Our poor points total is primarily down to the fact we had two awful managers. Not saying we would have stayed up, but we should have got 20+ points at least. Our squad is just as good as Ipswich’s, who we took 4 points from (would have been 6 were it not for a 97th minute equaliser in a game that should have had three minutes max). Our u21 coach stepped in for half a dozen games and did the best of all three coaches. So that tells you something.
You can't tell me everyone didn't have to run to Wiki to check on Will Still and I have to say, I would have strong reservations about him if it were Leeds appointing him last season. Lens fans are divided on him, many saying they underperformed last season, inexperienced, I stand by that, he has coached a total of 127 games and the Championship can be a beast, he is coming from a league playing 34 games a season to a league playing 46 for starters. I didn't want Farke to be honest but I knew he was the best we could hope for at the time, the squad Farke inherited, any half decent manager should finish top 3 and we did. Before you possibly ask, am I concerned about Farke in the PL yes hugely I don't disagree about Leicester, I think they are done for and I can't see them back in the PL anytime soon. My previous post wasn't a dig, I just saw the results for you guys week after week and heard the reports and pundits on Sky and there was no denying, it was an atrocious season and without being a supporter of the club and an outsider looking in, I would have written you off this season, however... Over the last two weeks, Leeds have been linked with just about everyone, 95% will be garbage but we are fans so we obviously look up those players mentioned. Being linked with 2-3 Southampton players, I was amazed at the asking price (considering I thought you had an atrocious season) so how on earth could you have talent to the values being mentioned. It was only then I realised if you hold on to the better players you do have a decent squad Maybe like Leeds with Farke, it won't matter too much who is in charge.
It’s quite simple really. We had a squad that should have been capable of giving it more of a go, but we threw away all the momentum of promotion by playing suicide ball in the first few months of the season. Manager then sacked, players demoralised and we bring in a guy who is the polar opposite to Martin in every way and he can’t turn the momentum around. We wouldn’t have stayed up even with a good manager but we would’ve got about double the points I think. The difference between the PL and the Championship is massive, just compare Leeds’ side to any of the 17 surviving PL ones and you will see the gulf that exists. You will need a big window to give yourselves a chance, it’s started well for you though given what’s happening to Wolves, Bournemouth and Brentford. The teams we would’ve been targeting to finish above last season didn’t have as much turnover as they are going to have and that could be crucial for a promoted teams survival
It's always a hard one to call until the transfer window has closed. We were really, really bad last time we got relegated too (albeit this time we've been even worse), and still had several quality PL players that we sold for good money. Just because they were part of an awful team, doesn't mean they can't still be PL quality themselves and have potential to be excellent PL players and as such, are worth decent money. Much the same is true this time too, and we have no reason to sell them cheaply so can demand what we consider to be good money for their sales. I expect we will sell some and keep a couple of those players. Regardless of the ifs. One thing that is for certain is we will have a big budget compared to most of the rest of the league even before sales, and the ability to pay higher wages and be an attractive prospect as a recent PL club. We will also have a lot of the same players that while not up to the PL, were very good in the Championship for us. So there should be plenty to work with even before any transfer business is done. The manager is a gamble, but that's pretty much always the case. No such thing as guarantees in football. Very few, if any mangers available and willing to come that have experience winning promotion from the Championship. Maybe a manager of a midtable team from the Championship would be better, maybe not.
Under performed? They finish 7th I believe and sold four of their best players in the January transfer window for around £100 million and didn't replace them. I think they finished 1 more point better off than the previous season too but I may be wrong. As regards to how bad we were yes we were crap. VAR played it's part too. The amount of the decisions that went against us was diabolical. Would we have stayed up without those dodgy decisions hell no but the gap in points between us and Leicester would not have been so wide. Does Farke have a plan B ? If not God help you. Martin and Juric didn't and we all know how that ended.
