Leeds Banter Archive December 26 2011

26 Dec 2011 21:02:36
one name 4 you at xmas - bring back VINNY and let Larry clean his boots again oh, and why not bring in Kevin Hird and Gary hamson Carlton Palmer and Donkey Deane as coaches !- my god how we have fallen - or have we ?

26 Dec 2011 20:43:38
Time Lee Clark got a call from uncle Ken...?

Yeah, the guy who didn't want the premiership jobs he was linked with and didn't want the Leicester job is going to come to Leeds for little money a week (in football terms) and next to no money to spend.

I think your wrong,lots of out of work managers would jump at the chance to manage Leeds,and we are still regarded as a big club,look what Leicester and Ipswich have spent and where they are,havent heard of one manager mentioned yet who could do better than SG,this is not a hard league,back to back wins and teams quickly move up,were quite capable of stufing Barnsley,get behind the team insted of moaning. {Ed003's Note - The championship IS a very hard league because most of the teams are much of a muchness that is why it is so difficult to go on a winning run }

The last post here is utterly delusional and in some respects plain wrong. The one thing I agree on is that the Championship is a hard division - the teams, top to bottom, are very closely matched and it's unrealistic to expect us to win every game. We'll have good runs and bad runs whether or not we change the manager because we have a below average squad for the division.

Where you're wrong...

Firstly, most out of work managers are out of work because they failed in their last job. Why would we want one of them?

Secondly, Leeds United is only a big club in the eyes of us, its fans. To the rest of the footballing world we're a club that USED to be big and then went bust under Ridsdale. Now we're a club with an expensive infrastructure which can only survive financially through player sales (download the company's accounts and do the maths - without player sales we are making a significant operating loss EVERY year under Bates - he's not the great businessman he claims to be). We pay very low wages and have no real transfer funds. What kind of manager wants to come to that?

Bates may have rescued the club (though that's questionable) but he has no funds to invest and doesn't seem to be looking for outside investment either - that would diminish his power base and he's clearly a control freak. An incoming manager would want to build a new team and without the funds to do that we are only likely, at best, to attract another Grayson - a young, ambitious, talented but inexperienced manager who has a lot a learn.

Personally, despite his shortcomings, I'd rather stick with Grayson until the end of the season than venture out into the unknown. We are playing very badly right now, he's made some odd decisions of late and I accept it can't go on forever, but I don't think now's the time. Let's see what January brings.

It's a fact that our league position has improved every year under Grayson and you can click disagree all you like, it won't alter that fact, nor will it alter the fact that we are no longer viewed as an attractive club to work at, either as a manager or as a player.

What we really need is some serious money. Sadly I don't have the kind of cash that buying and running a football club needs so that rules me out. Any of you got the necessary millions?

Id rather die than see that Town person manage our football club, cant even get out of league 1

26 Dec 2011 19:36:33
UNBELIVABLE!!!
so many questions,1st why keep mccarthy on at loan if not going to play him?(he was by far our best player during his time playing for us) 2nd drop connelly,move lees to right back,bring in odea to partner paddy the donkey?(slow and past his best) lees and odea would have been far more effective,3rd midfeild has not bite what so ever,clayton has lost his early form and snodgrass has 2 good games to his 6 BAD ones! 4th strike force is firing far too many blanks(mccormack lost all confidance since grayson dropped him?) beccio is not the player he was and keogh is not right for us!!. so all you grayson lovers,saying"we are fine,we are 6th in the table and grayson will get it right? well guess what we are now 8th and in freefall because grayson is clueless,stop beliving in him and saying we will be going UP,its not going to happen with him running this team,so stop looking through these rose tinted glasses and relise we are going nowhere under him!

Time to grasp the nettle Ken and give Grayson his P45. How long do the Emporer's New Clothes brigade want to keep up their pretence that he is the man for the job. He did well to get us up and into 7th, but now is the time to kick on and get into the PL. A change is needed NOW to introduce a fresh approach as it seems obvious to me the squad have no faith in the Manager and are going through the motions. A New Year and a new man in the hot seat with his own backroom staff please Mr. Bates.

