Good Morning Everyone, Roberto Di Mattio and Gianfranco Zola are the latest names to recieve special mentions about the vacent hot seat position at Elland Road. Not really surprising, as both are out of work and both both Italian, but would either be prepared to accept the position if asked? Now that Cellino has individually met, and has spoken to all the players, he needs to pick a Captain; someone who's up for the fight, hungry, and willing to go that extra step!!! If you were Cellino, who would you choose, and why? Is there anyone at the club, who's Captain material? After meeting the players, Cellino announced himself impressed with the âfantastic professionalismâ of the players. âI met all the players and they showed me that they wanted to stay at the club. They work for the club, not Massimo Cellino. âThey showed me respect and have a fantastic professionalism towards the club. âWe are a better team than we first thought. âAll the players are hungry to be involved in this new project at Leeds United.â Leedsâs return date is a week ahead of the prior schedule to report into Thorp Arch for the start of pre-season training on Thursday, July 3, five weeks before the new season begins. Last month, Cellino had stated he expected Unitedâs players and coaching staff to report back to work on May 28 â less than four weeks after the end of the Championship season. Cellino had claimed that the 25-day gap would account for the squadâs entire holiday allowance, but subsequently put back the date for their return to yesterday.
We are a better team than we first thought ....... Yes and that's what many of us thought too, so the manager was the problem then? So as expected the players were brought in and spoken to and then sent back on leave. We wait to see what happens with Ross because we should have heard something, but haven't. We have heard from Byram and a few more players but not Ross, and the twatter sites are also quiet, so looks like the players are under orders to keep their mouths shut. I think we will lose a few more faces in the next week or so and until I see who our new coach is going to be and any players who may arrive, I'll keep an open mind on this 'project'.
Morning Doc, not really sure what Cellino meant by 'better then he thought' comment. Was he talking about ability, or attitude? I assumed it was attitude. I'd be surprised if the players did anything else apart from lots of stretching, running etc on their firs day back
Morning troops. Fair point Forza. Think for now I'd stick with Ross. If, however, he goes, then maybe Pearce would be a good successor. At least he's more or less guaranteed to start.
Good Morning Matt from a very dull and cloudy Bardsey First of all on Look North last night Adam Pope stated that the new coach will come for a lot less money than BM was onthis indicated to me that it would be someone unknown and that the deal was already in place I think Ross will leave and I must say its the right time to sell him whilst he's still hot.Sorry to all his fans but any offer over £6m would be hard top resist as longs as the proceeds are invested in the squad So this leaves us with the captain I vote for pearce he was captain at Pompey and has come on well this season and will lead by example So to summarise a coach coming on the cheap which will rule out most on the list of candidates if I get chance I will ring Popey today
Steve Clarke would have been ideal, but because he was on Prem money he will not be cheap which rules him out as well as Zola. Zola wouldn't come anyway because he hates Maximus. Unknown coach arrives at Middelsboro and within a few weeks he had changed them completely and had them climbing the table. How many of us knew of this Spaniard before he arrived? I can't remember his name now so that's how high profile he is. So unknown coaches are not all bad, and look at the fat bastard at Rotherham, gets Crawley promoted and then back to back promotions with Rotherham. Prefer him to twats like Curbishley, Di Canio, Zola, ....... How many of us would have been pleased with Dyche, because he was unknown and we would have kicked off if he had arrived at Leeds! He turns out to be the best coach in the division, followed by Steve Maclaren who is established. So we need to keep an open mind Sell Ross because he's now Billy big boots and get between £6m & £8m of which some can be used to fill in our blanks within the remaining squad.
