The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Tuesday 2nd September)

Good Morning. It's Tuesday 2nd September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Leeds point the finger of blame at Fulham for reneging on Wilson deal

Leeds United’s deadline day pursuit of Fulham’s versatile attacking midfielder Harry Wilson culminated in a dramatic collapse, leaving the Elland Road hierarchy pointing the finger at Fulham for allegedly reneging on the deal at the eleventh hour. The most striking image of this failed transfer saga unfolded in the skies, as a plane carrying Wilson, having departed Staverton Airport, abruptly aborted its flight and returned to Gloucester, leaving flight trackers and fans utterly bewildered.

Fulham offer a completely different narrative, insisting they had informed Leeds from the outset that Wilson was not for sale. They point to Leeds’ initial approach for a season-long loan, a move deemed highly improbable given Wilson had only 12 months remaining on his contract. Despite the Cottagers firm denials, various media outlets had, throughout the day, suggested they would indeed be prepared to sanction a permanent deal for Wilson, contingent on securing their own transfer targets.

Fulham ultimately landed all three deadline day signings and, according to multiple reports across the press, even agreed a fee for Wilson, making their alleged eleventh-hour withdrawal, or their earlier firm stance somewhat deceitful. The precise sequence of events and the true nature of negotiations between the two clubs remain shrouded in conflicting accounts.

please log in to view this image

Widespread anger among Leeds fans as recruitment job left unfinished

Deadline day became a catalyst for widespread anger and despair among the Elland Road faithful as the transfer window slammed shut without any new arrivals. Social media became toxic with incensed reactions from supporters, frustrated by the club's failure to secure the attacking reinforcements manager Daniel Farke had so vehemently called for.

Despite an overhaul that saw ten new players arrive at Elland Road this summer, the prevailing sentiment among fans is one of disappointment, particularly concerning the final third. Farke himself had issued a stark warning over the weekend, cautioning that without additional attacking quality, the Whites could find themselves staring down the barrel of an immediate return to the Championship.

The frustration runs deeper than just the lack of final-day signings; it’s a critique of the Leeds hierarchy's overall transfer strategy. Many fans feel that despite the numerous additions, the crucial areas of attack were left perilously short in both numbers and quality. Rumours of financial constraints were rife, perhaps in a bid to quelle expectation.

The Whites have only recouped £8 million from player sales, but have failed to secure loan fees for failed to secure loan fee's for five of their six temporary departures. According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, only Max Wober secured a monitory fee, and that was a mere £1m.

While there are few complaints about the calibre of players Leeds have managed to bring in, the glaring omission in attack casts a long, ominous shadow. When supporters cast their eyes towards other clubs languishing at the wrong end of the Premier League table, and compare, it's difficult to see an escape route

Have the 49ers inadvertently set the stage for a season-long battle against relegation? The once-optimistic spirit of a new Premier League campaign has, for many Leeds fans, unequivocally curdled into anxiety and indignation.

please log in to view this image

Gyabi completes free transfer to Hull

Darko Gyabi has completed a permanent move to Hull City, signing a three-year deal with an option for a fourth. This transfer, however, is notable for its intricate structure, driven by Hull's current transfer embargo which restricted them to only free transfers or loan agreements.

As a result, Leeds United have reportedly sanctioned Gyabi's departure on a free. To compensate for this, Leeds have inserted a 50% sell-on clause into his contract, ensuring the Whites receive a significant portion of any future transfer fee should he come good in the future.

Leeds have had no shortage of interest in the youngster, with five clubs chasing his signature, two of which are in France, but it's understood he was keen to stay local, and will join up with former teammate Joe Gelhardt who has already netted twice in three games for the Tigers.

please log in to view this image

 

It is what it is. Fans have a lot to answer for too. For last four months there’s been hundreds linked with the club everywhere. This then becomes a list in everyone’s head. Nobody knows what percentage of those named were true at all. One point of note Kinnear warned a couple of years back that the policy of signing 10 to 15m pound players for the pl was a waste of time, you needed to be shopping in the 30m bracket. Well this lot have gone worse, throwing in some freebies in the mix. I always thought there was something about Kinnear leaving and I personally believe he wouldn’t back another scatter gun recruitment approach so he walked and brought the important part of the recruitment team with him. Anyway all history now. A season that looked to have had some
Potential has had the mat firmly pulled from under the supporters feet. Btw any predictions for when ground expansion will begin

 

do you want your ground expansion prediction to the nearest decade or century?

 

It’s a bit of a game Eire over the summer to get linked with players, look them up decide if they're any good. And then see how they turn out the following year when they’ve signed for other clubs. It’s a football education, I personally don’t take it all too seriously.

However much knee jerk hyperbole we get over signings and failed signings all that matters is whether the team has been strengthened. In my view, the squad depth has been strengthened but first choice 11 hasn’t really. Missed opportunity. Negligent.