Lonergan's better than McCarthy and a squad needs two good keepers. That bit you've definitely got wrong. McCormack wasn't scoring before he was dropped and Grayson was right to drop him. You're wrong about that too. When Howson was first dropped it started to look better with the 4-51 until Howson's injury.

I agree about the defensive selection - very odd. I don't understand why Paddy is being played and the Lees/Connolly thing today was just weird. A serious error by Grayson.

Interestingly, a lot of the Grayson Out lobby were also whining about Howson - look what's happened to the midfield since he got injured.

Changing the manager, though, simply ignores the real problem at Elland Road. Grayson's purchases have been pretty good (not the loans and frees, the actual purchases) but he's working with a paper-thin squad with no budget for wages or transfers so there's a lot of 'hit and hope' going on every transfer window with bargain basement players.

Given his resources I think Grayson's done pretty well. He's young, inexperienced and, like all of us, makes mistakes but his record for a manage 6 years into his career speaks for itself. There are few with better records at this stage in their career.

I'm sure there are better managers than Grayson out there but I'm old enough and wise enough to know that the better managers are unlikely to come to work for Ken Bates with no team building funds at Leeds United right now. We might get lucky and get a player with a big reputation who turns out to be a great young manager (most of them don't) but we'll probably get a has-been or a 'never-was' like Brian Laws or Peter Reid.

Right now, the manager's job at ER is not as attractive to high calibre professionals as the fans like to think it is. We are not a big club in the eyes of anyone other than ourselves.

Be careful what you wish for...

Oops - read 'when McCormack was dropped'...

There is a massive divide at the club,al down to grayson! paddy plays as he is in favour of SG simple(i have heard this in greatest confidance)

Interesting - because I know a few senior ER staff well through my business connections and events such as the Chamber business breakfasts at Headingley and they never tell me anything about playing staff matters. It's an absolute closed door no matter how nicely I ask. Think you may be making that bit up...

Its not my fault if my insider doesent tell you whats happening buddy,but i can tell you this is 100%? it sounds like you have green eyes mate,but the truth hurts,watch this space and you will see who is right and who is wrong!!!!

WAHEY the rose tinted glasses man is back

My eyes are not green and, not only can I spell the word confidence, I can use it correctly, with confidence. I am confident that you are bulls**tting and that you know absolutely nothing that I don't know.

My understanding of the ER hierarchy, which comes from actually knowing someone there, is that KB makes the big decisions. Unless you know Mr Bates personally, which I doubt, then any 'inside information' you have is at best internal conjecture. I'll admit that my connection is on the non-football side but can assure you that team matters are not up for discussion with outsiders.

If your contact knows anything, then disclosing it to you suggests that they have no respect for their employer and their days are probably numbered...

Blah blah mate,deal with it!!!!!!!

26 Dec 2011 18:51:15
I am sorry that Grayson has to go, I like him as he's a true leeds fan and there is nothing more I would like than for him to be a great success, but unfortunately it's just not going to be.

However, as Leeds fans we are up the kyber without a paddle, as Bates will only bring in some puppet that he can control and never a manager who has backbone and will stand up to him... just wait to see an old chelsea boy at the helm come February... bleak and sorry times ahead indeed!

Old chelsea boy such as di matteo or poyet? because i'd take either of them in a second.

Would that be the same Gus Poyet whose expensively assembled team at Brighton is currently below us and in even worse form? Yes, that seems like a good idea....

26 dec 2011 17:24:19
papa smurf save our season!! don't let clueless larry win!!

I honestly think some people sit at home hoping Leeds lose,so they can have a go at Grayson on here. But then I'm not sure all the people on here actually are Leeds fans...WUM anyone?

We dont have to hope we loose we will loose like it or lump it we are crap! FACT why cant people just be honest grayson done a good job but hes finished at leeds!

