Since Bates took charge at Leeds, we have seen our Summer transfer activities limited to free transfers and loanees. What makes this Summer any different? I think we all know what to expect from Bates, so why all the glum faces? Leeds will only go for players who attract no transfer fees, so these wishes that we sign Stockdale and Lichaj on full-time deals are nothing more than pipe dreams. Bates won't shell out the necessary coin required to get them into Leeds shirts permanently. So the rumour that we are chasing the free-transferred Iain Turner is much more accurate, although I fear Hull will offer him more money than we are prepared to. The only other fallback we had was "Leeds are a massive club and players will rather come to us than most other clubs".....and even this is now under threat. We are in the Championship now, not League One, and players at this level demand better wages, and anyone with ambition will rather sign for a club that shows the desire to get into the Prem. This desire is usually reflected in the players they are chasing and signing during the close season. Doesn't look too good for us then. If Leeds do not get in a top quality 'keeper then the sale of Schmeichel will seem completely absurd!!! Regardless of what some "talent scouts" have said of the player, he was a class act in goal, and pulled off some amazing saves. However, he was always only going to be "so good" with that useless defence in front of him. Leeds need to sign an entire back four, and a solid holding midfielder to sit in front of them a-la David Batty. I know we aim a lot of our disappointment at Bates, but I am still not convinced that tactically Simon Grayson is all that. Surely if we can see the need for a defence and a ball-winning midfielder he should have signed those players already? I can recall so many games where our tactics have cost us badly. The Preston 6-4 in the freezing ****ing cold springs to mind. The two 3-0 losses to Swindon the season before is a classic example. At the County Ground he played Hughes at left-back and Danny Ward made him look like a statue, resulting in the killer balls coming from that area. In the return at Elland Road he plays Hughes at right-back, so Wilson simply switches Ward to that wing and two of the three goals come through Hughes' inability to be a footballer yet again!! Made Paynter look a class act....oh, so THAT'S why we signed him. Leeds will once again miss out on any chance of promotion this season if we do not get at least SIX quality players in. That's right, not the FOUR that we are supposedly chasing (and won't sign if they do not accept our demands). And our longer term future is in doubt as well if we don't sign Gradel and Snodgrass to long-term contracts either. I don't believe Bates really cares too much right now. Leeds are turning over excellent money with the support they attract and the extremely high ticket prices for a team outside the Prem, and he isn't paying his players and staff Prem wages either so his profits are very good with little risk. Bates is showing us more and more that he is in this for the money and not for the club. I welcomed him when he rescued us, I was pleased that he got us into a debt-free position, but now I question his motives as he has not shown the desire to lead this great club back to the top tier as everyone in the game expected him to do. I am tired of hearing how Leeds "should be in the Prem", how "the Prem needs Leeds", how other clubs say "we miss playing the Leeds". We are so well positioned to get to the Prem now, we have some excellent players on our books, we just need that final investment to push us over the line. Come on Ken Bates......SHOW US THE MONEY!!! PS. for all those who will no doubt quite rightly throw the "we don't want the Ridsdale days back"....I am not asking that we spend recklessly and overload our squad with overpaid players the way Pistol/Publicity/Prick Pete did. I am just asking that we at least spend to complete the jigsaw.
Fine article! altho rather than show us the money, Mr Harvey, show him the door!! we need money to compete with Man City, Leicester and QPR who respectively are buying or have brough the league title
Clive to be fair its soemtimes the way you say it and also billy is positive allot of the time and he does not live on the "i hate Grayson planet" Also the article is well constructed.
i HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR A LONG TIME Bates is in it for the money end of he treats players and fans with utter distain!
Very good article, even though i do appreciate what Bates has done at Leeds, its time for the club to move on. How old is Bates now? Sure the old chap cant have too long left in him.
Could not agree more with everything written apart from one point... I did think we might spend a little this season. I thought last season was a lay the foundations year, enjoy the increased revenue see where we are at and if Gradel, Snodgrass, Bechio and Howson could handle the division (gladly they can plus some) and build a team around them. I honestly had hoped that we would see a few class acts join, I did not expect Kasper to leave and after the failed attempts to obtain players so far yes it is obvious the loan route is one we shall be taking once again. Bates says we are not a breeding ground for talent, then what are we doing taking young players on loan that we cannot afford allowing them to develop before going back to their respective clubs. It is a senseless activity and a method that will never see us promoted.
My articles are well constructed. I'm well past the point of pussy-footing around Simon Grayson and his supporters, but that doesn't mean I'm not fair. And it's not since Bates took charge that all we've seen is free transfers and loanees, it's since Simon Grayson took charge. Sure we have had our fair share and money has been tight, but Kevin Blackwell, in particular, had a bit of money to spend.
Spot on with the article, what makes it all the more compelling is that we are now seeing all the ex-Prem freebies get hoovered up by other teams in our division. Forest, Cardiff and Leicester are showing real ambition, Ipswich have picked up Bowyer, Birmingham will be very tough to get past, Pompy will be strong again. As Billy says, we need a new back four and some quality signings, not just left-overs, or we won't even make the playoffs again.
