Leeds United caretaker boss Neil Redfearn has to hit ground running

By James Grayson (Twitter: @jamesAgrayson)

Neil Warnock was fed up, Leeds United supporters had seen enough so the time was right for the two parties to part company. But while some rejoice in Warnock’s departure, the fact remains that caretaker manager Neil Redfearn needs to hit the ground running.

Leeds are looking over their shoulders. Third-bottom Huddersfield Town are only five points from the Whites and the final six games are far from easy. Relegation is a small possibility.

Now only four or five more points would probably be enough to secure safety so it is not a major panic at this stage. A win at Charlton on Saturday would almost certainly do the job. Redfearn needs the reaction he got from the players when he took caretaker charge at Bristol City last year. Leeds won that game 3-0.

This time around he leads a Leeds team that cannot win away from home so the odds are stacked against him. One bonus is that every single Leeds supporter will back the team. There will be no ‘Warnock time to go’ chants. All the focus is on the United performance.

The players who Warnock brought to the club are grafters and they need to show that and get a win for the manager who has just left.

Warnock leaves with many regrets, but he can look back on some memorable wins. League Cup wins over Everton and Southampton to his greatest triumph of beating Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.

But he has gone and Redfearn is left to pick up the pieces and he needs the backing of everything – the board, the fans and most importantly the players.