Well, that was tough to watch today, yet watch I did ... it was almost as painful as watching Harry Hill's TV Burp!! We really made Wendys look a lot better than they actually are, but they will soon get back to normal, hopefully with Gray getting the job permanently. Now, on to the more pressing issue, our struggles of late. Firstly, let's look at the real problem, which is the diseased club Bates left us with ... Haigh is slowly draining the poison from where Bates dug his fangs into us, but we're not at full health just yet. We still have some rotten bits floating about, but come June most of the rubbish will be gone. Just think: Michael Brown David Norris Luke Varney Paul Green Adam Drury Danny Pugh El Hadj Diouf Michael Tonge Jamie Ashdown Imagine all these wage eaters off our books in the summer, either because their contracts are up or we move them on. This is almost an entire team of non-contributors who simply aren't good enough for Leeds United. Not one of these were signed by McD. But its not just these that have caused our club to suffer long term illness. Think of these geniuses who did nothing to help our club progress: Paynter O'Brien Rachubka Kilkenny Hughes O'Dea Bruce Habibou Morison etc etc etc You getting the picture? And what about talent totally wasted by inept managers? Such as: Barkley Livermore Townsend Bannan etc etc etc And talent shipped out instead of building with them: Howson Snodgrass Beckford Gradel Becchio etc etc etc Yep, Bates really messed us up, and muppets like Grayson and Warnock did very little to improve things. Their collective handiwork came home to roost these past few weeks. Today was awful, very difficult to watch, yet I didn't feel as despondent as I thought I might. Why? Because I still believe we have the right manager who just needs the time to build HIS team. What was worse than today? Sitting in the upper tier of the East Stand on a freezing Tuesday night watching us race into a 4-1 lead against a poor Preston, only to end up losing 6-4 - you see I knew Grayson was incapable of taking us forward even before that game, and so it proved. Then there is the scouting system that was dismantled by Bates and allowed to happen by the managers, the ridiculous setup at Thorp Arch, etc etc etc. So what happened against the Wendys? Let's start with the engine room ... Austin and Mowatt were both maseively off the pace, and both looked decidedly jaded ... Mowatt is understandable, he is still a baby and this is a tough division to learn in, but who do you rest him for? And rest doesn't mean one game either, it means two or three ... Austin is more of a concern, he is looking like a 20-games a season player right now, and he could do with a few games on the bench, but who comes in? Our wing-backs didn't work today because they are, well, just very average players, and their inability to bring the wingers into the game highlighted their shortcomings, although the midfielders losing possession and territory didn't help at all. The central defenders were under serious pressure all game because Wendys had players running at them from all directions, and Mowatt/Austin simply didn't have the legs to keep up and defend in front of them. Very hard when spare runners pop up all the time, including their full backs who got beyond Pugh/Peltier far too easily. The red card robbed us of the chance to see if a 4-4-2 would have changed things, although in this match all I could see happening was long balls from the back up to Smith ... we struggled to keep the ball, and were nowhere in terms of creativity, showing us the problems we have in midfield right now. But who to pick? Tonge? Norris? Green? Brown? Oh fcuk it!! McD is very good manager, much better than Warnock or Grayson before him. I would like to see him stay to the end of next season, giving him the time he needs to rebuild our club and squeeze the last of the poison out of us. He is intelligent, a gentleman, and someone we can trust. I really like him as a person, and I like him as a manager. He is honest, and he takes responsibility rather than blame Tom Lees or bang his secretary. McD is doing his best to bring the club together and put the bricks in place, one by one, but these things take time, especially when you're hampered by having so many poor players still in contract. So let's look to the future ... the transfer window promises at least another couple of signings, and this will help us a lot, as these will no doubt influence the spine of the team now that we have wingers in place. Our season isn't over just yet, but I'll admit its not looking clever. Tactically McD is forced to make decisions according to the players available to him, and particularly those he trusts, or shall I say trusted? And for me there it is, the big issue ... McD has defended his players time and again, taking the responsibility squarely on his shoulders, but this will definitely be the last straw. In his post debacle interview he said the players were going to be in tomorrow morning to reassess their performances and discuss the way forward. He made it clear that he was "going back to basics with this group of players." And he is right. The players have abused his trust and protection, and now they need to go back to school and learn that this is just not acceptable, regardless of which club you play for. Let's see who steps up to the plate and who wilts. McD will find out who will be in his squad next season at the very least. Still a lot to play for. And so to next season. We are going to need at least nine new players in the summer, and although they may all be quality signings, the problem is can we put together a team that gels quickly and competes? At the end of this transfer window I'll start a thread dedicated to looking at the summer potential ins and outs, and we can then discuss the new problems facing McD. For now we must stick together, shrug off this recent dissapointment and back our manager ... he is after all a very good manager and he will get it right, no thanks to Bates!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hope you're right but I fear not. Yes we need nine players plus in the summer but Haighs idea of spending is freebies and that will continue. Eg Stewart on loan followed by a three year contract. Nothing to suggest he's anything better than what we have. You believe McD is the saviour. What if he's not. were going to allow him assemble another crew on three and four year contracts and be left with another useless crew in a years time. He hasn't done enough for me to deserve the incessant in McD we trust mantra
But if its Haighs fault only allowing freebies and loanees you can hardly blame McD for the quality available to him
Look, with FFP kicking in clubs will be taking less risks next season because they can't afford to get caught out financially if they don't go up, so I expect the transfer market will right itself ... I don't want us to be stupid and make bad decisions just to play promotion roulette ... McD has a BIG problem with the amount of rubbish in the squad, and I can't think who there is to replace him for one, and who would do better with our genuinely DEAD wood ... so, name a fcuking manager out there we should go and sign right now, it's pointless saying McD should go but not have a replacement lined up ... take a good look around, Mandaric still hasn't replaced Jones at Wendys because he says there is a lack of quality candidates ... makes you think ... we desperately need to fix our squad and free up wages to bring in players, and it isn't easy for the board to jst add on and add on players, bloating the squad and busting the budget ... fcuking Bates really did a number on us and we all half expected sonething like this to happen, its just that I genuinely believe that McD is the right man to do the surgery necessary and fix us, and as the first bloke in to try and repair the damage Bates caused he really should be given the chance ... our dross is so bad we can't even give them away for free FFS!!!! Has McD got the drive and energy to make this work? YES Has McD got the desire to succeed? YES So give him the chance to bring in players he feels he can work with and who can blend into the team he wants, and then if they don't work sack him. If we bring in a new manager now or July, everyone will be saying he should be GIVEN THE CHANCE TO BUILD HIS TEAM ... so why not McD? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
You mean like Wootton, Zaliukas, Ariyibi, Kebe, Murphy, Stewart, Hunt & Smith ? How many of those are guaranteed a start next week?
