Leeds United

[Dave]

 

 

[Lucas]

Things should hopefully start to accelerate now that Radrizani's deal to save Sampdoria has been agreed in principle tonight.

Sooner we can get the takeover done, sooner we can get a new manager in and start assessing the squad.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Lucas

[Dave]

 

 

[Stan]

6 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

 

 

That doesn't sound like it will end well.

Any issues that affect Sampdoria, and the stadium is used as a bargaining chip. Banks get hold of that and who knows what they will or won't do with it. And with Sampdoria's relegation, added to the potential if they don't return immediately to Serie A, this kind of deal worries me for Leeds' sake...

[Coma+]

37 minutes ago, Stan said:

That doesn't sound like it will end well.

Any issues that affect Sampdoria, and the stadium is used as a bargaining chip. Banks get hold of that and who knows what they will or won't do with it. And with Sampdoria's relegation, added to the potential if they don't return immediately to Serie A, this kind of deal worries me for Leeds' sake...

It's dirty as fuck if true, but there is this excerpt in the article:

 It remains unclear whether the agreement in principle has progressed further, or if Radrizzani ultimately opted for a different approach to secure funding, but it is remarkable in itself that the Leeds chairman was prepared to put his name to securing the stadium of his current club against a loan to buy a different club.

[Stan]

5 minutes ago, Coma said:

It's dirty as fuck if true, but there is this excerpt in the article:

 It remains unclear whether the agreement in principle has progressed further, or if Radrizzani ultimately opted for a different approach to secure funding, but it is remarkable in itself that the Leeds chairman was prepared to put his name to securing the stadium of his current club against a loan to buy a different club.

It's so dodgy isn't it. It really shouldn't be allowed but I guess there's loopholes everywhere as to how they secure funding for what they want/need. Dirty money everywhere no doubt. 

[Stan]

@Coma (and @Lucas I guess). It gets worse. That response is disgusting.

 

 

 

[Coma+]

14 minutes ago, Stan said:

@Coma (and @Lucas I guess). It gets worse. That response is disgusting.

 

 

 

Yeah I saw that.  I commented on the Athletic website that the guy is burning bridges at record pace.  I'm not really a hater as he's done a lot for the club but the time to go is nigh.  

[Lucas]

I actually think any goodwill or credit he had left in the bank has evaporated at a fast pace. We're not quite at Ken Bates or Massimo Cellino levels yet but we are dangerously heading that way.

He's basically tried, or shown intention, to use our house as collatoral to buy another house. That's disgusting.

We got relegated on Sunday, playing a home game where Radrizzani was not even present, because he was finalising a deal to save Sampdoria.

We got no programme notes from him or comments on how much he's let us down, just completely tepid statement from 'the club' Sunday evening when relegation was confirmed.

This is a time where Leeds as a club should be issuing a statement of intent.

We deserve an explanation why the club's been run like a whore house for the past 2 years, we want to see the club actively issuing a plan for promotion to right the wrongs, we want clarity on the ownership situation for the future as well as what the club intend to do about the director of football position and of course, manager/coach situation.

Instead, it's a complete shambles which in no way screams at present, we are bouncing straight back.

We've had more than our fair share of off the field issues, and it was refrshing to have a stabilised period of calm and forward thinking, which finally coincided with promotion (funny that) and here we are, back to square one in a shitty situation.

We do not deserve any of this. 

My guess is behind the scenes that there is a bit of a power struggle between a man who owns the club and a group that want to buy him out albeit for a cheaper price.

To me, it's like he's sending them a message to say whilst he's still there, he holds the cards. As of yet, the 49ers have been very quiet on the situation but I really hope this can all get resolved pretty quickly and not drag on.

Radz' time is over. He's destroyed what we (or Bielsa more to the point) had built, and the fans have lost all confidence in him.

[Coma+]

Latest article by Phil Hay indicates that Leeds could be contemplating Scott Parker, Brendan Rodgers, or Carlos Corberan.  There's a mention of Gerrard in there as well.  Parker can get the team up likely but wouldn't be able to keep them in the Prem, imo.  Some shouts in the comments for Marcelo Gallardo but that would seem a longshot at this point.

[Lucas]

1 hour ago, Coma said:

Latest article by Phil Hay indicates that Leeds could be contemplating Scott Parker, Brendan Rodgers, or Carlos Corberan.  There's a mention of Gerrard in there as well.  Parker can get the team up likely but wouldn't be able to keep them in the Prem, imo.  Some shouts in the comments for Marcelo Gallardo but that would seem a longshot at this point.

I think if/when the 49ers get in, they shouldn't underestimate the pull of the club. I hope they make an abitious move because its a great time to rebuild for the longer term.

We somehow sold the club to Bielsa when we were in a worse position in the Championship and with little money to invest in the team. We're now going into a season in a better position to get promoted you'd think and you'd expect us to invest and back the new manager.

Yes they have to drop from the top level but if we sold it, that could be potentially just a year if we can get things right. I mean, we're going to have higher crowds than some Premier League sides, that underlines the size of the club and potential for any incoming manager.

I'd love Iraola, especially now he is a free agent but I think he's probably bound for somewhere like Celtic or higher. But we shouldn't not think we can't aim for someone other than the usual suspects that are touted IMO.

Edited June 7, 2023 by Lucas

[Lucas]

Here we go then, looks like we just need approval and it's full steam ahead.

