Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino to rule over Neil Redfearn future and blasts state of club

Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has refused to give manager Neil Redfearn any guarantees over his future.

Redfearn became the third permanent manager of the season when appointed in November 2014 but has lost 15 of his 33 games in charge with The Whites having spent much of the season languishing in the bottom half.

Former assistant Steve Thompson's dismissal in April sparked uncertainty over Redfearn's future, with the Yorkshire-born boss claiming he could leave Leeds come the end of his contract, which expires at the end of the campaign.

And though Cellino is impressed with Redfearn, he will assess his ability to win promotion back to the Premier League in the summer before deciding whether to retain the 49-year-old.

"I am in love with Neil and I don't want to talk to anyone else about the job," he told Simon Austin. "I have always believed in him and I gave him his big chance. I made sure he had a clause guaranteeing he would pick the team because I don't want a coach I control.

"If my coach is working in the right direction I will treat him better than anyone else in the world. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and I don't want to have this. But I need to decide whether Neil is best for the club and can lead us back to the Premier League."

Cellino has returned from being barred from having any operational influence at Leeds by the Football Association, after being sanctioned following a charge from the Italian courts relating to tax evasion.

Chairman Andrew Umbers has been in charge in Cellino's absence and with so much to do behind the scenes ahead of the new season, the Italian is aghast as the state of the club.

"Nothing has been sorted out and instead there is just s**t," the Leeds chief added. "When I left, everyone was looking after their own skin rather than what was good for the club. Everything needs sorting out for next season – the sponsors, ground, lights, even pre-season.

"They told me we were booked for the pre-season. Then I find out the Liverpool under-17s are booked at the same place and there is only one training pitch. Amateurs. We also need a head of press, a head of the academy, a sporting director, a club secretary. This is unbelievable and quite scary. Andrew Umbers is a nice man, but this is hopeless."