Cellinos way the right way?

We all know how modern football is run, rich men using football clubs as their play things. Whilst the average fan may place a long odds accumulator for their thrills and spills the millionaires and billionaires of today buy football clubs. They gamble their fortunes on success and silverware. Massimo Cellino is no different, Leeds are his play thing, his chance at honours and fame. So why, if really he is just the same as all these other billionaire foreign owners has he attracted so much attention?

Former Leeds players, ex professionals, pundits and journalists have all had their say on Cellino but what is it about him that gains so much attention? Are his methods so different? Let’s get one thing out of the way to begin with, he’s a bit dodgy. There is no denying that, there are so many other dodgy owners of football clubs it hardly seems worth mentioning, so let’s not even take that into consideration. That debate has been done and will continue to be done elsewhere.

Cellino’s style is based around a more continental structure, with Nicola Salerno acting as sporting director scouting and signing the players and a head coach managing the team on a day to day basis, training and tactics etc. Some would say though that Cellino’s system is more autocratic, that he meddles in every detail, no matter how big or small from top to bottom. And this seems to be the issue that people take.

Ex player Ian Harte was critical of Cellino in Bournemouth’s matchday programme ahead of our game. He bemoaned Cellino’s appointment of Hockday as feeling like he was just a puppet on a string, criticised his lack of investment in the squad and the way he had implemented redundancies at the club. Redundancies are always a difficult one, especially regarding loyal employees but Cellino has made a significant investment purchasing Leeds and to that extent he needs to do what is required to put the club on an even keel.

Players who have left Elland Road more recently have also been critical of Cellino’s ways with Ross McCormack and Lee Peltier firing parting shots as the new owner. Their new clubs relative positions in the table, Fulham 22nd and Huddersfield 18th, show that the grass is not always greener on the other side and that there is some merit to Cellino’s methods after all. Academy manager Neil Redfearn has recently said the new management style can work and it’s looking hard to argue against. A system where promising young English talent is brought through the academy to play with young European imports seems to be working out ok.

Perhaps those in the footballing establishment who hit out at Cellino are just afraid of what his methods mean. In a time when footballers wages are astronomical and transfer fees sky high Cellino has invested well and bought some quality players for comparably little money. I have no doubt if similarly valued English players were available he would have gone for them but the fact is the fees for English players are inflated. Cellinos system proves you do not have to spend millions or pay players and managers millions to put together a decent squad. Perhaps those who are so critical are just looking after the status quo?

Darko Milanic may not be setting the world on fire so far, still searching for his first win but the players brought in have shown me enough to suggest that they can achieve playing the right system and formation. After all under Redders we got the results. I think Cellinos ways of working can bring us success, we just need that final piece of the jigsaw.