GFH and/or Haighs consortium are all hot air. They have no money to BUY players. Two strikers who were allegedly on our 'radar' gone to rivals (Barnes & Wells) we were never at the races because they commanded a FEE! We get constant spin - as opposed to bullsh*t, (same thing really) about how the board will back the manager in the transfer window - read the small print boys.......only freebies permitted. One average loan signing (Stewart) who addmittedly looked better & more involved after Kebe went off, another loan signing, Kebe - who will only grace us on a full contract if we get promoted - well he can feck off now with that attitude, he's either in or he's not. And lets face it, we are NOT gonna get promoted this season, so save a few quid on shirt printing!! Diouf - what good is he to us this season, he needs to be got rid of & pay him off. Not playing, not training, not interested. Pay up all the dead wood now get them off the books. If they arent gonna feature for us clear the decks & cut our losses, get some QUALITY in for Christ sake. I was there today & I was totally humiliated & embarrassed by that abject excuse of a performance. I would have been better served burning my £30 on the fire at home. And to top it all off, an hour before k.o. I buy a cheeseburger in the ground & they have NO goddam CHEESE! It was surely a sign!
What is going on? Why are people making comments that don't add up? For one, it's not Kebe who decided he'll only sign on if we get promoted, Leeds decided he should earn a full time contract through helping us to get promoted, and he agreed ... Kebe is here to try and become a Leeds player in the long term, and that's to be applauded ... all this destabilising talk, just spouting off in all directions, no fcuking wonder this club struggles to come right with "supporters" who don't support their club in the tough times ... Bates is gone, he's left us in deep sh1t and now Haigh and McD are trying to fix it ... the only instant fix is for an oil baron to come in and pour £200m into the club, but that's not going to happen ... so, now is the time to stick together and help McD to do his job ... he will squeeze the puss out of the ugly sore and get us to where we want to be Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
We are letting McDermott do his job, but today especially he didn't do it very well. Two wingbacks and two wingers, one of whom (Kebe) wasn't match fit, little McCormack up front on his own and isolated, big Matt Smith (for who the wingers were brought in to provide service to) doesn't even start, our best wingback Byram on the bench alongside McDermott's very own £1m signing Murphy....very strange.
Our problem was Mowatt and Austin doing sweet fa in midfield, says it all that Lee was MoM Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I still applauded the team off. I applauded BMcD too & take my hat off to him for taking that long walk towards the Leeds fans & applauding us. God knows what was going through his head!! M.O.T. as ALWAYS but I reserve the right to have an opinion.
Blame Sky the presenters stated today that Kebe is on loan and HE has agreed to sign IF we get promoted. The way they worded it certainly made it sound as Bite-Yer-Legs has described.
Ristac, now you are being argumentative for the sake of it ... he agreed to the terms Leeds put in front of him, not Leeds agreeing to his terms ... the lad said it took one call from McD and he couldn't get up the M1 quickly enough, he's even got a house sorted already, that's how keen he is ... it fcuks me off no end when people abuse a player who WANTS to play for us, and who is much better than 90% of the sh1t we currently have ... its these baseless comments that create ill feeling towards players and manager and we go backwards non stop ... just let McD get on and fix this mess, he will, he is a damn good manager who was let down by a stupid Russian chairman and Reading will rue that decision for years to come Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
You're definintely looking for a fight tonight, billy. Did we lose or something? OK, so you've got it from the horse's mouth or something. Us mere mortals have to listen to the interpretations we are fed by the various media. Don't blame us for simply repeating what's been said in public! Btw, this from the OS ... Kebe has joined on an initial loan deal with a view to a permanent switch should the club win promotion to the Premier League – and the former Reading winger is already thinking long-term. - See more at: http://www.leedsunited.com/news/art...tle/no-holiday-for-jimmy#sthash.QguJVKhG.dpuf
How do you work that one out? I am saying blame Sky for reporting it that way. I am not arguing, I am stating that Sky TV started the rumour not the members of this forum.
I think the title of thid Post sums things up nicely. Having been stuffed, it would be very easy to panic. But a BCD exchange of views will help. Byram and Warnock back & playing as R & LB respectively. A bit of steel in CM with the two new wingers playing AND TWO UP TOP. The biggest problem today was the formation. Ross spent too much time on his own with no one to feed off. I trust BMD implicitly to sort things out. Had Smith started in a straight 442, we would probably have seen anentirely different result. Keep the faith boys and girls. We'll get there with two or three new players between now and the start of next season
