Ken Bates today announced that Neil Redfearn will have at least the next three games to prove himself suitable for the Leeds United job.

Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, the Leeds United chairman said the club has been inundated with applications but won’t be rushed into making a decision.

Applicants ranging from “the cheeky to outlandish” was how Bates described some of the list, referring to an 11-year-old boy who thinks he has what it takes and the 2010 Playstation Manager Of The Year.

Also revealed to be amongst the applicants is former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson who Bates insisted “won’t be coming” to Elland Road.

Revealing Eriksson as one of the applicants seems totally at odds with Ken Bates policy of doing business in private. It also seems bizarre for any football club to reject a highly successful and clearly qualified manager without so much as an interview first. Deciding to humiliate him publicly instead, must be off-putting to other potential candidates?

Regardless of whether or not Sven Goran Eriksson is the right man for the job – and to be clear, I’m not saying he is – he’s a vastly experienced manager with all the right qualifications. His wage demands may be a little high, but if he’s serious about the job then that’s something the club could discuss at an interview. I’d propose offering a small wage to big name managers with a huge bonus if they get promotion. If they’re serious about the job and believe they can get Leeds United promoted, they’d have nothing to lose.

Ken Bates went on to add;

“We don’t want an instant miracle maker, although the fans think it’s a good idea, but you rarely find one. It has to be someone who wants to come here for the right reasons.

This could be in reference to Neil Warnock, a manager most fans consider to be the best choice for the job. The general opinion of Warnock is that he’d get Leeds United promoted but would struggle in the Premier League.

News of Redfearn’s three additional games has been met with widespread disapproval but it’s a relatively easy run we have ahead of us with faltering Brighton up next followed by bottom placed Coventry City and relegation battling Doncaster Rovers, so it does give the club a couple of weeks to properly assess the options and try to make the right long-term choice.

It would also be wrong to dismiss Neil Redfearn’s suitability without giving him a fair shot. He’s done well with the youth team, seems to be well-respected by the players and every manager has to start somewhere. Kevin Blackwell was an uninspiring choice as manager, but he did take Leeds to the play-off final. David O’Leary also started his management career at Elland Road, as did Don Revie.