Former Leeds United defender Michael Duberry has urged the club to stick by manager Brian McDermott.

The 52-year-old's future at Elland Road has been called into question recently, with his side having lost five of their previous six Championship encounters.

Massimo Cellino, who has appealed the Football League's decision to block his takeover of the Yorkshire outfit, is believed to have identified his own management team should his application be successful.

However, 38-year-old Duberry, who joined Leeds from Chelsea in 1999 and spent six years with the club, believes that McDermott should be given the opportunity to improve the team's fortunes.

"He's good at his job. He knows how to get a team promoted, which he showed with Reading. That alone must have been one of the major reasons why he was hired [by Leeds]. He signed for three years, but he's got to be allowed to get on with his job. He is still the right man," Duberry told Sports Mole.

"It's hard to judge him because of all the goings on behind the scenes. If he got sacked tomorrow, he would probably find that a bit unjust. How can he manage the team to the best of his ability when he has so many different things to manage?"

Leeds are currently 15th in the table with eight matches left to play.