26 Dec 2011 16:52:50
Barnsley got slapped today but watch them turn us over comfortably - we are so poor its unreal can't understand the Grayson lovers

I can, just look at his record

What his collection of boney m hits

What record??/ 2nd place in league 1 when we should have won it comfortably but we couldnt beat the likes of hereford and exeter to name but 2,his loan signings cost us a play off place last year,sells a keeper and brings in rachubka , i like the guy but just because hes from leeds doesnt mean he shouldnt go (being polite)so again what record hes awful!

Get real Grayson lover...we are playing so poorly. Something is not right...do you go to games?

You can trash his record all you like, but at the end of every season under Grayson we have improved on the previous year. Although yes, we have been playing s**te lately.

Think all the agrees are in my court and as for the do you go to any games brigade what differance does that make , i live 300 miles from er over the years i have spent £k s does that mean i have no voice,under grayson we have gone as far as we can FACT hes run out of ideas lets freshen it up !

His record is two promotions, play-off, 7th in 6 years of management - Leeds highest league placing since 2005. You can argue for his replacement but you can't deny that his record is statistically outstanding for a manager just 6 years into his career.

I challenge anyone on this site to name 10 current league managers who achieved a much as Grayson in their first 6 years.

Having said that, something has to change at ER but I think we need new owners and new players more than we need a new manager.

Im the apparent 'grayson-lover', least im getting behind the manager unlike you set of people who would rather see us change change change which did for us in the past, how about you take over the club and sack him yourself? and appoint a realistic target for this club, be harder than you think, when he gets us promoted i cannot wait to hear the crickets, owls hooting and the tumbleweed blowing along when all you lot have shut your mouths moaning, how about getting behind the manager and the team rather than slagging it off?!

And I see that not of the 'Grayson Out' lobby have been able to meet my challenge - come on boys and girls - name 10 current league managers with a better record in their first 6 years. You haven't - because you can't.

The 'Grayson Out' lobby are, by and large, mindless, deluded idiots who think a change of manager is going to propel us back into the Champions League by pure magic because 'we're a massive club' don't you know.

Yes he's made mistakes, some real howlers in fact, but I don't see anyone better in the list of realistic targets on here.

Get behind the team - we're the ones making them nervous with our negative support. It seems that some people prefer singing about Ken Bates and that team from across the Pennines to singing in support of our own team. It's not an accident that our home record is worse than our away record - and that can't be just down to the manager.

26 Dec 2011 16:35:30
I'm not a hater of Grayson at all, I like the guy but I am starting to think it's time for some fresh head to come in at Leeds, I think now is the best time as it going to be better for someone to bring the right players in as Simon hasn't had much success. Can't argue with Simons record but think we need a change

I agree. Really like the guy but I think if we lose to Barnsley he will be sacked

Hope we beat barnsley and hes still sacked ffs hes clueless

26 Dec 2011 16:18:27
Reading now 2-0 up, putting us 7th,and on present form we have no chance of putting run of decent results together to get us back into the play of places,4-4-2 again today and we sounded totally clueless in midfield,a few fans on here have commented how we struggle with this formation so why does Grayson keep persisting with it, using it he is not getting the best out of Snodgrass, and why can't we give Sam and Nunez starts to at least give opposition defences something to think about, at present we are to predictable and there fo the taking each game,Eddie gray summed it up by saying it's not just the results it's the poor individual performances of the players and as a team.

26 Dec 2011 16:00:04
another crap game today, grayson getting the boot hopefully before jan transfer window so we can bring in someone capable of making good signings an getting us outa this rubbish league.

