Leeds Banter Archive January 12 2015

12 Jan 2015 22:23:18
{Ed001's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Will it take relegation for the Leeds United Owner, Massimo Cellino to understand that he needs to change his ways?

13 Jan 2015 10:00:44
Those of us who questioned the take-over by Messivego was in the best interests of the club are slowly but surely being proved right. Yes he has pumped money into the club, however just how much is open to debate. No one knows or seems to be able to unravel the amount of actual cash he has invested. He talks a lot but the recent announcements are on hold and he has received a sizeable sum for McCormack (£9m ish?)

At the key mid-point of the season he has been “holidaying in Miami when he should have been in Leeds addressing our current decline. He likes to think he understands football, Italian maybe but clearly from lack of improvement to date Not to English Championship! I do believe that Redfearn, given time, will sort out the playing squad but why he continually plays the Muppet Bianchi who has taken over the headless chicken role from Austin. He is anywhere on the pitch other than where he should be as anyone who watched both Forest and Derby could see. Is this the hand of Massivego on his shoulder?

Massivego needs to understand two key facts:

1 He seems to think that cheap foreign players are the answer, however as we know from past experience they only flower in the mild Autumn and Spring and too easily go missing when the cold weather comes in Winter!

2 We need players with experience of playing in the championship, especially a midfield general who could control the pace of the game and support our excellent youngsters and wingers with pace. Byram could cover the right wing as he has pace and can cross a ball.

If those players and positions were sorted I do think we could progress as players like Sharp would benefit from the improved service. Until service is improved you could sign world class forwards who potentially would fare no better.

Warnock is by far the best player that his namesake brought into the club and as others have noted “always plays for the shirt” and has consistently been our best player this season. He should be retained for this season and given another year as cover for the emerging Charlie Taylor.

I think its Massivego who needs a kick up the pants next time he courts cheap popularity in the pub with the lads. What do others think?

12 Jan 2015 18:03:33
I made a point on a reply earlier and just wanted to make it again.

I really do believe that MC has a major issue with British players. My thoughts are that he believes they earn too much and don't offer value for money which is why we are stuck with a bunch of unproven foreign players who probably earn less in comparison.

His transfer philosophy appears to be to buy cheap and hopefully up the value and move on. This is the only reason he is happy keeping the younger players in the team and probably why he is moving Warnock on (hopefully Taylor comes good and value goes up).

Yes Warnock is a "high" earner in terms of our squad, but he is also the most experienced player we have. His performances have been steady, but with a few mistakes, which I would expect of any player and his sale would be a mistake. Irrelevant if he has only 6 months on his contract.

So far most if not all the players linked away have been of British descent and wanted by clubs who are in a better positions then ourselves so surely they must be doing something right.

Wootton to Birmingham
Warnock to Derby
Byram / Cook / Mowatt - Prem sides

I am seriously worried about this season, I do have hope but I am worried. I think we will stay up, but our assets will be sold off, but for a premium this time and we will go through the same sh*t next year.

Cellino's policy is no different to that of Newcastle but they deal in a higher calibre of player. It makes me think that the insistance on the diamond formation was to showcase the talents of Adryan, as this player represents opportunity for high sell on value in Cellino's eyes (I know that we currently don't own him)

It is a reasonable point D S, history shows that in the English Championship you need a solid spine of English based players, I can't think of a team that has gone up recently to the prem without this. Watford got close last year but apart from that most of the promoted team had a bias of Great Britian players.
Still in out starting 11 we have bryam/cook/mowatt/cooper/Taylor who are first choice, so we are maybe 1-2 light.
Just hoping we get a couple of quality people in (well 3, holding midfield, wide player, forward) in during the window, we will see.

Newcastle have Alan Carr's old man there, we have Cellino and Sallerno.

Carr knows his league and brings in appropriate players.

MC and Sallerno don't know the championship and bring in what they can.

Plus now that Adryan has won the Fallon d'Floor his value is going to double

We'd probably do better with Alan Carr himself here.

12 Jan 2015 14:45:40
14th, 13th and15th our last 3 season finishes in the Championship and there is uproar that Warnock is leaving!!
Well the likes of Warnock, Norris, Green, Tonge, Morison, Kenny, Brown, White have got us where exactly!
Have a pop at MC by all means but the real villain in all this is Papa Smurf who allowed Schmichael, Gradel, Snodgrass, Howson, Delph, Johnson and Beckford to leave so he could spend money on a ground rather than the team. Add those 7 to Cook, Mowatt, Byram, Taylor, Cooper and the others that have left like McBadgekisser, Lees and Beechio and that would be a decent squad.
Bates, GHF, Neil Warnock have all done well off the back of our great club and left it in a state. My fear is that our talented youngster will be sold and the merry go round of journeymen players will start again.

Great Post 1LU
A few weeks ago, lots of people would have paid Warnocks taxi fare. I agree we only need to start worrying when our young talent is sold in bulk (as Papa would have done). No suggestion anywhere that that will happen. You are TOTALLY correct where the real blame lies - with the moneygrabbers who have been fleecing us for the last decade or more

I totally agree that we were asset-stripped of our best players. But, when you look at the players who were sold, they may have got into the Premiership, but they aren't of a calibre that will do any great things in the top league (apart from Delph): Schmichael, Gradel, Snodgrass, Howson, Johnson and Beckford

People should remember that this season was always about stabilising the club and staying in this division. If Cellino hadn't stepped in we might not have a club now to be moaning about.

