Leeds to move quickly to appoint new-boss after Staunton goes.
Steve Staunton has paid the price for Gary McAllister's sacking.
The Leeds legend, who was shown the door on Sunday morning has quickly been followed by his assistant.
To be quite honest, I felt Staunton was utterly clueless, he was a failure as the Ireland boss
Neil Thompson and Andy Beasley are currently holding the fort at Thorp Arch, as the whites' try and limber up for the visit of leaders Leicester on Boxing Day.
However it seems certain that Leeds will have a new-man in the dug-out when the Foxes roll in to LS11 on Friday.
The smart-money, as expected, is on Gus Poyet making a sensational return to ER - just over a year after he left to take the number two post at Tottenham.
Obviously such a move would divide the fans bitterly. Many will be understandably sour that Poyet walked out to take a job which in the interim seemed to be little more than Juande Ramos's interpreter.
However there is no denying that Poyet is an excellent coach and many other fans would point to his influence on the side at the beginning of 2007/08 season when Leeds clawed back the 15 point deduction.
However Bates. the original anti-Santa could surprise us all. Aidy Boothroyd would be a popular choice with his connections with Yorkshire and he once was on the Elland Road coaching staff very briefly under Kevin Blackwell.
Other names that have been mentioned include Simon Grayson, who started his career at Leeds as a youngster and has done a solid job as Blackpool boss and erm..........Darren Ferguson!