Leeds Utd a sad sad story.

[sovietsong]

what does everybody think of the new kit?

[Horneris]

what does everybody think of the new kit?

Decent but not spectacular.

I like the blue and yellow circles on each arm and the collar is nice but don't like the man on the shoulder and think the sponsor is too big.

[TightEnd]

With Bates in selling mode, it looks at the mo like your squad is a bit weaker than last year

It also looks, to me, like a pig of a division compared to last year

Teams coming up, notably Brighton going to be up there

All three teams coming down going to be up there

Various others spending big


My question is: do you realisitically expect to be pushing for top six?

My second question is: Would Grayson walk if an opportunity came along?

[ChipRich]

My question is: do you realisitically expect to be pushing for top six?

Not at all currently.

My second question is: Would Grayson walk if an opportunity came along?

Depends which opportunity and who we're actually looking at signing this summer so he knows what ambition we really have...

[Horneris]

My question is: do you realisitically expect to be pushing for top six?

No, I expect mid table, something like 10th-12th

My second question is: Would Grayson walk if an opportunity came along?

I don't think so. He had an opportunity to join Burnley in the prem and earn about 4 times as much as he does here. I think he is a stubborn man and would absolutely love to be the guy to get us back in the prem as he has always been a big fan of the club. The question will be balancing that with the annoyance at not getting the funds he needs to improve our chances.

On a separate note I simply blankly refuse to join the Ken Bates (and even in some cases amazingly Simon Grayson!!!) witchunt that has begun to gather pace. We have had 2 great seasons. We have been promoted and then we finished 7th in our first season back up in the championship. We beat Scum 1-0 away. Its been brilliant.

To jump on Kens back just coz we sold a keeper who had 1 year on his contract and thinks he is better than he is and because transfer activity has been slow is ridicolous.

We do need to strengthen the squad. We need a goalie, a centre back, a left back and 2 centre midfielders, one defensive. We need to spend money but some people are expecting us to spend like 6-8m. We don't have a rich money man from Asia like Leicester (would we want one looking at Birminghams tribulations currently?), we have to do it the right way, with patience, over 2 or 3 or 4 years. We have to learn from the lessons of the past. That being said there does have to be a balance, I'd like to see us spend a couple of million maybe on improving the squad.

This is a good article: http://www.thesquareball.net/leeds-united/2011/07/06/the-mythical-war-chest/
Its very well written and a lot of the points i agree with. But still, the author seems a little bit impatient. People keep saying "We're Leeds Utd, we should be back in the prem asap". It doesn't work like that...

As to those who say "Bates is a dick, he is pocketing money". What money?
Only after xmas did we fully clear all Ridsdale debt from existence. We have to pay the wages, stewarding money, fines, stadium improvements. I really don't see where this money is.

[Linux]

what does everybody think of the new kit?

The new kit is one of the vilest things i've ever seen in my life.

Hoping the away one will be an improvement.

[Linux]

My question is: do you realisitically expect to be pushing for top six?

No, I expect mid table, something like 10th-12th

My second question is: Would Grayson walk if an opportunity came along?

I don't think so. He had an opportunity to join Burnley in the prem and earn about 4 times as much as he does here. I think he is a stubborn man and would absolutely love to be the guy to get us back in the prem as he has always been a big fan of the club. The question will be balancing that with the annoyance at not getting the funds he needs to improve our chances.

On a separate note I simply blankly refuse to join the Ken Bates (and even in some cases amazingly Simon Grayson!!!) witchunt that has begun to gather pace. We have had 2 great seasons. We have been promoted and then we finished 7th in our first season back up in the championship. We beat Scum 1-0 away. Its been brilliant.

To jump on Kens back just coz we sold a keeper who had 1 year on his contract and thinks he is better than he is and because transfer activity has been slow is ridicolous.

We do need to strengthen the squad. We need a goalie, a centre back, a left back and 2 centre midfielders, one defensive. We need to spend money but some people are expecting us to spend like 6-8m. We don't have a rich money man from Asia like Leicester (would we want one looking at Birminghams tribulations currently?), we have to do it the right way, with patience, over 2 or 3 or 4 years. We have to learn from the lessons of the past. That being said there does have to be a balance, I'd like to see us spend a couple of million maybe on improving the squad.

This is a good article: http://www.thesquareball.net/leeds-united/2011/07/06/the-mythical-war-chest/
Its very well written and a lot of the points i agree with. But still, the author seems a little bit impatient. People keep saying "We're Leeds Utd, we should be back in the prem asap". It doesn't work like that...

As to those who say "Bates is a dick, he is pocketing money". What money?
Only after xmas did we fully clear all Ridsdale debt from existence. We have to pay the wages, stewarding money, fines, stadium improvements. I really don't see where this money is.

We don't own the stadium, so why have we spent £7m on a museum and more exec boxes which are not needed?

[Acidmouse]

I will judge them both after next season and the signings we have made.

[sovietsong]

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110711/brown-signs-up-for-united_2247585_2390460

[Linux]

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110711/brown-signs-up-for-united_2247585_2390460

[  ] gr8

[sovietsong]

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110711/brown-signs-up-for-united_2247585_2390460

[  ] gr8

dont think its the worst signing in the world, he is the kind of player we need but just shows our lack of ambition.  where is the money !!

[Linux]

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110711/brown-signs-up-for-united_2247585_2390460

[  ] gr8

dont think its the worst signing in the world, he is the kind of player we need but just shows our lack of ambition.  where is the money !!

He was good in 2006, i guess you get what you pay for.

I don't think i've been this down about us in recent history (post Ridsdale) as you say there's just no ambition to move forwards. We have no debt and are making a decent profit and yet we refuse to invest.

By refuse to invest i mean invest in players. I'm no businessman but i don't see how we can invest £7m on a museum over summer (in a stadium we don't own) and have to sell one of our brightest prospects (Kasper) in order to strengthen the GK position.

So far in our strengthening of the keeper position we have got a terrible keeper as back up and are looking at loaning a GK as our #1.

Onto our MF, we've lost Killa and Johnson as our wage policy is appalling and have strengthened with Brown and some of our ressies from last year. I can see us getting maybe 1 more MF and thats it.

Gradel and Howson will be in there last year next summer, can you really see them hanging around after that with our policies?

All in all i'll be happy with anything above 15th

[ChipRich]

Actually think Browns a decent signing for us.

Plenty of experience, knows his job and gets stuck in. Hasnt played since around Christmas for Portsmouth because they didnt want to have to pay more £ for him, some contract issue. So if we can get him match fit he'l do us good and lets be honest he's prob better than BJ and possibly Kilkenny, but shame hes getting on a bit.

Still need a CB, CM and GK and rumours of Lichaj coming back on loan who was good at the end of last season. Dont no if he'd be seen as RB or OOP at left bk, hmmm.

[Horneris]

I'm no businessman

QFT

[Horneris]

Good article balancing the Bates argument http://www.thesquareball.net/leeds-united/2011/07/12/time-for-some-bates-balance/