26 Dec 2011 15:53:11
Simply not good enough, we have 6 decent championship players at least....for our current squad we supporters have too high expectations about results. I have said before the late goals earlier in the season papered over cracks in the squads deficiencies. They couldn't carry on and we are going to slowly creap down the table at this rate. TBH our squad is weaker than it was in league 1 and without the right investment in quality players this team will not escape the hardest league in England to get out of! There are easily 10 championship clubs with stronger squads than ours, so we are doing arguably better than we should.
Fans need to accept and quickly we not a big team any more and it could take years to climb up the Prem.
The thing im more worried about than anything is the lack of goal opportunities, you could always rely on the team to create and pass our way to goals before, it now looks like the players have given up and lost faith in the system. Im not a Grayson hater and think he should at least get to the end of season. BUT something has to change...overhaul of players, tactic, coaches, or some quality signings (2 million at least invested in Jan).

26 Dec 2011 15:38:53
Anyone got any idea what manager they would like to see at elland road when grayson is sacked

We won't get anyone better unless they're promised a transfer kitty and that's not happening. Expect an 'experienced' manager or a Chelsea connection with no experience. More likely to be Zola than Hughes. Things will then go from bad to worse.

Replace when with IF coz i have faith hes gonna turn it round, not sure who would want to work on a shoestring budget, theres no manager thats available that would either want to come to leeds or that we can afford him, i mean managers like rafa, ancelotti, sparky are free, but not a cat in hells chance would we get them

Roy Keane - Alan Curbishley - Fanco Zola

You would like to see Roy keane as manager of Leeds?what a job he did at Ipswich! Zola has no track record, he's just got lots of media friends and Curbishley is waiting for a premiership job..get real!

I think realistically Brian McDermott or kenny jackett -both work at smallish clubs losing players in transfer windows and still produce a team hard to beat. With a bit of backing both would be good.

Vinny Jones - He'd put the fear into the squad to get them playing

26 Dec 2011 15:27:58
Leeds going no where. The team is going backwards, the performances are shocking. Key players don't want to sign new contracts. I think it's time Simon Grayson left. Yes he hasn't had loads of money but the team can't continue to keep loosing. Sorry but..... You're getting sacked in the morning! I can't see how he's going to turn this round. I go to nearly every game and the players seem to of lost faith in Grayson and bates. Thanks for everything Grayson but time to go.

26 Dec 2011 15:17:29
I have always rated Grayson but the team he picked today was all wrong .played players out off position ie less at right back wrong ,becchio n mcormak can't play together fact .I fear for you Grayson ,I don't claim to be a better manager ,But u don't make use off your squad Nunez long contract and u don't use him ,fair enough if howson was fit .as I said
I am not a better manager but some maybe

My thoughts exactly. When I saw Lees at right back I thought WTH and low and behold he gets turned a few times and then gets substituted with an injury as an excuse. The truth is it was a waste of a substitution that did not need to happen as Connolly, although not the best is a proper right back. I so undecided about whether to trust Grayson with any money in the transfer window or cut our losses. I mean the signing of both Keogh & Pugh does not excite me in the least as we already have them playing for us. How does that improve our team for the rest of the season? If you ask me that is money wasted on a bit of quality we should be bringing in.

26 Dec 2011 15:14:16
Now is defo the time to bring the likes of the turner twins taylor thompson to get there chance in the first team they cant do any worse

26 Dec 2011 15:10:28
What a joke grayson f*** off back to blackpool where you belong so we can have ian holloway

26 Dec 2011 15:04:08
What a joke time to go larry no doubt about it should of been sacked time ago

Grayson should have gone b4 now,we WILL not get promoted this season,GRAYSON OUT NOW!

26 Dec 2011 14:41:52
Why the hell is tom lees starting at rb when he clearly his a cb grayson is absolutely clueless continues to play players out of position

26 Dec 2011 14:39:22
What aload of crap thats 3 games in a row that we've been s**te and it will continue to happen until there is investment in the squad which i doubt will happen

26 Dec 2011 12:56:30
Looks like he has dropped Cons today and Lees is back at right back.....not sure about that. The main problem has been Paddy at CB, he should have been dropped, not Cons. However, I see we are back to 4-3-2-1, with Snodgrass and McCormack just behind Becchio as the point of the attack. Get a feeling we will win today. 3-1 I think.

Were loosing again mate and we played like ch*t