Reid though laughs off these suggestions.
He his however, thoroughly enjoying the tough and exciting new challenge of reviving Leeds' fortunes.
Reid told The Sun: “I enjoyed some great times up at Sunderland, none better than when we finished in seventh place in the Premiership.
“Maybe seven-and-a-half years is too long at one club yet all the talk about me being stale was never the case.
“It was simply frustration because I couldn’t change it around like I wanted to.”
He added: “I had a good innings there and I will always look back on that spell with a great deal of affection.
“Sure, I wouldn’t have chosen the way it all ended but I’m certainly not going to criticise anybody up there over our parting of the ways. I had known for a while that a number of the fans had had enough of me.
“And even I could take the hint when a few of them threw cans of lager over me.
“When you don’t carry the total support of your crowd, that builds up pressure on yourself and the players.
“So there was only one way that it was all going to end.
“That break between leaving Sunderland and going to Leeds was maybe just what I needed because it gave me the chance to recharge my batteries.
“But for me, it’s certainly not a case of getting a fresh enthusiasm for management.
“I never ever lost that desire or passion for the game.”
Since taking over from Terry Venables, Reid has lost only four out of 12 league games.The fans can see Reid has instilled the passion and commitment they demand from any player who puts on the famous white shirt.
Now Reid is eagerly getting into the task of restructuring the club both from a financial and a footballing point of view along with chairman Professor John McKenzie.
He says: “Despite all the money problems, I still have the kind of options here that I didn’t have at Sunderland.
“What I’ve done so far is to bring in eight players for nothing, and that has bought me 12 vital months.
“Hopefully, come next summer the finances of this club will be such that I will be able to go out and spend a bit.”
Reid has signed Jody Morris on a free from Chelsea plus seven others on loan.
Lamine Sakho, Salomon Olembe and Cyril Chapuis have moved in from Marseille while Zoumana Camara has joined from Lens, Didier Domi from Paris St Germain and World Cup winner Roque Junior has just been hired from AC Milan.
Those six are on season-long loans while England U-21 ace Jermaine Pennant is on a two-month loan from Arsenal.
Reid said: “If those lads do well, there will be a lot of pressure for us to buy them. And I think we would owe it to the fans to try to do just that.
“What I am attempting to build here is a solid foundation for a successful future.”