Ok so some on here complain about Warnock, who I happen to think is the very best bloke to get us out of this league. He just needs backing. Steve Bruce at Hull has wheeled and dealed and may do a decent job at hull, as theyâve brought in a few players and managed to blow Bolton away at the weekend. Paul Jewell at Ipswich has a great pedigree and has been backed by the board, but heâll either live or die this season. Mowbray at Middlesboro has a great owner in Steve Gibson, and it seems their parachute payments were wasted by Strachan, but he still has a decent team. Watford have a new owner and have backed their new manager Zola, and could do some damage this season. Forest have a new owner and OâDriscol seems to have assembled a good team, and again could do some damage. Leicester are having a final shake of the dice and should maybe have kept Sven in charge, but at the moment they are punching well below their weight, but could easily turn it around. Wolves have been a joke ever since their new owner came in and decided to sack Macarthy, because he would have kept them in the prem. Solbaken doesnât seem to know what to do yet and has spent cash and has a decent squad for this division. Owen Coyle at Bolton should be the first manager falling on his sword as his team are garbage so far, and should be challenging this season. Birmingham another team who are under performing should be higher, and have parachute money to play with. Blackpool look strong and have been able to keep a settled team ever since relegated from the prem. Have plenty of parachute payment cash and donât pay massive wages. They just get a great team performance and Holloway has them motivated. Mandric buys Wendies and brings in Dave Jones, who gets them promoted in style. They invest in some big game players are already near the top of the league. Oh how I wish Bates was Mandric and would back his manager. Cardiff are always going to be a tough team to beat and Malky Mackay seems to have got backing, investment and a settled team together. Grayson at udders will be fun to watch as he's had an owner whos backed him. So will be nice to see how he gets on and compre him to Warnock who has a bloke who doesn't back him. Thereâs more, but promotion will come from out of this group I believe, but without investment in a couple of top loan signings, I feel January will be too late for us.
Solbaken will be another Egil Olsen and will be gone by Christmas. Zola is garbage and will be as successful at Watford as Vialli! Your point about Wednesday is spot on. There's absolutely no doubt that Mandaric only bought the club to sell it on for a profit - nothing wrong with that by the way - but he's doing it in exactly the right way, e.g. investing in good players and good coaching staff. As a result they'll probably reach the Premier League in the next couple of seasons and he can sell up for a tidy sum. In contrast, Bates has tried to achieve promotion on the cheap and hasn't worked out that teams need investment if they are to succeed. As a result we're keeping our head above water due to player sales. That what really infuriates me about the man - he's not only a massive **** but he's also a **** businessman.
Jason, exactly right and all those who banged on about Bates being a fantastic businessman ..... All he's ever done is sell our best players and not replace them with anything like the quality. He's allowed contracts to run down so he doesn't have to give pay rises. On top of that because of parachute payments we fall further behind each year, as the league gets tougher. So far this season there is Forest and Watford with new owners, Leicester with fairly new owners pumping cash in. Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolves, Bolton, Blackburn all on parachute payments to ensure they can keep top squads. Cardiff investment, Hull investment, Brighton investment etc, etc, etc. How can any manager be expected to compete with this lot and win promotion. Terry Connor is the first casualty of the season as Wolves get rid of him instead of Solbakken. Terry was a great little player for leeds and I was there for his debut when as a 17-year old school kid he scored on his debut, what a great day. Went on to become a great coach and helped Bristol to promotion before Mick Macarthy sbapped him up a few years ago. Mick still raves about, so wonder if Warnock could find him a place back at his home town club.
One just has to look back at his record to see how he "achieved success" to evaluate how "good he is." Quotes are irony for those who may not get it.
Last three comments - You are all evaluating the situation like Bates gives a ****. He milks Millions out of Leeds Utd, it provides him with a luxury lifestyle, he brought the club for £10m seven years ago and could get £50m for it tomorrow if he signed the paper. If that is a failed investment I would hate to see what you need to do in order to get a successful one. You are allowing your hatred for him and your love of Leeds to distort the facts. The Facts being Leeds United as a team are going nowhere. As a business investment they have made one man very much richer.