 

Could be bollocks but someone's claiming there will be Manager news next week, so watch this space.

[Dr. Gonzo]

49ers are ambitious, but sometimes in their ambition... they end up making strange decisions that backfire. Hopefully for Leeds' sake, they bring in some competent footballing people to make the decisions for who comes and who goes. Because there's a hell of a lot of difference in planning to be an ambitious NFL team compared to being an ambitious football team.

[Dan+]

On 07/06/2023 at 13:52, Lucas said:

I think if/when the 49ers get in, they shouldn't underestimate the pull of the club. I hope they make an abitious move because its a great time to rebuild for the longer term.

We somehow sold the club to Bielsa when we were in a worse position in the Championship and with little money to invest in the team. We're now going into a season in a better position to get promoted you'd think and you'd expect us to invest and back the new manager.

Yes they have to drop from the top level but if we sold it, that could be potentially just a year if we can get things right. I mean, we're going to have higher crowds than some Premier League sides, that underlines the size of the club and potential for any incoming manager.

I'd love Iraola, especially now he is a free agent but I think he's probably bound for somewhere like Celtic or higher. But we shouldn't not think we can't aim for someone other than the usual suspects that are touted IMO.

Basically where I am with us. Already fed up of some of our fans saying "we're in the Championship now, what do you expect" when we're linked to crap managers or players - just because you go down it doesn't mean you have to try and start behaving like run of the mill teams in the division. Both us and Leeds are going to have the divisions biggest budgets. Both should be aiming for automatic promotion - that isn't going to be achieved by hacking into Millwall's scouting system.

[Lucas]

Rickie Fowler's just revealed on Sky's Golf coverage that he'd like to become an investor in the 49ers takeover along with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas as they all 'route for Leeds'.

[Spike]

Ken Bates, anyone?

[Coma+]

Nicky Hammond appointed interim football director to get the club through the transfer window.  Not a bad appointment really... I think he ran Newcastle during their transition.

[Lucas]

Fucking annoying waiting for this takeover to be approved by the EFL, and Leeds to confirm a managerial appointment.

Not like we have much to do is it. Only 5 1/2 weeks before we kick off the season.

Got to laugh haven't you. 

I just hope deals are being prepped and done ready to confirm for when the takeover goes through because pre season starts soon.

[Dave]

16 hours ago, Dan said:

They spent a lot more in 2021/22 than people realise. I thought this too until I looked into it but Rashica, Gunn, Giannoulis, Gibson, Melou, Sargent and Tzolis cost them the best part of sixty million. They just didn't really spend it well.

Kieran Maguire said there wage bill was either in the top half, and at lowest 12th, which shows how awful that recruitment was.

[Dan+]

15 hours ago, Lucas said:

Yeah I'm definitely worried we won't hit the ground running. So much uncertainty about who will be here, who won't.

Seem to have started pre season later than other teams too, only three friendlies scheduled thus far, no signings, new manager unofficially announced. Lots of question marks, far from ideal prep.

We are definitely behind the curve and it's not exactly screaming promotion winning side to me as it stands but I remember us looking a little undercooked and flimsy, with little in the way of new signings in Bielsa's first pre season and then suddenly, wallop, I'd never seen anything like it v Stoke, men possessed.

We're the same with pre-season. Only four friendlies, two of which are in Asia a week before the opening game which is completely ridiculous, a bit of residue from the hopefully finished stupidity era. It happened to us in 2013/14, we were dodgy in pre-season, funnily enough it was a loss at Northampton that seemed to cause the most meltdown (that's one of our other friendlies this year) and we went and got 102 points.

I'd be intrigued to see a proper study into pre-season times, number of friendlies, performance and then correlation with the actual performance. For all I've just said that about us, I think you could tell in pre-season a year ago that Arsenal were going to be a different beast.

 

16 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

Kieran Maguire said there wage bill was either in the top half, and at lowest 12th, which shows how awful that recruitment was.

I mean even from what I said that's mental. Who the hell were they paying that sort of money?

[Stan]

Rodrigo goes to Qatar. 

Kristensen follows Llorente to Roma. 

 

 

[Lucas]

Rodrigo was always leaving. He had a release clause and we were pretty governed by that. Don't blame him tbh, it's a great opportunity at 32 to earn some coin although he's probably written off his International aspirations because of it.

I don't think we ever got the true worth we paid for him. Struggled the first year, hit and miss the second year, but a reasonably decent season last year goals wise and he leaves on relatively good terms because he seemed one of the very few that visably put the effort in and engaged the crowd.

[Lucas]

Leeds business so far then.

Out

Robin Koch, Brendan Aaronson, Diego Llorente, Rodrigo, Rasmus Kristensson.

In

None.

Still so much uncertainty about whose staying. Gnonto, Adams, Summerville, Sinisterra, Harrison just for starters.

Surely at least two to three of those go. New signings will probably roll in right up to end of August and then time you bed them in, you're probably not looking at seeing something like the best of us till end of September/October.

It feels like we are going to have a slow start to the league. Farke's definitely looking at a rebuild over two seasons with so many changes and they need to be extremely reslistic about that.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Lucas

[Stan]

 

 

[Dan+]

Tell you what, for all I've bashed us look at Leeds. Still no new signing in. I don't give them a great chance of going back up. I can see visible effort to fix things at our end. I can't say the same here.