Leeds United have enjoyed a period of relative stability over the last few years. Daniel Farke has been in charge for over two years, and they are back in the Premier League after two seasons in the Championship.
The Leeds owners, the 49ers, also have major plans to grow the club in the next few years, and are eyeing a £1bn valuation by 2030. They have moved forward on their plans to expand Elland Road and have roped in new investors.
Farke’s job is also secure for now, even though he is on a shorter leash in the Premier League. The Leeds bosses have backed him, and the German has shown real commitment towards the club.
However, Leeds’ need to remain in the Premier League means that a run of poor form could trigger panic in the boardroom, leading to the prospect of managerial change at Elland Road.
And the 49ers’ method of bringing in a new manager at Rangers will not fill the Leeds fans with any confidence.
Leeds United should be worried about the way the 49ers have gone about their business at Rangers
The 49ers took majority control of Rangers over the summer, with Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe becoming the vice-chairman at Ibrox.
They brought in Russell Martin as the new Rangers manager, and it went horribly wrong for him, which led to his dismissal last week, with the Scottish giants sitting eighth in the league.
The Rangers board held detailed discussions with Steven Gerrard to convince him to return to Ibrox, where he won the club’s last league title in 2020.
However, the former midfielder declined the move on Saturday, and the club are now back to the drawing board to find a new manager as soon as possible.
The Rangers board have insisted that they will go through a thorough process before appointing a new manager, but the fans are already angry at the way things have gone.
Names such as Kieran McKenna, Gary O’Neill, Michael Carrick and Graham Potter have been touted as managers the Rangers board are considering.
However, a section of the Rangers fans feels that there is a clear lack of direction and thinking at the top level when it comes to hiring managers.
There is a feeling that the Glasgow giants banked on getting Gerrard, but are now clutching at straws once he declined their offer.
We knew Russell Martin was being sacked weeks before we pulled the trigger on that, and yeah it seems like all the eggs were in the Steven Gerrard basket but surely there was a contingency plan.
This suddenly has the feeling of us being in the early stages of these…
— Iain (@IainMitchell17) October 11, 2025
Leeds have reasons to worry
The Whites have made a steady start to life in the Premier League, which has removed the questions around Farke’s future at the club.
However, a poor run of form and some panic in the boardroom could easily usher in a need for a new manager, especially with the 49ers desperate to stay in the Premier League.
The way they have gone about the business of trying to find a new manager at Rangers will not fill any Leeds fan with confidence if the team start performing poorly at any given point this season.
The 49ers have looked clueless since Gerrard declined their offer, and it seems they never had any contingencies in place.
Leeds fans are acutely aware of what happens when the wrong manager is brought in and the long-term damage it could have on the squad and the club.
They have not forgotten the impact Jesse Marsch had on the club when he replaced Marcelo Bielsa in early 2022, which paved the way for their relegation next season.
Leeds supporters will hope that the 49ers learn their lessons from their experience at Rangers and avoid making those mistakes if and when the Whites require a new manager in the future.
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