I am sure it is taking longer than he thought and he has found stuff he didn't expect because he didn't check. He will also not have thought he would get all the carp he is getting from FL.

As we do not have the gen on the inside track we have to hope that what looks odd from outside has a sound reasoning for those in the know. There is no way Cellino wants us to drop into league 1 I think he is passionate about our club and that would hurt him.

I hate where we are as much as the next man, I would like more explanations but doubt we will get them yet, I think Cellino will reveal a lot of it when all the sh*t has been dealt with.

Until then buckle up and hold on to your hat, it is going to be a white knuckle ride to the end of the season.

Success this year is staying in the Championship, so we should all support whoever is wearing the shirt to do just that.

That said I love all the comments and can't help reading this site several times a day - well done eds.

MOT

{Ed001's Note - thanks mate, and Warnock was well paid, with a very decent appearance bonus, so it is little wonder he has to be moved on. You can't build when hamstrung by big contracts.}

12 Jan 2015 15:58:35
Totally agree no one showed any passion last seasons and will be happy when they are all gone.

12 Jan 2015 14:27:36
Congrats to Adryan for his Fallon d'Floor award :-)

I personally think it is hilarious and well deserved!

Jay
I agree. Don't want to encourage that sort of behaviour generally, but it was hilarious. And we'll deserved. Likely to be the only think we win this season :)

I could grow to like Adryan if he packs that stuff in and sorts out whatever's supposed to be going on with his hair.

Can't help but like him. And grrrrr at my spell checker .

13 Jan 2015 12:44:49
Hope that's the last time we see owt like that from him - one of the most embarassing things I have seen in a long time. Hope NR gave him both barrells for it. Hate to see diving & cheating, drove me mad when Jimmy, Kewell & Varney used to go down easy & beg for free kicks - i'd be ashamed to do something like that!

Mel
Just to be quite clear. It wasn't a dive. He had been fouled. You might not think there's a difference but I do. Hate diving, and think it's cheating - but his was a post foul double roll, then a semi stand up, a death-like collapse, and 3 further rolls.
I somehow doubt he will be repeating it.

13 Jan 2015 18:25:21
Fair point Speedy. Still looked a complete tool though!

13 Jan 2015 18:26:51
Think you're right though, we'll never see it again - not sure he could do it again even if he wanted to!

He did look a total person Mel, and you beat me to it. I was going to say he wouldn't be able to do it again if he tried. Thankfully lol

12 Jan 2015 12:23:59
I give up. Getting rid of what little experience we have and one of only three decent, consistent performers this season. Cellino not back a couple of days and already screwing with the 1st team. This man is taking us down I am afraid. Redfern wants more experience but our owner wants to lose what we already have, and doubt bring in more untried foreigners. We are f**ked!

The club needs to get its act together and start singing from the same hymn sheet Refearn says we need championship players Cellino wants to get rid of them. I know that Cellino is the owner but it's obvious that he has no regard for how the fans feel and will carry on making all the mistakes which will take us down. If they don't get some quality players in this coming week who will do the negotiating if the football league insist he stands down as owner/director whilst they deliberate his case. Wake up Mr Cellino and smell the coffee before it's too late

13 Jan 2015 10:02:39
what gets me mc says got money but all the time he is penny pinching and wanting to make money by what selling our best player not good for team club and most for all us FANS

12 Jan 2015 11:42:37
I don't care if Warnock is our highest earner, as far as I'm concerned he's earn it because he has not just been solid defensively but he has also helped us going forward. It would be outrageous to let him go for free. I feel cellino has a certain vendetta against older players, but at the moment experience is what we need and letting our most experienced player go whilst we're in a relegation battle is outrageous! He has done enough to warrant a contract extension in my opinion!

Rats and sinking ships come to mind!

I think MC has a vendetta against the British players. All the British signings we have made were obviously pushed through by our coach at the time.

MC want cheap foreign "talent" which he can turn over for a profit.
It is the only reason our youth players are getting a chance in the first team. Game time means exposure, we now have top 6 sides interested in 3 of our first teamers.

12 Jan 2015 05:53:10
Told all you guys Warnock would leave this season. Looks like it will happen by Thursday. Has had a good season but we need to blood Taylor now.

Disagree. Need him to ease taylor in. One of our best players in last year going to get cheap italian import to replace quality! Tut tut!

This is a big mistake, Redfearn has talked about the requirement for championship experience and we are letting one of the only players with championship experience go. And for what? A couple hundred thousand at the most. Should keep him until end of season, hope we don't waste a transfer space on a left back during this window. Sorry Cellino but this smacks of penny pinching.

Having medical at Derby. Looks like a done deal. Fell out with Cellino, so it's not really that surprising.
Funny how we can move quickly to ship players out, but not to get players in

Cellino has had an agenda with Warnock from the start of the season which will be to do with what Warnock gets paid rather than a clash of personalities

Yes Notts. I think it is all about reducing the wage bill. MC has made no secret of that, but only time will tell if getting rid now will cost us dearly or not