Five contenders still in the frame to become Leeds boss

Leeds’ search for Jesse Marsch’s successor has reached its second week with candidates dropping out of the race left, right and centre.

The Elland Road club are working tirelessly to secure a new boss but have so far failed to find their man, with Under-21s coach Michael Skubala poised to take charge of Saturday's crucial clash against Everton.

Former Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder was recently snubbed by the Whites despite talks taking place, after Carlos Corberan, Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola all ruled themselves out of contention.

We look at the names Leeds could now turn to in their battle against relegation.

Nuno Espirito Santo

Nuno Espirito Santo’s last managerial role in England ended on a sour note as he lasted only 17 matches in charge of Tottenham after a largely successful four-year spell at Wolves.

The current Al-Ittihad boss held talks over returning to Molineux earlier this season and is now being named as one of the frontrunners to take over in West Yorkshire.

Criticism for ultra-defensive tactics plagued his time in North London and it remains to be seen whether the Elland Road crowd would take to it.

A pragmatic approach could be exactly what the 17th-placed side need in their fight against relegation, though.

Steven Gerrard

Another who is looking for redemption in the English top flight, Steven Gerrard is now being strongly linked with the post.

The Liverpool legend’s only Premier League role lasted just 12 months at Aston Villa despite lofty expectations following his title-winning tenure in charge of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

A serial winner as a player, Gerrard will no doubt want to put things right in a new role but Whites chiefs may feel placing the 42-year-old in charge of their relegation scrap is not worth the risk.

The potential arrival of trusted assistant and former Elland Road favourite Gary McAllister would no doubt be a sweetener to get the supporters on side from the off.

Gerardo Martino

Former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino is a new candidate to emerge.

An experienced operator having spent time in charge of Argentina and Mexico, the 60-year-old would be an intriguing choice having never previously managed in England.

The Argentine is a free agent after leaving El Tri following their group-stage finish at the Qatar World Cup, though convincing the high-pressing coach to join the Whites mid-season could prove to be an obstacle.

Ange Postecoglou

Celtic coach Ange Postecoglou’s reputation continues to grow north of the border, earning plenty of praise for his brand of free-flowing and attacking football — which would certainly go down well at Leeds.

The 57-year-old Aussie remains an outside contender at this stage and recently insisted he was ignoring any speculation linking him with the Premier League job, though stopped short of ruling himself out.

Addressing the headlines, Postecoglou said: "I get the excitement round things like that. 

"If I had a player in a similar boat I'd just tell him, 'Keep playing your football and don't worry about anything else, all those kinds of things are just noise'."

Michael Skubala

With an interim coach until the end of the season looking increasingly likely, who better to turn to than the man currently steering the ship?

U-21s coach Skubala assumed first-team duties after Marsch departed and has overseen a draw and a defeat in a double-header against bitter rivals Manchester United.

Leeds earned plenty of plaudits in those games — particularly the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford — and a strong result against the Toffees may just clinch the Englishman the role longer term.