Darko Milanic: Leeds United’s Six-Game Sideshow
On September 23, 2014, we appointed Darko Milanic as manager on a two-year deal, with him becoming the first Slovenian to manage in English football.
I wasn’t particularly enamoured but was willing to give him a chance at a time when quite a few ‘out-of-the-box’ managers were springing surprises. Having joined from Austrian club Sturm Graz, Milanic brought his assistant manager, Novica Nikcevic with him.
At the time, his tenure of 32 days in charge of Leeds was the shortest in our history, with him lasting just six games – zero wins, three draws and three defeats.
The system that Milanic seemed to prefer was 4-2-3-1, though I seem to remember that we had very little identity under him and I quickly became frustrated – as did many of our fans at the time.
Following his sacking (along with his assistant), Milanic returned to Slovenia to manage NK Maribor.
Milanic Matches – What Went Wrong?
Our first match under Milanic, was a 2-0 away defeat by Brentford in which we appeared to lack all over, though especially in the centre of midfield. We could not impose a clear identity, and often looked disjointed. After half-time we improved slightly, though we looked blunt in attack and were susceptbilbe on the counter.
We played Reading next under Milanic, though this was a game described as “devoid of any meaningful decisions” in a fixture that finished goalless. While we were defensively more organised, or too cautious, we lacked ideas in attack and Chris Wood’s late, long-range effort was our only decent opportunity.
Next up was a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday and it was largely more of the same. An equalising goal from a set-piece courtesy of centre-back, Guiseppe Bellusci earned us a point and it seemed clear that Milanic was focused on being effective from set-pieces.
Despite taking the lead away against Rotherham United through striker Mirko Antenucci, we then sat back and allowed them to dictate possession – much to fans’ annoyance. Even following their equaliser, Milanic seemed happy to play for a draw which drastically backfired as we succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Darko Milanič |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
| Managerial Period | September, 2014 – October, 2014 (32 days) |
| Total Matches Managed | 6 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Draws | 0 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Goals For | 5 |
| Goals Against | 9 |
| Reason for Departure | Poor results; no wins in 6 games; club struggled near relegation zone in Championship |
| Notable | Shortest permanent Leeds manager tenure in club history, beating 44-day records of Brian Clough and Jock Stein |
| Background | Successful domestic and European coach with Maribor and Sturm Graz before Leeds appointment |
Our 1-1 draw at Norwich simply lacked spark, though there was a focus on defensive shape which largely held its discipline. Despite this, Milanic appeared reluctant to allow us to focus on attack and the game was drab throughout.
Against Wolves at home in what would be the final game that Milanic was in charge for, we took the lead and then, once again, sat back. This backfired in the second half as the away side struck two late goals.
Stagnant Tactics
Throughout his time in charge of us, it was clear that Milanic was tactically naive and lacked any kind of knowledge when it came to knowing how to coach attacking football.
A lack of cohesion throughout the team meant that we were often criticised for not having any identity and, at times, our performances under him were reminiscent of a Sunday League side.
Ultimately, a combination lack of bravery and knowledge in terms of his attacking ambition proved costly for Milanic and he was dismissed after a zero percent win record.