Leeds United take on Nottingham Forest on Sunday as Daniel Farke shares a touchline with Sean Dyche. But had Leeds taken Jamie Carragher’s advice, Dyche might have been in the away dugout.
Sunday sees a clash between two sides with plenty of shared history. European Cup winners, managed by Brian Clough to different capacities, and more recently, rivals for promotion and avoiding relegation.
Forest have now established themselves as a Premier League club and thanks to Nuno Espirito Santo, find themselves in the Europa League this season. Domestically, however, they remain in the relegation zone.
Leeds are slightly ahead of Forest, who have improved since the appointment of Sean Dyche as boss. A win against Porto and a comeback draw against Man United came either side of a loss at Bournemouth.
Sean Dyche during Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - Premier League
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Jamie Carragher suggested Sean Dyche for Leeds United job
It is February 2023 and Leeds have just decided to sack Jesse Marsch after a 1-0 defeat against Forest, at the City Ground. A dismal second half saw fans turn on Marsch, going from aggrieved to rather toxic.
Dyche had just taken the Everton job, a couple of weeks prior. Leeds fans had been calling for Marsch’s head even before the World Cup break at the end of 2022, but a win against Liverpool saved the gaffer.
Typically, a few weeks down the line, Marsch was sacked. Andrea Radrizzani admits sticking with Marsch was a mistake and in his Telegraph column, Carragher suggested Dyche would have been a good fit.
“If Leeds can find a coach who will prevent them from giving away so many goals, they will have a good chance of survival. In some respects, Dyche would have been a strong candidate to replace Marsch.”
Sean Dyche during his Everton stint.
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Sean Dyche’s stock has risen while Leeds were relegated
The decision to stick with Marsch saw Leeds relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season. A couple of wins under Javi Gracia gave Leeds fans hope but the damage had already been done under the American.
While Leeds have had to spend a couple of years recovering in the Championship and now looking to re-establish themselves, Dyche’s stock has risen. A solid stint at Everton, Dyche now faces Leeds on Sunday.
Dyche’s record against Leeds:
Games Wins Draws Losses GS GA CS
14 6 3 5 14 15 4
Tony Pulis has already predicted a Forest win on Sunday, with Leeds losing four of their five away games in the Premier League. It will be a tough test for a Leeds side that suffered a 3-0 hammering at Brighton.