I love it - between them, Stanley Grayson and Oliver Bates have turned you into a comedy of fools club
Quite frankly they suit each other, Grayson is not a business man, he doesn't strike you as someone who knows how to manage people and can be a little grumpy when he gets things wrong, that said, he has somehow been rather successful at the clubs he has managed. Bates is a manipulator, he wants things his way only and doesn't care who or what gets hurt in achieving his goal. Can you imagine Bates employing Martin O'Neill, Sam Allardyce or Ian Holloway? The answer is that these managers would never be considered for Leeds as long as Bates is in charge, they demand to do things their way and will make life uncomfortable for Bates, not only that, they are popular with the media and it is likely old Uncle Ken would not take kindly to the constant media interest in everything at Leeds.
What about: "Grayson is a very good young manager who is trying to work within the constraints of a chairman who is focussing on keeping the club profitable and could probably afford to put his hand in is pocket more often than he does"? I'd vote for that one.
I don't know anymore, have to give it one more season and see who comes in and who goes because that will be the ultimate indicator of managerial and boardroom ineptitude. To be fair I think Simon is a good manager, not great and not bad, just good (or really lucky) , at the moment. Last season at the very beginning I said I'd be happy if Leeds just stayed up. Well, he did a lot better than that so he gets another year in my book. I couldn't vote on the poll as the points seem a bit wayward.
More likely: "Grayson is a young manager who has so far been successful with Championship and League One football clubs, who is trying to work within the constraints of a chairman who is obsessed on other business interests at Elland Road, even though he has been strongly advised NOT to carry his business plan out. This means the majority of revenue is budgetted for work not on the football team or coaching. If the chairman put his hand in his pocket and used the revenue to secure better players, Leeds would probably be promoted to the EPL, sadly he doesn't do that and it is doubtful he ever will".
