YEP Journo has his say on the following subjects.... Steve Evans will soon have a quandary at right-back Lewie Coyle excelled on his full league debut on Tuesday, and could easily be a regular starter in that position. Yet Gaetano Berardi, named as an unused substitute, is evidently very close to returning from the ankle ligament injury that has kept him out since September. Evans rates Berardi as one of the club’s best players, quite rightly, and there’s no way he won’t force his way back into the first team imminently. With Charlie Taylor also guaranteed to start at left back, that leaves Coyle with a real battle on to be a regular starter. A shame that United are blessed with quality full backs but are so short on attacking options.
Lee Erwin must be close to starting upfront Erwin has had few opportunities since signing from Motherwell in the summer, and Evans has often said that the 21-year-old needs to show more to be named in the first XI. The striker had 21 minutes to impress after being brought on as a second-half substitute on Tuesday, and hardly set the world alight, but neither did Mirco Antenucci who he was brought on for. Souleymane Doukara’s recent improvement also seems to have subsided. With Chris Wood still ten days to two weeks away from making a return, it could be argued that Erwin could be worth a start for next Monday night’s clash at Brighton, especially as Antenucci looks likely to leave in the summer.
Sol Bamba looks back in business Club captain Bamba had been kept out of the side by the centre-back axis of Giuseppe Bellusci and Liam Cooper - when both were fit and available - but injury to Cooper before Saturday’s FA Cup clash at Watford, followed by Bellusci’s suspension last night, opened the door for the passionate 31-year-old. Bamba was one of United’s best players against Fulham, twice saving likely goals, first with his header on to the crossbar from Ross McCormack’s fierce shot, and then with a fantastic last-ditch tackle as Moussa Dembele prepared to pull the trigger when one-on-one. Bamba will surely start against Brighton with Bellusci serving the second game of a two-match ban and a good performance there will likely keep his place in the team. With Coyle and Berardi fighting it out for the right back spot, Scott Wootton’s prospects are looking bleak
The crowd are voting with their feet Leeds United’s supporters should forever be applauded for sticking with their team through thick and thin, but Tuesday night’s 17,103 attendance - with Fulham only bringing 364 - is proof that thousands of Whites fans have seen enough as far as this season is concerned. Tuesday night’s gate was the lowest Elland Road crowd this season in the league, with barely over 1,000 more than the 16,039 which witnessed the FA Cup third round clash with Rotherham, for which the South Stand was closed. United have around 12,000 season ticket holders, meaning just shy of 5,000 bought a one-off ticket for the Fulham clash, when more like 10,000 extra were attracted to the home clash with Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the month which drew a gate of 24,079, with 2,266 from Forest. It’s worth noting that around 6,000 extra were attracted to a week last Monday’s home clash with Middlesbrough which drew a gate of 20,424, with Boro bringing 2,782. The argument there is that more Whites fans would have bought tickets for that game had it not been shown on Sky. Either way, the Fulham attendance is very clearly a sign of the times, evidence of the frustration felt amongst the club’s undoubtedly loyal support, and, essentially, nothing to do with Sky.
Careful, that's not going to go down well with those convinced all is rosey in the garden. #tantrumsandtiarras
Lee Sobot is a good Journo. Obviously all is not rosey, and things need to be tweaked. Like Cellino's neck with a noose... All joking aside what I cannot understand is that we have been in the same position for a number of years; why suddenly now to start a revolt? Cellino has been a lot more generous than GFH and Bates put together. He sold Byram cos he had 6 months left on his contract, and sold McContract cos Fulham were stupid enough to offer 11m for him. I would have done the same, wouldn't you? He has made some mo-fo fcuk ups don't get me wrong, as have all our previous Chairmen in the last 15 yrs...
As you know I am not allowed to comment safe to say Cellino has attacked the fans with pie tax, segregating our own fans, ridiculous cat A games. And the laughing stock he has turned our club into with his business model that means we have had nearly as many managers as players..... Byram may have stayed if Cellino hadn't undermined him in the press and tried to half his pay. Oh and not for a second do I believe he has turned the finances round. But only time will tell, one thing for sure, we are as bad on the pitch as we have ever been.
Evening Ell. I neither love or loathe him, I simply don't trust him, though I think a takeover is a long way off. Tried to make sense of the figures published (not my strongest point chesh ). But Eleanora have around 42 million into the club, presumably as a loan. He's converted 6 million into equity (increases his share so makes his company more money in the event of a sale). So we must be servicing a 36 odd million payback to Eleanora sport + the 30 odd million to GFH plus interest. The accounts don't show how much per year or for how long, so we don't know how this affects our transfer budget. Does this mean whoever wants to buy the club needs to meet Cellino's 30 million valuation + the 2 million debt + the loans to GFH & Eleanora before we even get to buying back ER &TA. Apologies for the long post.
Evening Ell. **** me, we're in the middle ground, we'll get attacked from all sides, get yer tin hat on
