DuncanCastles Duncan Castles @ @JamesLUFC No fee been accepted for Gradel as yet, but lots of interest and he is pushing for to leave. Sochaux are keen. #lufc 30 Aug So far he's never been wrong. Someone also posted the link earlier about Max wanting £25k, more than double what Snoddy and Becchio are on.
Timeline of ****: 1. Gradel asks for contract, says he wants to stay (something you only come out with in public if you mean it; can't think of any other motive for doing so!) 2. Speculation about 25kpw figure, even though negotiations haven't been entered yet so the gossip is void 3. Leeds fail to offer him a contract 4. Gradel wants to leave because his future is obviously not secure at a club who still persist in not offering an 18-goal attacker a contract extension 5. Gradel hands in a transfer request with a heavy heart and interest floods in from Forest, Leicester, Sochaux, St Etienne and co. 6. Gradel is sold to St Etienne Gradel originally wanted to stay. It was the club's negligence that forced him into putting in a transfer request (i.e. not wanting to stay) and I don't blame him. Entirely, unequivocally a failing on the part of Leeds United, not Max Gradel.
Whatever the numbers it is known that Gradel's agents let the club know his wage demands. Negotiations were never entered into because it was made clear he wouldn't sign any contract we were willing to offer.
Give me a ****ing break, what do you expect him to do, have floods of tears down his face. Fact - IF we had offered the guy a contract 3 months ago this fuss would not have happened.
Even if you want to speculate that, it's still the club's fault because of their gay wage cap which not only caps our salaries, but also our ambition.
Three morons walk into a bar... That is how the joke starts that Max just heard before the picture was taken. How do you expect him t look at his ceremonial signing? FFS!!!!!
i recall you saying that we should wait until after the transfer window to offer contracts and this is one of the only good policies that ken bates actually has. This was something i actually disagreed with Anyway its over now and we did **** all to sign anyone as well
As I also said today, we should have either: A. made an offer before the transfer window so the issue of speculation being used as leverage didn't exist (we had all last season to do that) or if that failed (and let it be known that only an incompetent club would allow that to fail); B. have let Gradel know an offer was forthcoming, but that it's club policy to wait till September. It's my view that it's wiser to wait till September to negotiate contracts which are devised after the transfer window's begun, but there was no need for the situation that arose to do so. Gradel should have been offered a contract well before the transfer window. Woeful mismanagement yet again.
i agree, this situation never should have happened and as i said before. It is my understanding that we tried to start negotiations around february or march and gradel had said that he wanted to wait until the end of the season so it didnt distract him or some **** like that. I think we should have offered him a contract after the QPR game though really. I dont see an issue to be honest
@ Josh & Simon See we did not re-invest the Gradel money, transfer window closed 3 out nobody in. Still think it was good business?
Simon you know nothing mate, you just throw your opinions around as if they are facts. Maybe he was pushing to leave and why? As he had not been offered a ****ing contract and nobody spoke to him about it. Would have taken a few minutes to ask the player himself what his expectations were but not. Remember those words, well it is reported we accepted 2 million EURO NOT ££££ and we re-invested none.
Yes mate I do and it because I do why both myself and MANY of those fans are starting to ignore you and Simon You are both blinded, both so incredibly one sided on all that is good (and their isn't much).
exactly you dont read posts..... I have explained in this very thread that we should have given gradel a contract and in many others i have said that its stupid that we didnt sign anyone. You dont read posts obviously, maybe i do see things with rose tinted glasses when it comes to leeds united but i think its better than being the other way round (ie. you) and just seeing every single thing as a negative. There are positives from selling gradel and im sure grayson would have been consulted about the idea and i would bet that he asked bates whether that money would be reinvested before accepting the bid. We still have that money. It was stupid to accept a bid so late especially without appearing to have a contigency plan saying we will sign this player (or maybe we did but by then he was signed by another club). Maybe we can make up for it in the loan market which every fan hates to see us just loan all our players but thats sorta the only option at the moment
Josh, how can you say loans are the only option? Leeds knew weeks ago they were selling Gradel, they sat on it to see if the price would go up after a couple of good performances. In that time Grayson should have lined up at least three potential replacements and then enquired about price and wages for them. Listen to what Bates says about bringing players in: Preferred policy is bringing players in on trial, as this allows Simon time to see how the player fits in to the teams style of play, how he is in the dressing room. You learn a lot about a player in the showers. Yes, he said this. He is clearly selling us the idea of free transfers, and therefore low wages as the best way for Leeds. Count how many players we have signed since Bates came in, and see how many were Frees. Gosh Josh, stop being so "blind".
Forgive me Josh if I am a little confused and have problems keeping up with you. Yesterday at 12.35pm you said: 14 hours later you say
