David Hockaday has been fired by Leeds United, the club has now confirmed.

After just 70 days and four league games in charge, Hockaday will depart Elland Road and be remembered as probably the most bizarre appointment in the club’s history.

Hockaday’s only previous experience of the top job came at Forest Green Rovers where he failed miserably with the Conference side leading them to the brink of relegation in two of his three seasons, avoiding it once on nothing more than a technicality.

His dismissal will bolster cries for someone of a higher calibre to be handed the reigns, for Leeds United is a club like few others. As the only representation of England’s third largest city in professional football, Leeds possess a fanbase which stretches to all corners of the globe, the interest generated by which is both a blessing and a curse.

For Massimo Cellino, it was probably the main reason he wanted to own Leeds United in the first place, but as owner, he must now recognise that the person he hires to lead this club will be under more pressure and scrutiny than anything he witnessed at Cagliari.

And to deal with that, it takes a big character. Call him the ‘head coach’ or ‘manager’ or whatever you like, he’s still the focal point of media and fan attention, the person who’ll be expected to answer for results both good and bad, the man required to pick his players up when they’re taking criticism from every corner of the globe, while simultaneously dealing with concerns of the fans and trying to stave off the inevitable mental breakdown being called ‘tactically inept’ by fat, middle-aged blokes in replica shirts leads to.

There’s an understandable learning curve for Massimo, most of which is a simple case of scaling-up on what he did at Cagliari. In terms of the man leading the first team, we need to scale-up dramatically and find someone who can control what is otherwise a destructive and self-consuming beast in Leeds United Football Club.

Reacting to the mistakes of pre-season when we lost to Millwall on opening day, Massimo showed he’d learnt quickly and understood what needed to be done. In reacting to what was unquestionably a mistake hiring David Hockaday, the Leeds United owner now needs to find someone who the players, fans and media believe can take the club forward – because at Leeds United, that’s often half the battle.

So long Hock. We’ll always have that glorious first half v Accrington.