Gus Poyet has said that he still meets Leeds United fans who want him to return to the club after his previous tenure as assistant manager.
Speaking to Football League World on Saturday (3 February), the Uruguayan revealed that he and former manager Dennis Wise had a “good, close relationship” with the Whites fans after taking over the club in a “very difficult, unique situation” in October 2006.
He said that the two oversaw some “incredible moments” at Elland Road during the club’s inaugural season in League One before deciding to join Tottenham as a first-team coach in November 2007.
“It was not really a nice welcome,” Poyet added. “There was a sense of ‘Who are these two?’. But, after all the chaos of administration and all that transpired in the first six, seven months, I believe everyone recognized who we were.
“I still encounter Leeds United fans who want me to return because we had a good, intimate relationship in a really challenging, unique scenario. We went into administration, League One, and began the season with -15 points.
“I hope this is the last time in my life that I win the first five league games but have zero points. We went for six or seven in a succession. In League One, we began to remove thousands from their homes. Impossible! That streak included some amazing triumphs. Away at Nottingham Forest. “There were some incredible moments.”
Unlikely
The fans will not remember Poyet’s stint at Leeds fondly because it was one of the club’s darkest moments in history.
While it wasn’t necessarily his or Wise’s fault, they will be remembered for overseeing the club’s relegation from the Championship to League One.
After leaving Elland Road in November 2007, Wise was fired just a few months later due to a string of poor performances.
Poyet is exceedingly unlikely to return to the club, as the fans would prefer not to be reminded of those times.
They are now looking for happier days ahead, with Daniel Farke’s side well-positioned to challenge for automatic promotion and an immediate return to the Premier League this season.
