problems at the club, but if my record is going to get the sack then the next guy in had better have some record!'

O'Leary also restated his desire to one day manage the Republic of Ireland, though not as his next move.

'Long-term, I'd like to manage my country. International management appeals to me, but probably later in my career,' O'Leary said.

He revealed he had received a message of support from striker Robbie Fowler from his holiday base in America.

'He kindly told me he had come to the club because of me and my ambition and he said it was the right thing to do to speak out about wanting to keep Rio Ferdinand.

'He said both he and Rio came because of what we were building at Leeds and he felt it wouldn't send out good signals if we sold our best players.'

onefootball

Sunday, July 7, 2002
Boro deny approach as Leeds target McClaren

Leeds United and Middlesbrough today insisted there had been no contact between the clubs following reports that Steve McClaren is set to become manager at Elland Road.

McClaren: Wanted man
(MichaelSteele/Allsport)
There is a growing feeling on Teesside that Sven-Goran Eriksson's hugely-ambitious lieutenant could be ready to leave the club just 13 months into a five-year contract.

The Yorkshireman is away on holiday with his family in Spain after briefly returning to Boro from his World Cup exertions, and there were few indications that anything was in the offing as he headed off.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale moved to scotch reports that the club have secured the services of McClaren.

Ridsdale confirmed that Leeds had identified their target but had not approached the Boro boss.

'I can say unequivocally I have had no contact whatsoever with Steve McClaren,' said the Leeds chairman, who revealed they expected to announce the new manager by Thursday.

'Reports that I have are unfair on Middlesbrough and Leeds United.

'We have identified who we want to bring in and I would be very surprised if we don't have him in place within the two-week time frame we were working towards when David O'Leary was sacked,' he told Sky Sports News.

McClaren's agent Colin Gordon was adamant that there had been no contact with Leeds, but went little further.

'There has been no contact between Leeds and Steven,' he said. 'Steven hasn't spoken to Leeds.

'He's on holiday with his family at the moment having a well-earned break.'

And Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb also insisted no talks had taken place.

He told BBC Sport Online: 'As Steve said to me, it is business as usual.

'We've just signed two players and are preparing to sign two more.

'This is just pure speculation. We have had no approach from Leeds United and neither has Steve McLaren.'

Leeds United Supporters' Club chairman Ray Fell was also quick to play down reports of McClaren's supposed imminent arrival at Elland Road.

'The board have been meeting over the last week but I don't believe anyone has been approached,' he said.

'At one stage we were led to believe by media speculation that Martin O'Neill was already in our pocket but I am convinced so far there has been no public move.

'I wonder if there is a grey area with the applications and there might be someone we have not yet mentioned.

'Just let us get it right.'

McClaren's pedigree means that he will inevitably be linked with high profile jobs despite his relative lack of experience as a manager.

He arrived at Boro last June having served as number two to both Jim Smith at Derby and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United with a proven track record as a coach.

However, after a tough start to his management career - Boro lost their first four games under his guidance - he rallied to lead them through a satisfactory campaign in which they finished 12th in the Premiership and were unfortunate to go down by the only goal in their FA Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal.

The Teessiders are understandably keen to hang on to a man who arrived with a five-year plan and has managed to pull off the first phase of his blueprint.

It is understood that McClaren, having engineered significant reductions in both the club's wage bill and age profile, has been disappointed with the club's transfer activity to date.

Boro broke their club record transfer fee last week when they paid Empoli ?.15million for striker Massimo Maccarone, who is due to be unveiled at a press conference tomorrow afternoon.

But that so far represents the only addition to the player list since Franck Queudrue made his loan move permanent, and there is a growing suspicion that there is more than meets the eye to the Teessiders' proposed swoop for Brazilian World Cup winner Juninho.

The Atletico Madrid player is a favourite of chairman Steve Gibson and is not thought to have been on the summer shopping list McClaren drew up before heading for the Far East.

Former boss Bryan Robson was less than keen to have the 29-year-old back on loan two seasons ago and decided not to take up an option to buy him afterwards, although he remains hugely popular with the fans and if the evidence of his displays at the World Cup is anything to go by, has regained much of the form he showed during his first spell in England.

The cynics will suggest that Boro's latest bid to bring him back to the Premiership may be designed to off-set the disappointment of losing one of the domestic game's up and coming managers, but the fans may have to wait until McClaren returns from holiday next Monday to learn his fate.

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David O'Leary Linked With Juventus Position
News Archive

O'Leary for Juve? (Allsport)
07/20/2002. Sacked Leeds United boss David O'Leary is being linked with Serie A champions Juventus.

Reports from the UK state that the Irishman, sacked a month ago by Leeds, is wanted by Juve boss Marcello Lippi as his assistant for the next twelve months.

The Mail & Independent both say that O'Leary has been approached by Lippi and is currently considering the offer.

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