Andrea Radrizzani chaired his first press conference today as the new co-owner of Leeds United.

The tone was markedly different from the arrival of Massimo Cellino, a much shorter sit-down with few lofty promises and not a single cig break. None of which was a bad thing.

On management style

Perhaps the most notable difference between Cellino and Radrizzani is management style. Most will be struggling to forgot Massimo’s whirlwind arrival and insistence that he be hands-on with every aspect of the club, famously remarking that he’d be the one “mowing the pitch”. Radrizzani meanwhile was quick to draw a distinction, noting that he’ll be looking to delegate responsibility to Leeds United’s staff and management team, who he praised and commented were good people. He also noted that he’d be looking to bring in some of his own people as Massimo prepares for a lengthy ban.

On Garry Monk

No surprise that Garry Monk received a lot of praise from the new co-owner. Not much news on an extended contract for the Leeds boss, just to say he was very confident they could reach a deal, but Radrizzani once again appeared to conflict with Massimo Cellino’s style when it comes to identifying and signing targets. While he’s stuck to same “one or two” new players line that the whole club has been repeating, he did state it’d be Garry Monk who’ll identify and bring in those players.

Cellino made a big deal of him being the one who identifies and recruits players upon his arrival and the results, for the most part, were poor. Cellino nevertheless maintained his belief that he should be the manager and the person leading the first team should only perform the duties of an head coach. There’s been a clear shift in that stance since the arrival of Garry Monk however, who’s clearly been able to identify and bring in his own players, most notably Pablo Hernandez (who he once played alongside at Swansea) and Kyle Bartley.

On how long he’s been here

Garry Monk’s extended powers have been one of the key differences this season, but suggestions someone else was influencing things behind the scenes were also fuelled by what’s appeared to be, a fairly hands-off, Massimo Cellino. Radrizzani confirmed he’d been working with Cellino since May of last year and that he’d been kept abreast of all key decisions throughout. While not going as far as to suggest he was the one making all of the decisions, the club has functioned in a calm and professional manner not seen since Adam Pearson’s involvement. Take for example the dodgy start under Garry Monk. Previous managers have failed to survive better starts than he did, so I’m sure there was a point at which Monk was under pressure and a conversation between our now co-owners took place.

I’m not a big fan of Cellino, but with the right partner to talk him off a cliff when he’s about to make emotional decisions and do something reckless, we could do (and have done) a lot worse. If this is to remain a 50/50 split, I could probably make my peace with it. Although I might not have to…

On full ownership

Practically confirming what’s been rumoured for some time, Radrizzani said “we’ll see in the summer” in response to questions about taking full ownership of Leeds United. The sticking point for Massimo in selling the club was undoubtedly the potential for it to increase exponentially in value should Leeds United achieve promotion this season. Whether a deal hinges on us going up or stay down is impossible to say, but the price will surely be affected by it.

Other quotes

Radrizzani on Elland Road – “On the agenda is for sure to evaluate the opportunity to buy back the stadium.” (link)

Radrizzani on feeling our pain last night (v Derby County) – “The last 60 seconds were never-ending!” (link)

Radrizzani on our crumbling mess of infrastructure – “This club is old in terms of facilities and services. There is a lot to do. It’s a big challenge.” (link)

And finally, Massimo Cellino on the ‘corruption in football’ sting – “Last time I spoke with press there was beautiful journalist but she was hiding a camera. You don’t need to do that today” (link)