Leeds United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours

Tarquin1970 · 22-08-2012 12:14am

This result could turn out to be a blessing. Firstly, it'll stop us getting carried away with ourselves and we'll remain realistic about the job that Warnock has ahead, and secondly it might force the hands of Bates and the Middle East consortium, one of them must surely blink soon.
Wouldn't read too much into what Warnock said about getting bodies in before the window closes as the premier league squads of 25 are finalised on Sept 1 and the unchosen ones then become available for loans.

JokerD · 22-08-2012 11:58am

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/message-to-ken-bates-sell-our-club/

This is going around at the minute, petition for Bates to sell the club.

event · 22-08-2012 12:02pm

thats what its come to, an online petition

JokerD · 22-08-2012 12:07pm

event wrote: »

thats what its come to, an online petition

The frustrating is really setting in now that the transfer window is nearing it's close and the talk of us having deals wrapped up takeover depending is not helping.

Maybe the petition if it gets a lot of signatures will be picked up by news stations and might put a little bit of pressure on.

Kingp35 · 22-08-2012 12:10pm

It's clear from the first two games that the one type of player that we are missing is a creative midfielder.

We are much like the Ireland team at the minute, plenty of work horses but no real creative ability to hold onto the ball and create. We are playing defensive type football because we are unable to pass it around.

I really do fear for us unless we can sign a ball playing midfielder before the window closes.

Trhiggy83 · 22-08-2012 12:16pm

Kingp35 wrote: »

It's clear from the first two games that the one type of player that we are missing is a creative midfielder.

We are much like the Ireland team at the minute, plenty of work horses but no real creative ability to hold onto the ball and create. We are playing defensive type football because we are unable to pass it around.

I really do fear for us unless we can sign a ball playing midfielder before the window closes.

Think we need more than 1 player, our midfield from two seasons ago in League 1 is better than the one we have now.... surely thats not right

JokerD · 22-08-2012 12:17pm

Kingp35 wrote: »

It's clear from the first two games that the one type of player that we are missing is a creative midfielder.

We are much like the Ireland team at the minute, plenty of work horses but no real creative ability to hold onto the ball and create. We are playing defensive type football because we are unable to pass it around.

I really do fear for us unless we can sign a ball playing midfielder before the window closes.

George Boyd had been linked and it wouldn't surprise me if we go for him if this takeover happens.

fanzhiyidan · 22-08-2012 4:12pm

Trhiggy83 wrote: »

Think we need more than 1 player, our midfield from two seasons ago in League 1 is better than the one we have now.... surely thats not right

we must have one of the worst midfields in the clubs you would expect to be in the top half of the table.
we don't have a single recognised winger for fcuk sake.

varney, white, green, pugh, diouf, none of them are wingers.

NuckChorris1 · 23-08-2012 12:59pm

Paddy Kenny was in a gloating mood on Saturday:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/qpr-complain-leeds-kenny-messages-083100727.html

QPR complain to Leeds over Kenny messages

Queens Park Rangers technical director Mike Rigg has written a formal letter of complaint to Leeds United after goalkeeper Paddy Kenny allegedly sent abusive messages to him and chairman Tony Fernandes over the weekend.

The 34-year-old joined the Championship side during the summer after it is understood he asked for a transfer, despite the Hoops hoping he would stay to provide competition for summer signing Rob Green.
The England international endured a nightmare debut following his move from West Ham, with a blunder for the first goal putting Swansea on course to a 5-0 victory in the season's opener.
Press Association Sport understands Kenny sent abusive text messages to Rigg and Fernandes late on Saturday night and in the early hours of Sunday morning, mocking the result and Green's performance.
Rigg is also understood to have received calls up until 3am on Sunday, leading him to make a formal complaint to Leeds.
The accusations are likely to further damage Kenny's status at QPR, who he described as a "tin pot club" on Twitter in recent days.

punk77 · 23-08-2012 4:35pm

According to NW, Green could be out for 6 - 8 weeks.

punk77 · 23-08-2012 4:42pm

Robbie Rogers gone to Stevenage on loan.

JokerD · 23-08-2012 9:02pm

Looking at Warnock's interview from today, looks like a dejected man to me, he's being totally hamstrung in his pursuit of players.

I'm losing optimism already and I'm not one to overreact, it's no disrespect to the players at the club but we're just too short and anymore injuries could really see this season of what could have been if the takeover happened.

Fans now sending pens in the post to Bates.

Hijpo · 23-08-2012 9:29pm

hi all, just got granted access

im hoping this is just warnocks way of indirectly getting involved with pushing the take over through. Question is, how well can bates deal with pressure from the manager, investors and fans, literally everyone is against him.

