Whilst I've no problem with our club parading the great and good from the world of Yorkshire Cricket, Leeds Rhino's and our Boxing Champions, I feel our unstinting support should be behind one man who understandably is feeling a little miffed at the moment.

Brian McDermott will face one of his old clubs on Saturday in Huddersfield Town and will it be his final appearance in the home dug-out?

McDermott gave an emotion charged post-match interview after last nights' draw with Ipswich where he stated that no manager should have to go through what he has been this past week.

Once again, the clubs' immediate future is hamstrung by the protracted battle for ownership of Elland Road. McDermott's personal preference, the bid he publically backed last month in the form of Sports Capital fronted by long-term GFH employee David Haigh and Andrew Flowers of Enterprise Insurance appears to have disintegrated before his and our own very eyes.

It seemed the safest bet to be fair. Although we can read too much in the old "lifelong Leeds fan" tag, Haigh has largely been a good thing for Leeds and if anything deserves to be credited with repairing reactions with fans and the community disenchanted by eight years of Ken Bates.

Now it looks like the cosy little partnership between Haigh and Flowers seems dead in the water? Last night Flowers launched a withering attack on GFH, effectively Haigh's employers and accused them of renegding on the deal to sell the club to Sports Capital. It is understood that during the exclusivity due-diligence period, there were a few issues that emerged which prompted SC to offer reevaluate their original offer and value the club at a lesser amount.

Apparently GFH have refused and with the exclusivity ended, they have welcomed interest from other parties. One is believed to be a consortium led by Mike Farlan, an ex Manchester United employee. You may recall that Lucas Radebe was said to be the public face of this group last October which is also rumoured to feature our former chief executive Adam Pearson. You will also recall this is the mob who apparently offered a derisory £7m for the club. It is understood they now might make a second offer however whether or not this is more credible than their opening gambit remains to be seen?

However the most media prolific interest has come from current Caligari owner Massimo Cellino. Even Andrew Flowers describes the madcap 57-year-old former suitor of West Ham as the "prosective preferred bidder". Worrying for Leeds fans, the Florida based Sardinian was arrested last year following allegationsof embezzlement and false representation over the rebuilding of Caligari's stadium. As far as managers go, no wonder McDermott must have felt nervous as Cellino makes even Ken Bates look a paragon of patience as Cellino has handed the Latin equivalent of a P45 to no less than 36 managers in just 20 years.

Even more disturbing for McDermott were the rumours that Cellino had lined up former AC Milan coach Massimo Allegri as his replacement. Then there are the stories that Cellino has lined up Julio Caesar as Paddy Kenny's replacement and striker Daniele Cacia of Verona is on his way to the club suggesting Cellino is very much a "hands on" chairman where it comes even to picking the team!

No wonder poor Brian looked and sounded irritable and drained after picking up our first point since Blackpool on Boxing Day. I will admit there is a growing band of fans who have questioned his judgement of late.

I must admit I was surprised to see the portly figure of El Hadji Diouf restored to the side following Luke Varney's bizarre decision to withdraw ahead of an impending move to Blackburn, even more strange McDermott's decision to sanction this (the Leeds boss was noticeably prickly when BBC Radio Leeds Adam Pope dared suggest Varney could have been forced to play). McDermott's signings have come under scrutiny too, Noel Hunt the less said the better, Scott Wootton and Luke Murphy our first £1m players in seven/eight years currently warming the bench. The admittedly woeful Jimmy Kebe, on last nights showing at least and McDermott's decision not to spare him a prolonged public humiliation by refusing to sub him.

However I still have a lot of time in the likeable Leeds manager and what the club needs now is stability and the continued rebuilding of the club, not a temperamental Sardinian circus clown rolling into town with the likely outcome of mass signings, coaching changes and the inevitable boom and bust.

Until now, Andrew Flowers has very much been a quiet man but I cannot get these words out of my head, Flowers argued of Cellino: “We are convinced this will not be in the interests of the club, the manager, the players or the fans.

“We must ask the question whether the prospective preferred bidder understands anything about the culture of Leeds United, its fans, its heritage or British football.”

In Brian we trust.

Photo: Action Images

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