Leeds are all but mathematically safe after Saturday’s win over Blackpool, so everyone’s thoughts can now to turn to preparations for the new season in August.
Michael Tonge told the official site that the players won’t be letting up, and hinted that they may need to play well to be sure to be in contention for the first team during the Cellino era. "There isn’t a case of winding down before the end of the season. We have got four big games and we want to get as many points as we can. And the lads will be doing their utmost to be in the gaffer’s plans for next season. "
But it might not be McDermott that the players need to impress, as Cellino has a reputation for wanting to sign players himself, and even to start running the team. He has already taken credit for Luke Murphy’s two goals on Saturday after supposedly asking McDermott to play the midfielder in a slightly different role.
During that chaotic last night of the transfer window Cellino tried to sign no fewer than seven players, only to find that the League wouldn’t sanction any of them as there was nobody at Elland Road to put the paperwork through in time. And it’s likely that he will be looking to replenish the squad once again in the summer, with one possible signing being Brazilian midfielder Danilo Avelar.
And if an influx of foreign players is going to pour into Elland Road, then some of the current under-performing squad will have to go to make way for them, especially as Cellino has been extremely critical of GFH for allowing the wage to spiral up to nearly £20 million a year. A few of the highest earners are out of contract in the summer, but we will have to hope we will be able to sell or loan the remaining players who are out of favour.
McDermott will plan to publish his retained list in the next fortnight, and it’s fair to assume he will take the opportunity to release Jamie Ashdown, Adam Drury, El-Hadji Diouf, Paul Green and Luke Varney, who have either been injured or surplus to requirerments this season. And we have probably seen the last of Jimmy Kebe after his very disappointing loan spell comes to an end.
It’s possible that we might try to turn Jack Butland’s loan spell into a permanent transfer, but that would require a sizeable fee for a keeper Stoke originally signed for £3 million, and in any case Mark Hughes has already has already said he doesn’t want to part with Butland on a permanent basis.
And there is also the question as to whether Leeds will be tempted to cash in on Ross McCormack if any suitably large offers come in during the summer. There have already been reports of renewed interest from several Premiership clubs, and there is no doubt our leading scorer deserves the chance to have a go in the top division after his performances this season, but Cellino will probably be sufficiently ambitious to persuade the Scot to stay for the time being.
As for the other players, the new owner has suggested that he thinks the squad could do better than the results they have achieved this season, so he will give them a chance, but he won’t hesitate to replace any who still don’t perform. Last week he told the Yorkshire Post "We have players who can win,” he said. "They have to show me now what we’re going to do next year. I want them to show me that they’re real players. But I believe that they can be good.”
So the players still under contract will have to impress to remain part of the club’s long-term plans, and the 12 whose current deal expires in the summer of 2015 will know they have work to do if they are to earn an extension to their time at the club.
Cellino’s enthusiasm and his knowledge of players currently in Italy could be a great benefit to the club, but only if McDermott (or any subsequent manager) can accept his rather hands-on approach and not resent it as an unacceptable level of interference. Let’s hope it all turns out for the best.