The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Friday 4th November)

Good Morning. It's Friday 4th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


Marsch could raid former club for Swiss star striker

Red Bull Salzburg have slapped a €35m price tag on striker Noah Okafor after interest from a host of clubs including Leeds Utd. The versatile 22yo joined the Austrian Champions in the 2020 January transfer window, where he soon became a fan's favourite. In 21 Austrian Bundesliga games last season, the 22-year-old found the back of the net nine times, and contributed nine assists.

Across 26 appearances in all competitions this season, he has already netted 11 times, with one assist. AC Milan, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund have also been credited with an interest in the Swiss International.
It may be a little ambitious for Salzburg to ask for so much. Okafor only signed a four-year deal meaning his contract expires in little over a year but when it comes to transfers, they are the masters. Since 2016, Salzburg have sold players worth 493 million euros.

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World Cup heartache for Sinisterra

Luis Siniterra will be sidelined for the rest of the year, and will miss the World Cup, after it was revealed that his sprain was more serious than first thought. It was expected that the Columbian International would be eased back into action this week, and hopefully be fit enough to play against Bournemouth at the weekend, but a further scan showed a lisfranc injury (a fracture-dislocation to the midfoot joint).

This will at least give Crysencio Summerville an opportunity to impress, though because of the World Cup, there are only four games (and an FA Cup third round match at Molyneux next week) between now and the New Year.

According to Marsch "The only other update is Luis Sinisterra. Luis has a foot injury that it turns out to be more than what we initially originally thought it was. He wasn't making the progress that we were hoping for him to make over the last 10 days. So they did another scan and then they had a specialist looked at it, and they start to worry about it being a Lisfranc injury."

“It’s a rare injury that controls the movement of the metatarsals and when that is ruptured, it can be a long recovery. We don't believe it's ruptured. We believe it's partially torn, which puts him in a little bit of a grey area, but probably out until after the World Cup break. So we'll know more about that today. And again, we're hopeful that it's a version that doesn't take off for long.”

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Gnonto's work ethic rubbing off on Summerville

It's fair to say that Leeds fans were bitterly disappointed, that having missed out on Terrier, de ketelaere and Gakpo; Orta turns up on Deadline Day with a little known 18yo Italian kid called Wilfred Gnonto. Not only had we not heard of him, but with a fee totalling just under 5m, surely he couldn't be any good.

Fast-forward the clock three months, and Gnonto is already starting to make waves. He's earned rave reviews from U21 Coach Michael Scubala, broken into the first team squad, and now it has been revealed that his professionalism /work ethic are even rubbing off on Crysencio Summerville.

It has been suggested that Jesse Marsch has had to keep the Dutchman on a short leash in the past, to keep him on the straight and narrow. The two (Gnonto and Summerville) have built up a close friendship both on and off the field. This has had a positive effect on Summerville on the training ground, and it seems his hard work is now paying off.

Talking at yesterday's press conference, Marsch stated:- “I talked after the game against Liverpool that a big factor for [Summerville] is discipline and professionalism and work-ethic. I’ve been on top of him again this week to make sure that he has a very good training week. And he has. He’s looked really good. And we’re hopeful that he can establish himself more and more,”

“And Willy is in the same vain except that his professionalism and work-ethic and clarity for what this world is is incredibly good. He’s very mature for an 18-year-old. And it’s interesting because Cree and Willy have sparked up a really good friendship. And I think that Willy’s had a really positive affect on Cree.”

 

It would have been quite the achievement for Sinisterra to go to the World Cup.

Columbia finished 6th in the South American qualifying group and therefore did not qualify.

 

Wait until you read the rest, 4 matches before the World Cup and an FA Cup 3rd round match

All those starting their 1st round matches this weekend may as well not bother they'll be too late!

 

You ok ellandback....

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I didn't say, he was going to the World Cup to play, did I?

He was going to watch a few matches

 

Morning all

We always knew Summerville was a problem that needed sorting out. I can go back to when he first landed and was doing brilliant things down the right with Cody Drameh supporting him. But always seemed to get into a war and sometimes with his own players. One time he won a penalty and picked up the ball and put it up his shirt so Gelhardt couldn’t get it, he got into a pushing war with Joffy as he was the designated taker. Jacko had to shout to Summerville to give Joffy the ball. He did and Joffy scored. Later in the match Joffy won a penalty and he let Summerville take it…. Summerville went missing for a few weeks from the team and Jacko just said he had a slight injury but everyone knew he was being dropped for his attitude. He went on to be Leeds 3rd highest scorer that season behind Joffy and Greenwood who were sharing the No9 and No 10 shirts. Then last season he and Drameh both wanted to go out on loan because they knew they were not going to play much due to first team issues. Bielsa refused Summerville even though 3 German clubs 4 Dutch club and some Championship clubs wanted him. There has since been a few fks thrown into him from Bielsa and then recently by Marsch. I hope can can settle down but he may be in trouble again because Marsch said yesterday he refused to allow Summerville to go home last Saturday night for his birthday Sunday. However there are photos of him at his party in Rotterdam?

 

Till the new year includes v man city. Then it's a new year ok?

 

I like a player with an attitude i can remember Best/bowles/marsh/worthington etc. Just needs a coach who can handle that sort of player. Bielsa could not but Marsch appears to have the patience

 

Correct and that other rich club away, giving the 4. Apologies to ellandback (least I don't have to say sorry to Colombia and the FL)

 

Leeds have lost the latest CAS review into the Augustin transfer but the club are going with a real legal appeal immediately

 

Morning all

Seems just about every fan knew the Augustin decision was going to go against us and so it should, we are wrong. I can’t believe they are really surprised

 

Good Morning from a sunny Bardsey
I think that this decision will be vigorously challenged and won by Leeds CAS have no jurisdictions in England as far as I am aware.Look at the Sala saga do you think Cardiff will pay NO.Thiscould roll on for years
CDK is not good enough for the PL Newcastlewill not be interested having signed a striker for 60 m so I think we have saved ourselves 32m
How come we sign so many sicknotes
I do like the look of the JUVE PLAYER he looks class and would add bite to the team

 

Were we?. We signed him on loan and paid his wages until 30th June. 30th June came season wasn't over Leeds weren't promoted. Were they supposed to pay his wages after 30th June to see if they got promoted or not? The contract ended on 30th June.

 

So it seems the only issue is a technicality. Were we obliged to buy him if we were promoted by the 30th June, or by the end of the season ? That seems to be our only argument from what I've seen/heard so far. If covid didn't happen and we got promoted we'd have to buy him, end of.

What I can't believe is that we just agreed to buy him without even stipulating other clauses, like as long as he played a certain number of games, scored a certain number of goals or something along those lines. I mean, how long did he play in total, an hour ?

 

But what an hour

 

49ers Executive Vice President and General Council for all corporate Sports Contracts Jihad F.Beauchman has been advising the Leeds Board. 49ers believe Leeds have a case and he will be leading the charge in a Swiss court as soon as the appeal is lodged.

Yanks believe Leeds Utd win and are willing to take on FIFA in a court of law. CAS isnt a legal entity. However the football authorities may try to blackmail Leeds like they did with Man City, Chelsea and PSG when they were appealing their CAS cases. Implicit threats on money payment delays or not allowing entry to certain competitions, deductions from prize money to pay Leipzig.

 

Just pay up and move on and don’t waste further millions on legal fees. Of course Leeds think they’ve a case cos a law firm has told them so and for an extortionate amount of money will take it to any number of courts. That’s how lawyers make a living

 

If they don't allow us to enter competitions how can we accumulate prize money?. Not that we will finish in the top six anyway.