Neil Warnock the perfect man for Leeds United job

The appointment of Neil Warnock as manager should pay off for Leeds

It didn't take long for Neil Warnock to make an impact at Leeds.

A matter of hours after agreeing to succeed Simon Grayson as manager at Elland Road, Warnock, despite not being in official charge for the game, gave the pre-match and half-time team-talks and helped inspire his new side to a 3-2 comeback win against Doncaster.

It was a show of tremendous spirit from Leeds to turn around a 2-0 deficit against the Championship's bottom side, and it could yet prove to be the turning point in their season.

Whether Warnock's words had a massive effect on the players or not, what is clear is that he is exactly the type of manager Leeds need to have a chance of reaching the Premier League.

That dream may be beyond them this season - although a play-off push is certainly not out of the question - but Warnock is the ideal man to launch a promotion push next year.

His promotion record is unrivalled and Leeds chairman Ken Bates has done well to snap him up now before one of his Championship rivals did.

Warnock was always going to be in demand after his sacking by Queens Park Rangers last month, and he now appears to be at another club which will give him a great chance of adding yet another promotion to his CV.

The 18-month contract he has signed at Elland Road should suit everybody, as it gives both parties the chance to sever ties quickly if the explosive-looking partnership of Warnock and Bates turns sour.

Leeds is a club which always attracts headlines and this has been intensified under Bates' leadership.

Now, with football's 'Mr Marmite' as manager, there will never be a dull moment at Leeds but it is important Bates - if it is possible for him - keeps a low profile and lets Warnock get on with it.

Warnock's record in the Championship with the likes of Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and QPR cannot be questioned so Bates will have to stay in the background and trust his manager.

The pair - perhaps unsurprisingly given the prickly nature of their personalities - have history, as Warnock turned Bates down when he offered him the Chelsea job in 1991, but Bates has clearly recognised the manager with the best chance of taking Leeds up is Warnock.

Their partnership could go spectacularly wrong and there will be fireworks but Warnock and Leeds should be a match that goes hand in hand.

Leeds is a terrific club with great and loyal fans who deserve to be in the Premier League.

Warnock is an experienced manager with a proven record of taking lower league teams where they want to be and, as he put it, has "one big challenge" left in him.

Leeds couldn't have picked a better manager to lead a promotion push and Warnock couldn't have picked a better club so everything ought to be in place for a successful partnership.

The only problem appears to be Bates.

Bates has had a rocky relationship with the Leeds fans

He is loathed by a large number of Leeds fans for a perceived lack of investment and for letting a number of players leave on free transfers, and he must back Warnock in this summer's transfer market to give him a chance of success.

Supporters have seen the likes of Jermaine Beckford, Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson leave on free transfers in recent years, along with captain Jonny Howson relatively cheaply, Kasper Schmeichel in surprising circumstances and Max Gradel in the closing stages of last summer's transfer window.

Fans could be forgiven for worrying about the futures of the likes of Adam Clayton, Aidan White, Tom Lees and Ross McCormack, and one of the first jobs Warnock faces at Elland Road is to seek assurances from Bates none of them will be sold.

Despite all the recent departures, there is still the spine of a very strong team at Leeds which gives Warnock something to build on.

Midfielder Clayton is a terrific player and a real talent who has been the recipient of many man of the match awards this season.

Clayton has been Leeds' main man for much of this season

Alongside Clayton, there is also McCormack, who has been in fantastic goalscoring form this season, Robert Snodgrass, who looks destined to be a top flight player very soon, Andy Lonergan, who has been a successful replacement for Schmeichel, Luciano Becchio, who appears to be finding some form again up front and youngsters like White and Lees who look so impressive.

The loss of Howson to Norwich in January was a real blow but there are still some excellent players at Leeds for Warnock to work with and mould into a promotion-challenging team.

There will be no pressure on him to deliver that this season - although it certainly cannot be ruled out - and his main goal for the remainder of the campaign should be to boost confidence around the club and tighten up the team's defence.

With a bit of backing in the summer, Warnock will be confident a promotion is more than achievable for a club of Leeds' stature next season.

He has certainly made the ideal start with the enthralling victory over Doncaster and his task of waking English football's biggest sleeping giant has now begun.

The Warnock-Bates partnership will produce fireworks and it could all end in tears, but with Warnock's record, it is more likely to be tears of joy for Leeds fans.