Let's not get confused between people most people hadn't heard of and people who actually have no decent experience. Aitor Karanka had managed Spain's U16's and was Mourinho's assistant at Real Madrid. Sean Dyche did what most people agreed was a great job at Watford, having worked their for years before being promoted from within, before being booted out by their new Italians to make way for Zola before he went to Burnley. Some people seem to think there are a certain number of managers who are "established" and then literally anyone they hadn't previously heard of comes under the same "unknown" category. People don't want Festa or Hockaday because neither have come even close to demonstrating they're capable of doing the job or proven themselves by coaching within the club. Compare that with someone like, say, Russ Wilcox at S****horpe who got them promoted and has only lost one game in charge, or Paul Clement, a highly respected young coach who has been at Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid and is looking to step into management. The difference is staggering, and yet undoubtedly most people would class them all equally as "unknown".
Ross has been repeatedly posting on twatter for ages. Posted after the meeting with Cellino And for the record practically every single post has either been positive about leeds or replying to some idiot asking him if he's leaving by saying he has no plans to leave leeds and looks forward to the start of the season. Not saying that means he isn't leaving but just saying he hasn't kept quiet and Cellino definitely hasn't told player to keep their mouths shut it would seem
Morning ... spot on Simon, Karanka is a quality coach for sure, Dyche did well at Watford and Burnley because there's no pressure or high expectations, will be interesting to see him at a club where results are demanded ... Cellino certainly knows how to talk rubbish, his claims about the players being better than he thought is utter lies ... all he is doing is setting expectations - the manager was rubbish and the players are awesome so all we need is some idiot in a tracksuit to put the bibs out, and we definitely can sell Ross and there is no need to sign any new players ... the truth is that 80% of our squad, however capable they may be with a ball, simply cannot play at a club like Leeds, they fold under the intense pressure of playing for one of the giants in English football where every season promotion is expected by EVERYONE in football, not just Leeds fans ... sorry Cellino, time to sack yourself if this is genuinely how you see things "For the sake of Leeds United he would break himself in two"
I agree with the last 2 comments, but we are always fed a diet of 'established manager' who in reality never really did a good job anywhere. George Graham was unemployable due to his history of bungs, Curbishley did a great job at Charlton and was then touted by the press to be the next England manager. West Ham he was ok but no cigar and since then he's been unemployed. paul Jewell did a great job at Bradford and the usual media scrum happened but since then he's been less than useless. The latest brilliant manager is Malky Mackay, why? he did a good job at Watford and then got Cardiff promoted but is he better than Dyche? Would Grayson have done better than Warnock and BMcD given the same funds/backing? I think he would. Steve Bruce came good in the end with Hull but has never been brilliant, and Mick macarthy must be pissing himself after being sacked by Wolves and then watching the club fall through the leagues, whilst he beefs up a poor Ipswich. There needs to be a reality and expectation check for us now. We are going to go through big changes on and off the field. we will have a new management structure, less money and probably demanding more for less, which includes the new coach. There will be cash injected where and when its required but the players will need to perform straight away or the coach gets it in the neck. I think that until we see the new coach and the new structure we have to keep quiet, and give it time. We need someone who can motivate players, someone who get the best out of his players and who would do anything for their manager/coach. All we've had recently is big mouths, bigger wages, and lack of success on the pitch and no respect from the players and staff.
I'd prefer Ross to concentrate on banging the goals in) Don't know why, but I like to see midfield generals hold the Captains armbands.
Morning Mike, overcast but about 20 degrees in Southampton Be interesting to see if you can get anything out of Popey...
I get the impression that what Cellino does not want to do is over promise. If he plays things down, then splashes a bit of cash he'll be held in higher regards, and be able to get the players he wants slightly cheaper. Problem with GFH was that they kept blowing their own trumpet. Their PR machine was out of control.....
Morning Simon, it would be nice to uncover a diamond in the rough. When we signed Snodds and Gradel, they were both relative unknowns
Morning/Afternoon Elland. It seems to me like Cellino is on a campaign of steadily lowering expectations. We've gone from big changes to the playing staff, buying back ER and TA straight away and Festa's too inexperienced to take charge of Leeds to "the players are better than we thought", buying back ER at some undefined date before next year (hopefully), sacking off TA altogether and Festa odds on to get the job. I think if you'd presented those latest propositions to people before Cellino took over they might not have been so supportive. EDIT: Not to mention promotion's been put back a year or two.