"He's an insider and very, very knowledgeable. Now there's an item that has not often been on Leeds' boardroom list recently.
"Birch masterminded Chelsea's escape from a position in many ways similar to that of Leeds. But it wasn't necessarily in persuading Roman Abramovich to pour roubles on troubled waters that Chelsea owed most to Birch.
"More impressive was his skill in hiding the extent of Chelsea's owings, reputed to be about £120m, after they too failed to reach the Champions League.
"Birch needs every trick in his book of financial wizardry, a Zidane of the balance sheet, to pull Leeds round.
"It is said, and rightly, that the most important man at any football club is the manager.
"At Elland Road, Birch has to become the exception to the rule. Nothing on the field matches the necessity to rescue the club financially."