Leeds United have reportedly drawn up a shortlist to finally fill their managerial void, and could opt for one man in an attempt to secure immediate promotion…
What's the latest on Scott Parker to Leeds United?
The names are touted by The Guardian, who outline the three main options that the 49ers seem to have settled on.
With Carlos Corberan still in a job, the opportunity to freely appoint either Scott Parker or Daniel Farke seems far easier and much more likely. After all, the financial burden that relegation poses can prove catastrophic.
Should it be a shootout between these two latter managers, it could be argued that the Englishman has the edge in terms of pedigree, style and prior promotion success. Therefore, despite his reported preference for the Leicester City job, he must be prioritised.
Is Scott Parker better than Daniel Farke?
Although both have overseen two promotions from the Championship into the Premier League, it could be argued that the former AFC Bournemouth boss' exploits would be preferred for the west Yorkshire outfit, given he completed such a feat with two different clubs.
His ability to enter a dressing room and instantly win them over is different from Farke, who clearly cultivated an atmosphere over many years at Norwich City.
Not only this but when comparing their respective figures at this level, Parker's points-per-match average of 1.84 actually slightly outperforms the 1.82 of his competition.
To further emphasise the 42-year-old's success at this level, his teams have scored 138 times during his 92 games within the Championship, losing only 19.
His work at Craven Cottage in particular even drew praise from pundit Gary Neville, who spoke on his podcast about what allowed this young coach to thrive:
"When I was finishing off my pro license, one of the coaching educators I was working with was Roy Hodgson, and he specifically mentioned that Scott Parker was an outstanding student in the pro license cohort at the time, and that always stuck on my mind.
"He’s someone who doesn’t get coaches wrong. You can see now, no panic, the reality is that what he’s doing at this moment in time is special because it goes against everything".
Although susceptible in the top flight, having been sacked from both his two jobs where he earned promotion, Farke is conversely the not-so-proud owner of a torrid record: he was the first manager to lose 15 consecutive matches in the English top flight.
Despite their similarities, it is the solidity that Parker offers that further cements him as the outstanding option. His 4-3-3 shape allows them to defend staunchly but then build up meticulously in attack, as opposed to the unpredictable all-action of Farke.
Given its success in the past, the 49ers could do much worse than the former West Ham United midfield maestro to take up the spot in their dugout.