Hi Ristac, I don't get how your last comment applies to mine. My point is that all KWB has done in his career is not quite squeeky clean or deserving of admiration. Of course buying for 10 and selling for 50 is outstanding but at what cost to others (Admin, anyone)?
But that is my point, he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. He will look back and see his purchase as a great success because he has made a mint out of LUFC. The record books will show brought for £10m sold for £50m and list it as a success.
If £50m was the agreed price, supplying a life of luxury for his family, why the delay? I just don't buy it. The delay can only be bad for Bates unless we get promoted and even he knows that is such a longshot. I don't think the offer is anywhere near that amount
Bates may walk away with a profit but he could have made it so much easier for himself. If he had treated the fans with respect and invested in the team he could be selling a Premier League team with average gates of 35-40,000. Instead he's selling a mid-range Championship side with falling support and financial problems. It'll be a miracle if he gets £50m for the club. Sure, he might get £25m which would be a big profit on his initial outlay but he could have made a lot more if the club were in the Premier League.
For many in his situation it is all about the sport of negotiation. The stumbling point is rumoured to be his refusal to sign an indemnity agreement. This is a major item for anyone making a purchase of this sort.
But where did the indemnity rumour come from? We know that Bates has not opened his mouth about anything to do with any takeover, and no-one at the club has. The reputed buyers have been close-lipped too - there is no proof we actually know who they are! There just seems to be so many rumours flying around about this that or the other to do with the takeover, and I can't take any one of them seriously because I believe absolutely no-one has an inside track. There is one thing that is true: a takeover is a possibility. That is it, I'm afraid. Anything else just seems to be made up
True, hard to know what is real and what is not. This is what happens when there is no/minimal disclosure. I am not being critical, just making an observation. I understand the reasons for non-disclosure agreements but that does not stop those who are interested from speculating. I know you disagree with this, but I am all for those who have information from those who may know what is going on sharing it with us.
Let's imagine the rumours are true, let's say for arguments sake the offer is £50m - If it was why wouldn't you sell? The only reason would be that you are making/milking £7m to £10m from the club per year? What figure would it have to be for someone, seriously, if you didn't give a toss about the club or the fans and you were making money year on year what figure would make you think YES that has tempted me. Bates refusal to speed this through suggests TWO things 1) He isn't in desperate need of the money 2) The club is making money that keeps him living a life of luxury Hence why I don't believe for a second that the club would be in a financial mess should Bates decide to stay and hence why I don't believe cash flow problem rumours. The only cash flow problem we have is that it is flowing into Bates bank account. When Bates files his accounts it is in his interest to make profits look as dire as possible. Yes you could argue he could have made it easier, invested in an attempt to assure promotion and made even more but it is a gamble, promotion is not anyone's right no matter how much you throw at it. Let us assume Bates is making around £7m a year out of us, why would you need to gamble, that's enough to live on isn't it?
I don't disagree with that sentiment at all, but the wider question is who has real true information and who is making stuff up and who is passing stuff on they would like to be true become they heard it from someone they like and look up to but there is still no way they could be in the know
I guess we might never know - Even when it falls through or goes through both sides will have a different version of events. Some will claim I told you so as they will pick out one of the many versions "of I told you so". Indeed my own opinion has changed many times, I was sure this was going to happen and be concluded probably a month back at worse, now I believe it either won't happen or it will be very late in the year. I wouldn't be surprised if we are having take over excitement rumours all the way up to the close of the January window. I think Bates is playing a waiting game, hoping that NW has assembled a promotion challenging side, when it is obvious that he hasn't then he might sell. One thing nobody can doubt is that Bates is in no urgent hurry, does that smell of a chairman who is in a financial pickle?
Kenny Jackett has spent 4 years building a team and apart from Morison has kept all his top players, last season was a no brainer has we had top players injured for the whole season, But they are now returning. Jacketts team will soon be at full strength and will be right up there. Jackett will guide us to promotion this season watch this space........
