This had "strange" written all over it from day one. Out of the blue we are informed that Benito Carbone (he of Bantams and Owls fame) has been appointed as a "special consultant" to one Massimo Cellino, and he would be advising the President (oh fcuk it, if you insist, EL PRESIDENTE) on ALL matters relating to football. Well, ok then, but what else was he going to advise Massimo on? Best Italian restaurant in Leeds? Where to buy a house? Quality brothel? Anyway, so Carbone joins Leeds and meets Cellino for the FIRST time ever, and the "very nice boy" is instructed to go to Thorp Arch and give his feedback on what is happening there. Before Carbone jumps in a cab, Cellino reminds him that he has no contract, no wages, and will be working for free "and maybe we look in six months for a contract" because "he is still learning". WTF? So off Benito goes, meets the staff, looks at the players, and in a flash we are told by Cellino that we have "Champions League facilities but we are not a Champions League club, so we must change". A running track at a local school is mentioned as a potential new training base. In the meantime, obviously thanks to Carbone openly supporting Cellino's cost cutting drive, we are then told that Redfearn will no longer be Head of Academy, and Carbone is now going to assume that role and be responsible for youth development and in particular running the Blazing Squad. Carbone immediately proclaims we have "seven or eight" very talented youngsters, although Leeds fans in the know put this figure nearer twenty. Carbone doesn't take long to make his mark, and youth coaches Naylor (u18s manager) and Bromby are sacked. Goalkeeping coach Leaning follows shortly after (no doubt Kenny's fault) and youth keeper coach Sullivan is promoted to look after the First Team goalies and is sent off for Italian lessons. Its not long before Sully can be heard putting his new language skills to use on the training ground with "scopare" "idiota" "imbecille" "stupido" and "culo" echoing around Thorp Arch, and this is just in conversation with the Hock. Redders kerps his composure and remains dignified as he sees a bunch of kids he nurtured go with the seniors to Italy to train. They also play in a few friendlies and shine. Upon returning to the UK it becomes clear that one of the lads brought through by Redders, and who was championed by the ex Academy coach even when he suffered a terrible injury as a sixteen year old, is unhappy with this new regime, and he is promptly sent to Wednesday on a Friday for nowt. All is looking good at Cirque du Cellino and then ... BOOM!! We struggle to get transfer targets over the line, with the count of missed signings standing at around ten already, and then we choke on our cornflakes as we hear the news that Carbone has left Leeds "for family reasons". Depends on which family you are talking about ... Soprano or Corleone? Now what? Redders dropping out of the First Team coaching setup to run the Academy again? Ne Head of Academy to be found? Who will be managing the Blazing Squad if this position isn't filled quickly? How do the young pros feel about all this, about their prospects now of actually breaking into the seniors? A short but turbulent saga this Carbone affair, and we can only but hope its been nothing but an unusual blip rather than a taste of things to come (sounds like oral sex). Then again, this is Cellino, that flamboyant, crass, rude, ill tempered god of a ringmaster, and in his circus if you don't ask "how high" when you're told to jump you are quickly fed to the lions, even if you are Mario Gotze and you ask for "just five hundred English pounds more and I sign".
We,ve missed out on ten transfer targets have we? No proof of this just more rumours and speculation. Going by twitter we've missed out on hundreds of targets. All clubs miss out on prefered targets not just Leeds. As for Lees he didn't go for nowt, he went cos he knew he was way down the pecking order at Leeds. Unhappy with the regime eh? where does he say that then. Answers on a postcard.
LiY ... read again ... this is a tongue in cheek post mate, have a giggle Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