 

Hi everyone
Thoroughly deflated after the transfer window, most other teams went out and got their targets and have now strengthened their squads, we however have done our usual dilly dallying around and basically ended up with fck all.
A long hard season ahead, whether we will survive or not is very much now in the balance, as we look very week in the finale third, one thing is for sure we will not be scoring lot's of goals, we now more than ever will have to rely on Perri and his defense and scrape a few odd 1-0 wins along the way against teams in the lower half of the table.
Despite all the explanations on here and with the club, i Still don't understand why we dither so much in the transfer market.

 

Of note. Our old recruitment team did a job of securing Jack Grealish for Everton.

 

Morning all,

Nmecha, Piroe and Calvert-Lewin must feel like **** after hearing Farke’s comments and reading the cesspit that is social media about our attack being deemed not good enough.

Calvert-Lewin appears to be fit and is good enough. The other two are decent backup.

Farke needs to back his players and not undermine their confidence.

 

Heads need to role and promoting Underwood to a DoF role was a complete joke. His skillset is academy coaching and academy admin. Greta Steinsen was supposed to be the biggy who was at Spurs and has loads of contacts. His team of data analysts, scouts all around the world and what do we do…. We move them all on around the same time Angus Kinnear decides to join Everton (Who had a great transfer window) sorry but Marathe has screwed up badly and we will be relegated so all those big investors are going to be fuming as the stadium development doesn’t happen. Promises made to fans and promises made to investors leaves everyone fuming. Many of those investors are part of Leeds Utd social media groups and they will all see the anger, trouble at mill.

Anyone see Forest perform yesterday, just before the window closes a player deal collapses but they got straight on the phone and Zinchenko from Arsenal moved to Forest on loan. Within minutes all done. We took weeks on forwards and could only get Okafor

 

I'm getting the word....shambles
But we are Leeds it's what we do, let's face it we're all a bit unhinged for following the club with what they put us through...but we'll still keep coming for more ....

 

Morning all.

We've just got to accept that we are not a big club in the Premiership and will mostly always lose out to other teams on transfers. its shocking, but sadly very true. This will change if we can survive and establish ourselves as a Prem club every season.

When we went up with Bielsa, he was the attraction for signing of players due him being a living legend etc. Whereas Farke doesnt have that attraction in comparison. This time for him in the premiersho, he's has been backed with £120M and apart from not getting another attacking player in, hes not anything else to moan about. We played well on Saturday, just lacked the quality in the final third...

I really hope DCL gets his scoring boots on, as now I've seen him play (against ewcastle) properly. He looks like he has a really good first touch, and gets in places where he worries defences. Just hope his finishing can come hand in hand with this, he gets condifence and turns into a really good signing.

 

Going for Paixao raised expectations through the roof.

I'm not happy with the lack of signings up front BUT if we go down, we are much better prepared to bounce back up again at the first attempt.

 

Morning all

I should have posted this here:

It’s not Fulham’s fault, it’s ours. Every window we never learn, Swansea and James, don’t go to bed just yet….

Earlier in the window, why were we wasting any time on players who didn’t want to join, if the players agent says we’re waiting to see what offers he receives or his preference is XYZ we move swiftly on.

Before the window opened we should have known who was of interest. Two weeks before the season ended we knew we were in the PL, was it a case of Kinnear and co simply taking all the contacts with them and our new guy having to start from scratch

Why did we not take Solomon back, it’s all very bizarre and huge mistakes have been made. If the 49ers were willing to put the cash up they need to have some sense and get a new recruitment team in before January

The blame is with Leeds United and the recruitment team, nobody else.

 

And after losing to us, they win their next two, one player big difference. They also ensure we’re stuck with Jack and his heavy wage. Kinnear knows what we can afford, our weaknesses and contracts, a valuable weapon for a team that before the start of week two, was a rival for relegation

 

Anyway, Harry Wilson would have been very useful but I don’t think he’d have made a huge difference. I’d have preferred Solomon left, Gnonto right and Okafor and James fighting for the place.

Our deadline day isn’t a failure if Wilson was all our eggs in one basket and if he’s nearly not good enough for Fulham who are bottom three with one point then he shouldn’t be for us

If the rumours are true that he took a dump in our dressing rooms after the Derby defeat I wouldn’t have welcomed him anyway

 

I've been told that Okafor had but better statistical data, compared to Solomon. Saying that, Leeds only approached Milan after Solly rejected us at least once.

 

You don’t know that. We’ve no idea what members of that squad will play in championship. Could be another clearout

 

We know Jack already has a clause so he’d jump ship

I dread to think how the injury prone in our team would cope with 46 games

 

Take your point but I thought he chose his words carefully, and made it clear his priority was 10/winger as we have never had back up/competition for Aaronson. Which he has mentioned in several windows unheeded.

 

We haven't replaced Pablo

 

I hope that's nonsense as statistical data in different leagues is meaningless comparison. I do get that we would be loaded with left wingers had we gone in again for Solomon after taking Okafor. I do wonder why Solomon would reject us but say yes to anyone with a pulse on deadline day. Was his time here that bad?!