The Heat is On - reminds me of Miami Vice

From the veritable Yorkshire Evening Post this morning (sic! - evening and morning?), Phil Hay has summarised what is happening at LUFC, the targets that have not been delivered, the playerrs who have not signed their contracts, and the players who are disillusioned.

Leeds United FC is on the brink of complete implosion, unless some real strategic management to steady the sinking ship is brought in. Harvey, Taylor, Murrin, Lorimer, Bates and the rest of the Board have made a right pigs ear of running this club - however you look at it - and there are no excuses that can be made to absolve them of their sorry responsibilities. What a legacy they appear to be leaving!




By Phil Hay
Published on Saturday 9 June 2012 08:45



Leeds United were under increasing pressure to deliver on the prospect of investment today and ease the frustration of manager Neil Warnock.


The club have made no comment on the likelihood of a cash injection at Elland Road since announcing 10 days ago that talks were underway with potential investors, but they are facing calls for answers following Warnock’s return from a two-week summer break.

Associates of the United boss contacted by the YEP say Warnock is deeply concerned by both the lack of signings made last month and the threat that a shortage of transfer funds poses to his plans for the summer.

Leeds continued to work towards an investment deal while Warnock was away in the Caribbean but the club have given no public indication of decisive progress with an American group who were shown around Elland Road and Thorp Arch on May 24.

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The need for a fresh funding at Elland Road became apparent last month after Warnock’s attempt to sign right-back Joel Ward from Portsmouth failed. Leeds were unable to finance the £400,000 fee originally negotiated with Portsmouth’s administrators.

Interest in Derby County midfielder Paul Green was also stifled, despite the Republic of Ireland international being available on a free, and the YEP understands that proposed talks between Warnock and Portsmouth’s David Norris have been delayed due to a lack of available money.

Warnock made no secret of his plan to overhaul of United’s squad this summer and he warned when he became manager in February that he would only remain in charge for the 2012-13 campaign if the resources at Elland Road offered a realistic chance of promotion. In his absence during the past fortnight, another of his targets, defender Clint Hill, has taken up a new contract at Queens Park Rangers and a suggestion from goalkeeper Paddy Kenny – published on his Twitter account on Thursday – that a deal to take him from QPR is in place appears to have been premature.

Warnock, meanwhile, is still to resolve the future of club captain Robert Snodgrass after offering him a new deal which would make him United’s highest earner.

Snodgrass, whose current deal runs out next year, is believed to be reluctant to commit himself to new terms while so much of Warnock’s plans are unfulfilled.

The Leeds United Supporters Trust (LUST) heightened the pressure on Leeds further last night by claiming to have been contacted by an intermediary of “disillusioned and disheartened” players at Elland Road.

In a statement, LUST said the players concerned were “feeling undervalued and totally frustrated by the lack of ambition Leeds United are showing.”

“They desperately want to be part of a Leeds United side that wins promotion to the Premier League,” the statement read.

“With the current situation at the club, they cannot see how that will be possible.”