Wearing Norwich scarves did **** all for Scum, they're still in there and milking the cash cow. At Liverpool Gillette and co had enough because it was far to costly for them. Nothing to do with the scousers. Bates wouldn't give a **** if we wore different scarves, he'd start selling them in the shop!
Did not look so good when we had no goalkeepers for a week or two and Bates and Grayson were slagging him off in the press with no provocation, did it? Amazing how that happened right at the end of the transfer window after months of Gradel basically pleading to be offered something, eh? For me, 2+2 still equals 4, does Bates Math work differently?
... and what is your conclusion of your statement "We have to accept we are currently a Championship team with a Championship wage structure (I'm fully aware we pay PL ticket prices)." Is that good/bad, acceptable/unaccaptable, satisfactory/unsatisfactory? You get the idea, right?
There's a protest at 2 on Saturday if you're willing to be active about this. IALWB, that's disputable. Pompey, scum and Liverpool takeovers (whether successful or not) all followed fans protesting. I don't think it's a coincidence. Obviously waving scarves like nobheads will just get us laughed at but I think if there is direct pressure at every game home and away, it will start to rattle him. Hell, the first one even managed to.
I dont think bates will be bothered, just look at it from his point of view, why would he care, it gives him something to talk about on his radio station
Brilliant & sadly true Jonny Heard you get a shout out on the Match day program a couple of games ago !
No Gradel remained loyal and refused to put a transfer request in despite wanting to leave for France, but when A.S.S.E popped up with an offer he asked Grayson to accept it because he was unhappy in England. And it wasn't a week or 2 for Paul Rachubka to come in, 20th June we accepted Leicester offer, 23rd Paul Rachubka came in, (backed up by Alex Cains until Andy Lonergan came in).
He clearly wasn't. I have no doubt he would have rather stayed with us than go to West Ham, Leicester etc. but once interest from France came he was always going to leave. People are paying far too much attention IMO to one comment he made months ago, he could quite easily now come out and talk about being forced out like Schmeichel did but it won't happen.
There was reported interest from Paris St Germain before he came out with those comments. If you want to go to France, you want to go to France and you hand in a transfer request accordingly. Ideally at the start of the transfer window so that you and the club have as long as possible to scope out the right move. You don't wait until right at the end, three days before the window shuts to lodge that request, unless you've been waiting for something else to happen. A contract offer from Leeds, perhaps? Gradel didn't just say that he wouldn't mind staying if he had to; he actively requested a new contract to be put to him by Leeds. Think about his motives for a second. I'm not convinced that he was unhappy in England at all. Pretty sure his family were living here with him anyway, and if not, it's hardly difficult to move them here from the EU when you earn a footballer's keep. I'm still convinced it was bad business from a club who owned his contract and could have kept him just like we did with Beckford, and guaranteed ourselves a top-quality winger for this league. And Schmeichel upset a lot of Leicester fans with his comments about being reluctant to move there. Pretty sure Gradel wants to get off to a good start with the Les Verts lot at ASSE rather than pine for his ex club who wouldn't offer him an extension despite his scintillating form.
I ask myself why did Gradel become unhappy all of a sudden? Could he have become anxious about his future because Leeds United had not offered him a deal despite his frequent pleadings for the club to do so? Could it be because the club also turned away offers/inquiries for him? There is zero evidence that Leeds United did anything to try to retain the Supporters', Players' and YEP's Player of the Season last season. How would you have reacted if you were Max Gradel? The goalkeeping situation was very clear. Kasper Schmeichel transferred on June 20, 2011. http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110620/offer-accepted-for-schmeichel_2247585_2379185 Paul Rachubka signed for Leeds on June 23, 2011. It was no secret that he was brought in to be a #2. Not much to read between the lines - see http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110623/paul-cant-wait-to-get-cracking_2247585_2381133. Andy Lonergan signed for Leeds on July 25, 2011. http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110725/lonergan-joins-united_2247585_2401481 So I understated that Leeds United was without any goalkeepers for a few days, but without a first choice goalkeeper for over 5 weeks! I trust that the Leeds United official site is an acceptable reference to support the above statements. ;-)
Thanks Bucks. I try to listen to most games (other than the televised ones, which I watch of course) and participate in the post game show when I have something worthwhile to say or ask, in my opinion anyway.