JokerD · 23-08-2012 9:43pm

Hijpo wrote: »

hi all, just got granted access

im hoping this is just warnocks way of indirectly getting involved with pushing the take over through. Question is, how well can bates deal with pressure from the manager, investors and fans, literally everyone is against him.

Welcome,

See the thing is, many have been saying that Bates needs to sell so I've no doubt that eventually this will happen. However I'm really starting to doubt that it could be done by the end of the window.

punk77 · 23-08-2012 10:10pm

Hijpo wrote: »

hi all, just got granted access

Hope you realise what a privilege that is

:D:D

JokerD wrote: »

Welcome,

See the thing is, many have been saying that Bates needs to sell so I've no doubt that eventually this will happen. However I'm really starting to doubt that it could be done by the end of the window.

Tbh, if I was given a choice of promotion under the Bates regime or another season in the Championship but with new owners, I know which one I would pick.
I wouldn't be able to stomach the fact that that odious man would benefit financially from our promotion.

Zaph · 24-08-2012 12:03am

The problem is that Bates will sell, but whether the deal goes through before or after the transfer window closes is immaterial to him. He'll still get his money, so why wouldn't he hang on for as long as possible to make sure that he wrings every last penny out of the buyers? And if it happens too late to get some new players in, well he'll have a wad of cash in his back pocket so how the club fares after he goes won't bother him at all. It's depressing knowing we're at the mercy of a greedy megalomaniac and that there's nothing we can do to make him hurry up and sell.

Hijpo · 24-08-2012 6:39am

thanks for the welcomes, i feel warm and fuzzy inside now

Even if we miss this window i dont think all is lost. Automatic promotion would be a huge bonus but warnock admitted that was out of our grasp straight from the start. So given the fact that we have ,in my view anyway, a better squad with alot more ambition and pride on the pitch than last season there is no reason why we cant hover nicely around playoff spots until xmas and splash some cash then. hopefully some of warnocks targets might be a little closer to the end of there contracts then aswell.

championc · 24-08-2012 8:32am

A win tomorrow gets us back to an average of 2 points per game. Keep to this and you'll be there or thereabouts come May.

couerdelion · 24-08-2012 4:01pm

championc wrote: »

A win tomorrow gets us back to an average of 2 points per game. Keep to this and you'll be there or thereabouts come May.

Always remember Sgt. Wilko saying that in our last promotion season to the top flight. He wasn't wrong either.

punk77 · 25-08-2012 12:35pm

Phil Hay today in the YEP http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-takeover-patience-starting-to-run-out-hay-1-4866903

punk77 · 25-08-2012 2:15pm

Team vs P'boro

Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Drury, Diouf, Austin, Norris, Varney, McCormack, Becchio

IMO, it looks a lot better than Tuesday's line-up with Drury at LB and Diouf starting.

Subs: Ashdown, Kisnorbo, White, Brown, Gray, (Blue, Purple, Black

), Byram, Poleon.

Magill · 25-08-2012 3:10pm

Great start !

punk77 · 25-08-2012 3:11pm

1 - 0 Becchio

punk77 · 25-08-2012 4:23pm

2 - 0 Becchio's 3rd of the season

punk77 · 25-08-2012 5:00pm

2 - 1 FT. Great result but hanging on at the end. 6 pts out of 9. Will take that

KJ · 25-08-2012 5:32pm

Excellent result. 6 points from 9 is great considering we played 2 promotion favourites in there.

Hijpo · 25-08-2012 6:17pm

KJ wrote: »

Excellent result. 6 points from 9 is great considering we played 2 promotion favourites in there.

what is it about the last 15 to 20 minutes that we cant stop leaking in one or two. same happend last season, it was either the first 15 or last 15 minutes of the game. lookin forward to Football League Show after.

Mushy · 25-08-2012 6:27pm

6 out of 9, I would have taken that anyway. The average of 2 points per game would be fantastic come May. Becchio starting off well makes me happy.

KJ · 25-08-2012 6:30pm

Hijpo wrote: »

what is it about the last 15 to 20 minutes that we cant stop leaking in one or two. same happend last season, it was either the first 15 or last 15 minutes of the game. lookin forward to Football League Show after.

Clean sheets are a rare thing in Leeds (also applies to the b&b I stayed in last time I went over)

JokerD · 25-08-2012 7:01pm

Warnock said we won't be buying any players this week, loans at best. Good win today but the small squad will be very, very costly in the long run.

SarahBM · 26-08-2012 12:07pm

again only about 30 seconds on the FLS.

everyone hates Leeds!!!

