I was just chatting to a mate about Howson set to leave. I was blaming Bates and he was adament that the blame lays at Graysons feet pointing out the dead wood draining the wages that might have been better used to offer competitive contracts etc. He then asked me to think back to the day when we were in the first divison with Norwich and the day Lambert took over after Norwich were hammered. He asked me how much better were we back then than Norwich? Even if we were on equal terms we certainly are not now. With bigger gates, higher prices and no disrespect intended to Norwich many would agree a far bigger club, why have Norwich pulled so far ahead of us in every department? It is quite sad really to think the Mighty Leeds United can't afford to offer a contract to a player who Norwich can.
Answer: Lots , simply down to quality of manager. Bigger gates, and higher prices, only marginally last season and your attendances are certainly not bigger in the league this season, Derby, West Ham and Leicester are all drawing bigger crowds. Leeds are potentially a bigger club, but not at the moment.
Its all down to backing, Norwich have had the backing okay not massive transfer fees but competitive wages! Leeds are a bigger club than Norwich and always will be but we need to get fans back and batesout
I agree, like I said it was not a dig at Norwich, just an argument my mate used in his feelings that the problems we have should lie at Graysons feet.
I was talking to a Leeds fan a few weeks ago and he asked 'Where the **** is carrow road" My answer, in the Premier League.
Competitive wages??? Not sure that's accurate, I'd love to know the wage structure at Leeds, but at tiny Norwich, we only provide players with carrots, and hay. There is a wage cap, I think it's 12k and the majority of players are not earning that.
Exactly Even more of a worry then as I did hear Howson was on £10k so if we could have kept him for an extra £2k a week or £100k a year we could have saved that and some with much of the dead wood we are carrying..
our wage cap is about 15k so in terms of competing in the top flight, its about as low as is possible! it sounds more as though the lad howson just wants to play premier league football and was willing to stay at leeds until his contract ran down in the hope they would be in a better position to challenge for promotion. although you are not far from it, maybe he just feels a change of scenery is needed. i'm sure as a leeds fan he'd rather have done so with his club but its not always possible
Norwich have progressed to the Premier League, Leeds are looking increasingly stuck in the Championship. That's the bottom line and that would appear to be why Howson is leaving. Others will follow. Norwich have done exceptionally well to achieve back to back promotions and a stable position in the Premier League. Good luck to 'em. Norwich (and Swansea and Southampton) have shown they are progressive clubs who play football the right way and move forward without a pot of gold behind them. Not to pick on Leicester but, for the time being at least, they show that you don't buy your way out easily. Leeds look stale. (Even our forum banner looks stale). Bates/Harvey can't close out deals and Grayson continues to "bide his time" in the transfer market (again). Fans are pessimistic and no wonder. The loss of Howson is a major blow. Not because of the player himself - players will always leave - but because it sums up our inability to build around core players that came up through the ranks. If Howson doesn't see a future at Leeds, that's a bleak outlook for the club.
Norwich have spent about four or five times more than us in terms of transfers in assembling their current first team. Maybe up to ten times as much. We also pay **** all for wages (no doubt even less than Norwich). That's what gets you success these days, no-one does it just by having a good manager. We'd be in the Premiership if you could.
What the feck? How much money did Norwich spend to get out of the Championship, ten times more than you cpmplete bollox, We have now spent some cash once in PL. Look on the transfer website, you'll see that in the past three seasons (excluding the ongoing one, we spent exactly the same. What was the difference, Grayson v Lambert. Only one winner!
I said on your CURRENT team. But on your PAST team last season, I calculate you spent about four times as much as us. Did it on another thread ages ago with Beefforhire, you spent about 3.5m and we spent about 700k, as of the end of last season. Obviously that will have distorted hugely in your favour with another year's investment and promotion. So yes, Lambert has spent a lot more and that has given him a helping hand, certainly an advantage over the **** Grayson's had to work with.
Curent team is not the issue is it, or on one season, it has to be over a few seasons and from when we were both in L1 we have spent the same, no idea where you get your figures. When was the money spend, your algorithim is rather simplistic like your reasoning
I'm on about the sum of the parts of your team last season. It cost way more than ours. You want to see our current team for proof we've spent **** all? Freebie - 350k 250k - Freebie - Freebie - Loanee Academy - Academy - Loanee - Academy 150k Last season was very similar really. You spent more every season than us, L1, Championship and now Premiership. No shame in it, all I'm saying is that money talks these days and that's the main reason why you under Lambert have done better than us under Grayson. Don't take it as an insult, be proud of it.