8th outside of Europe places, one place lower than previous season and 6 places lower than the season prior to that He might be a great coach, you might be excited by him, I think it’s a gamble but it’s all opinion Farke I’m concerned about, I wish there was an alternative before going into this season
No better than what we have, worse actually, I don’t get the love for Cooper, he’s not bad at Championship level, he certainly isn’t PL material Dyche with the right team but a bit of a dinosaur and again, he’s not who I’d want in the PL Rohl no record outside of the Championship and Wednesday Under Farke we sold £163m worth of players 2024/25 and signed £33m we still managed 100 points and would have smashed the 106 record if we’d replaced Meslier sooner. Following relegation 23/24 we were hit with 11 players going out on loan due to the previous DOF contracts he’d issued, it was chaos Farke is still the best we could attract right now
I think we're in a similar place in a way in that Still is the best we're likely to get. Staying in the Premier League after going up is getting harder and harder. We aren't going to attract a proven Premier League manager right now and any other established manager is unlikely to keep us up if we go up. So we're trying to find an up and coming manager that can hopefully get us promoted, grow into the job and keep us up before they inevitably disappear off to someone like Spurs or Brighton. So in that sense Still is probably the best we're likely to get.
I get that This has turned into a discussion about the quality of your coach, when my initial intention was really stating I was amazed at the value/quality of some of your players when the talk is top 3 after a dreadful season and it being a hard one to call until everyone's transfer activity has finished. Like Ipswich, McKenna is the best equipped to get them back up but if he goes it would dent their hopes. I also feel this is McKenna's level, if he does get them back up they need someone else in the PL but easier said than done. We need a PL shake up, of course I am biased but it would be fantastic if the three promoted stayed up and we had Everton, West Ham and one other relegated. The mould needs breaking
Player values are hugely based on contract length. The players being linked with the big money moves (Fernandes, Ramsdale, Harwood-Bellis) all signed last summer so have plenty of time on their deals. Arguably our best player and most proven as being a good PL player is KWP and he’s leaving for nothing as his contract is up. Last summer there was talk of him going for 10/15m because he only had a year left. Dibling has 2 years left so id be surprised if he ended up going for the sorts of fees being thrown about, but he’s young, talented, English and appears to have lots of the big clubs after him so that adds a fair bit on as well. Your point about how valued/quality of the players who had such a **** season just reinforces the quality of the league I think. Every team has quality throughout, we didn’t have enough and combined with poor management culminated in the season we had.
Don’t disagree with that but I can’t see it happening unless the PSR rules are somehow changed to give promoted clubs a fighting chance at least. I think it’s crazy for example, to share out unused parachute money to the 17 established premier league clubs (unless I’ve got that wrong).
Fair. I think the short answer to that is that most of our squad isn't good enough for the Premier League but we've got a handful of very good players (Ramsdale, KWP, Fernandes, Dibling) plus some British youngsters who are ex-Man City and have potential (Harwood-Bellis, Charles) and those are the players you'll have seen teams linked to. I also find it hard to judge fees these days because they're all crazy. I mean, £30-odd million for Jobe Bellingham who's only ever played in the Championship...
I find it even crazier than the established 17 are entitled to make bigger losses under PSR than the newly promoted three - despite the fact that the established 17 have already benefitted from greater income. If anything it should be the other way round. The promoted clubs should be allowed to make bigger losses. But it won't change, because the established 17 won't vote to change.
If anyone on here still doubs how even a small bet can influence odds on a new manager market take a look at some of the names on the new Bristol City manager list, a couple in particular are hilarious
I’d be putting my money on Clough. I think if he had Jim Magilton as his assistant he’d get them promoted!
Clough at 9/1 is only a slightly worse bet than Fergie at 20s. Surprised they actually took a bet on Clough tbh.
If someone is willing to part with their money to place a bet on a dead person coming back to manage a football team, then the bookmakers will be only too happy to relieve them of their hard-earned cash. People have bet on stranger things
