Can Rosler last the season ?

[NottinghamWhite]

A good piece here from thescratchingshed.com

The Championship is a notoriously fickle league, often seeing multiple management changes in any given month. Last season alone for example, there were 23 changes of management. To most neutrals (and many of our own fans), it’ll come as no surprise to see Leeds United featuring high on that list.

The unstable management situation can be attributed to Massimo Cellino’s erratic personality, but that’s not the whole story. The changes at Elland Road are also partly a result of unrealistic fan expectations paying little consideration to the capabilities of our team. As with any Leeds United manager, only by winning a majority of games will fans be satisfied with Uwe Rösler’s performance, but if you look at Betfair Sport’s betting odds (a useful barometer of how the neutrals see things) for our opening game against Burnley, we’re already considered underdogs on home turf.

Burnley are expected to be one of the stronger teams of course and a lot can change between now and then, but Leeds really aren’t fancied for the current season and given Rösler’s only real chance of satisfying owner and fans is by reaching the top six, does he really stand a fair chance?

Going back to Simon Grayson, a man criminally scapegoated by Ken Bates for finishing 7th our first season back in the Championship (despite Bates providing nowhere near enough to improve the squad, all while selling key players) Leeds have been expecting managers to produce the extraordinary without providing them the tools to do so.

What football statistics need is some kind of weighted handicapping system to show the true value of a manager because the resources available to each given club dramatically alters what can realistically be expected of them. Man City or Chelsea winning the Premier League for example is always going to be a great achievement, but given the players and cash they have, it’s also expected. Would it be anywhere near as impressive as Leicester City or Bournemouth finishing in the top six? Of course it wouldn’t.

The difference of course, is that Bournemouth and Leicester City fans don’t expect to finish in the top six. Leicester will be hoping for a more comfortable season of mid-table obscurity while Bournemouth would happily take 17th. Their fans’ expectations are realistic because they’re broadly in-line with that of the neutrals. Meet or exceed those expectations and their respective managers will be safe and congratulated.

For Uwe Rösler however, he faces the unenviable task of trying to please an owner and fanbase who’ll only be satisfied with the Championship’s top six, despite the odds showing little faith in an improvement on last season’s finish. That disparity between expectation of neutrals and expectation of fanbase exists at some other clubs too, but rarely is it as wide as it is at Leeds.

At this moment in time, before Rösler has taken charge of his first game, it’s easy for me to say that 12th should be considered realistic and a fair performance, worthy of him keeping his job considering what’s available to him. But I can’t guarantee I’ll feel that way by the end of September because Leeds United have been too many years outside the Premiership and my patience has long since been exhausted. It’s for that reason, Uwe Rösler has the worst job in world football and if he’s to survive a full season at this club, he’ll have to perform above and beyond what neutrals would consider realistic.

[Selby White]

For me we should be aiming for the top ten as minmum target this season as part of our progress on the playing field. However i'm hoping (with pre-season optimism) for a play off spot and i think thats where we will need to be for him to keep the job.

[NottinghamWhite]

Rosler has to be given a full season in my opinion. He has a good football brain & proved at Brentford that he can work with dare I say players with limited careers but can obviously create a decent team spirit. If Pearson has any say he will stick up for Rosler if the season doesn't start well. Given Hockaday was in charge at the start of last season then I have to feel more optimistic this year. Cellinio do us all a favour & let the people you are employing do their jobs without interference.

[dlw10]

I can't believe anything other than Cellino will quickly sack Uwe if we have a bad run - a few defeats in the early games would do it I reckon.

[Mr Russell]

I can't believe anything other than Cellino will quickly sack Uwe if we have a bad run - a few defeats in the early games would do it I reckon.

Sad but true, I really hope he gets a good shot at been given the whole season but Cellino's unpredictable nature and the fans expectations will make it hard for it to happen.

[Sniffer]

How long a contract has Rosler got? I know it's not something that has stopped MC in the past but it would be his money he'd be wasting if he did sack him early on. I'm quietly optimistic and think Uwe will go on to be a top coach/manager. Hopefully it will be with us.

[Deleted User 1022]

How long a contract has Rosler got? I know it's not something that has stopped MC in the past but it would be his money he'd be wasting if he did sack him early on. I'm quietly optimistic and think Uwe will go on to be a top coach/manager. Hopefully it will be with us.

Sadly we have the manager eater in charge so i doubt Uwe would last more than his current contract even if successful, Cellino still wouldnt want someone else taking the limelight away from him...... Does a leopard change its spots? Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Lets wait and see

[SiMamu]

Rosler signed a two year contract until 2017.

[Sniffer]

Rosler signed a two year contract until 2017.

Thanks for that, Si.

[Deleted User 1076]

I'd call it a victory if he lasts three months.