Good Morning. It's Thursday 12th September, and here are the Leeds Utd headlines Beginning of a new dynasty for Dallas and Cooper Leeds Utd have handed out brand new four and five year deals to Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper. It would be fair to say that Stuart Dallas has been one of our standout players this season. The versatile 28yo will play at any position at any time - but will that be good enough if and when we reach the Premiership? Many of 136 displays in the last four years have been been cameo appearances and if truth be known he has not set the World alight until now! Lets move on to Liam Cooper. I think we all agree that the Scottish centre back is playing to capacity, and I don't feel that there is an awful lot of improvement our Captain has in him. In my opinion Coopers ability is limited, but Bielsa has made sure that he is doing the basics well. The deal lasts until 2024 when Cooper will be 33, and is worth 5m (20k a week). The Premiership is a different kettle of fish. Before anyone mentions they will be squad players, which clubs award squad players with 4 and 5 year contracts these days? To award 4 and 5 year deals respectively is ludicrous. I bet the rest of the squad are licking their lips about what may be in store for them! Agree? Why haven't Leeds extended Klich's contract yet? The Polish International is in the final twelve months of his contract whilst Coopers was double that? What impact will these contracts have on Leeds overall wage bill? They saw a huge rise last season as it increased from £20.7m to £31.4m (52%). Should Leeds achieve promotion is has been disclosed they will owe players and staff £18.1m in bonuses. Many of the wage increases can be balanced against the 30 players that left the club in the Summer please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Popey reveals Radrizzani needs investment According to Adam Pope, Leeds are on the lookout for new investment. The Leeds Utd journalist was a guest on the 'Talking Shutt Podcast' yesterday where he revealed: “I spoke to Angus Kinnear last week and asked if Leeds are in the market for selling this season. He said selling is not on the cards but I believe they’re still looking for money to come in. “My issue would be if you’re getting more investment you’re going to fracture the ownership. You’ve got the 49ers, Andrea, then somebody else, for me, ruling by committee doesn’t work. “The answer was ‘we’re looking for the right type’. I thought there was potential he [Radrizzani] might have sold up last season but with being top of the league it was clear he wanted to stay. “There is no doubt there’s a need for money. Leeds is a beast that needs feeding and it’s tough for them to make money. How long can he go on for? Another year maybe. “The QSI [Qatar Sports Investments] link is really interesting and we know Radrizzani is friends with Nasser Al-Khelaifi [QSI chairman and Paris St Germain president]. Whether it was used as an attempt to threaten the French authorities, saying ‘I’ll take my money from France and go to England’, but right now I don’t get the impression anyone’s coming in, whether it’s a small amount of money or a takeover. “There are connections with Radrizzani and Nasser Al-Khelaifi so who knows if that reappears at some point.” please log in to view this image Baggies angry with Leeds West Brom have expressed their anger toward Leeds Utd over ticket prices for their forthcoming game on October 1st. Not only is the game going to be screened on Sky Sports, but its a midweek fixture too. Is £39 a ticket for an away midweek fixture daylight robbery or good value? please log in to view this image
Morning all We have already done to death Dallas and Cooper yesterday but the Klich question really isn't a question because I hear a deal was discusses weeks ago and Klich said write it up and I'll sign it. Klich was another player who turned down moves in the Summer because he is happy at Leeds and learning under Bielsa. I expect the deal confirming anytime. Ticket pricing is and always has been a joke at Leeds and it maybe time for clubs without a huge travelling fan-base to not allocate away tickets. An extra 5,000 tickets to Leeds fans would mean a full stadium for every home game and tickets would be cheaper. I'm guessing the club want to have a handful of fans arrive so segregation costs are cheaper and more tickets allocated to home fans? Lots of QSI stories and think its a fact that Radz cannot fund taking us to the next level, especially if we fail again this season. I hear 49ers are the main advisors to Radz and the link to QSI is correct but a lot of politics involved. We may see a 50% takeover of Radz shares in the Summer followed by a complete takeover the season after, but by who is anyone's guess. The link to the 49ers is big and a good friendship has built up and 49ers will want a return on their investment but not sure they want a football club in the UK yet?
Good morning all If we get promoted and end up dropping straight back down it will mean we don't lose two players who are decent at this level. At Premier League level you could argue will they be good enough but we need squad players, we can't go out and buy 11 proven premier league players. If we fail to go up we haven't got to worry about losing either of them and Bielsa obviously rates them both. I'd like to keep Klich and although he is probably a better player than Cooper or Dallas I can't help feel he would be far easier to replace. In Dallas we have a player who can play on the right of left defending or attacking, he really is a good utility player, Cooper is our captain and a CB which we do not have many of. If Klich was out we have Costa, Shackleton and Bogusz, we have Eddie who can play as a two up front, we have lots of options. I wouldn't worry though, I am sure a contract for Klich is being discussed behind the scenes and the vast player departure list we watched grow during the close season, I'd be happy for those players to leave if it means giving better long term contracts to the starting 11 In Dallas are we not being a little unfair, he is playing at RB he has scored a goal, he hasn't stood out as bad and he has performed better at RB than Douglas and Alioski at LB, he also scored two goals against Deby on our last game of the season
I believe that klich was a 3 year deal but with a 1 year extension option for the club, which maybe took the heat off a revised deal. He’s been excellent for us. Does a lot of unnoticed work in my view and lung busting runs in behind the opposition. Think he’s suffered a bit in fans perceptions for banging in 30 yarders early last year and is consequently considered a disappointment when he doesn’t do it. We always seem to lose a bit of control of the game when he’s Substituted but it could be coincidence.
I’m in Norfolk for a week from tomorrow but I’ll be taking my little media player with IPTV installed
Trevor Birch said, soon after becoming CEO “Leeds will never be a leading club again unless it’s got a state-of-the-art stadium in which 5,000-plus of the 45,000–50,000 seats are taken by corporate hospitality. Otherwise, it cannot generate the revenue. These are the hard facts of life these days. Leeds’ gate revenue is £ 12 million, Chelsea’s is £ 30 million, Newcastle’s £ 35 million and Manchester United’s is £ 60 million-plus. Unless you have got the stadium, you can’t generate revenue sufficient to sustain payment to players. OK, in time, player salaries may come back down again, but still those clubs that generate the most revenue will, on the whole, be the most successful. As we currently stand, no one else will ever win the League other than Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea, or possibly Liverpool, and you can throw in Newcastle. But that’s it. That’s not good for football and something might need to change to sustain football long term." Leeds United: Trials and Tribulations, Chapter 12. Shows how quickly things can change so significantly.
They said that a few years ago when Leicester the 5000/1 shots won the league with crowds of just over 30,000 each week, granted they never repeated the feat over the next two years but they are the team this season people are predicting that could possibly break up the top six yet again. The proof in the pudding is since Leicester won the league no team have been more than 500/1 to win the league and that includes nailed on relegation candidates like Cardiff and Huddersfield. Money helps buy the best but getting a team to click is priceless.