JokerD · 26-08-2012 2:02pm

Massive week ahead for us off the field, and in my opinion this week could very well shape our season for it's entirety. That might seem a bit extreme but I believe it to be the case. The squad is nowhere big enough and we'll be relying on a lack of injuries and suspensions to see us through.

There's even talk that we could lose Diouf on Tuesday and the emergency loan market is looking like our best option.

Warnock is being hamstrung at the minute, a combination of factors is meaning he's having to change his plans from game to game. Peltier has already had to play in three different positions across the backline, White has been switched around and Byram is being throwning in at the deep end.

Byram has done very well for us but I don't think Warnock planned on using him so much due to his age and lack of first team experience

We can't afford too many more injuries and players will also need a rest from time to time. We've got the nucleus of a squad capable to be contenders, but we need this takeover to go through.

The frustrating thing is that it appears the takeover is imperative as we just don't have the current finances to buy anymore players, Bates will want to sell and the buyers will want to get it done before the end of the transfer window, yet we're still waiting........

JokerD · 26-08-2012 10:29pm

Leeds United Supporters Trust Update: The Takeover - Present and Future

With the end of the transfer window less than a week away, Leeds United Supporters' Trust are very concerned by the lack of progress towards concluding the takeover of Leeds United.

The appearance of representatives from GFH Capital at Elland Road last weekend led to optimism that the drawn out process of negotiations would soon be over. The past week, however, has brought no further updates, and Neil Warnock is now publicly suggesting that he will have no money to strengthen the team over the next few days.

Despite his difficulties in building a competitive squad, Warnock has managed Leeds to two wins so far, and he and his players have enjoyed the vociferous backing of our fans as they battle to mount the promotion challenge we expected this season.

Manager, players and fans are all pulling together to make this season a success, but these efforts could be in vain if they are not matched by effort in the boardroom. L.U.S.T. have enjoyed better relations with the club this summer after Shaun Harvey attended our policing event, and we believe the bidders are willing to work with us to achieve the aims of our Vision Statement. Ken Bates, however, has continued his policy of dismissing the genuine concerns of supporters through his programme notes.

Over the last week L.U.S.T. have been inundated with requests for information, but we have felt that, with representatives of the buyers meeting publicly with Bates, a low-key period was the best approach in order to allow a deal time to be concluded. With time and financial constraints limiting Warnock's opportunities to prepare the team, we feel now is the right to time to bring that silence to an end.

The position as we understand it is as described in this weekend's articles by Phil Hay in the Yorkshire Evening Post and TimPM on The Scratching Shed, and as alluded to by Neil Warnock in his interviews. The lack of transfer funds is indicative of a poor cash flow situation at Elland Road, which could leave the club in a precarious position if investment is not found. The takeover deal is now split into three independent parts, with negotiations between the club, the buyers, and Ken Bates. During the negotiation process, the buyers have made payments into the club; due diligence was completed several weeks ago, and the buyers remain patient and determined to see the takeover through. We understand that a deal for the takeover for the club is all but complete, and only separate negotiations with Ken Bates are delaying the deal now.

This week's spontaneous 'Pen4Ken' protest showed that many Leeds fans want the takeover deal to be signed as soon as possible, so that the club can concentrate all its efforts on building for the future. We expect there will be many more demonstrations of this kind if a deal is not completed, and L.U.S.T. will always be supportive of fans who wish to make their voices heard in peaceable and original ways.

We ask that Ken Bates, the club, and the buyers take serious notice of the wishes of the fans, and conclude the takeover as soon as possible. L.U.S.T.’s Vision Statement calls for change at Leeds United, and for three months now we have been on the brink of perhaps the most significant change Elland Road has seen for years. The future of Leeds United is more important than the personal interests of Ken Bates, and all parties involved in the negotiations need to pull out all the stops to make sure that the present opportunity is not squandered, and that the future of Leeds United is a positive one.

Supporters can also join more than 7,500 other Leeds fans and have their voice heard as members of the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust by filling in the form atwww.lufctrust.org. Membership is free. Keep checking for updates on www.lufctrust.org, and our Facebook and Twitter pages

JokerD · 26-08-2012 10:53pm

L.U.S.T ending their silence is good timing, it has been rumoured that the bidders have already put money into the club and this confirms it. That's a big step by them and surely Bates needs to sell.

Let's say they've funded contracts that the current regime couldn't pay, if Bates pulls out now then the club will still have to pay those contracts.

Other alternatives is they've given the club a loan or maybe have bought some shares already.

Either way it's a bit more pressure to get the deal done.

Hijpo · 26-08-2012 11:48pm

JokerD wrote: »

L.U.S.T ending their silence is good timing, it has been rumoured that the bidders have already put money into the club and this confirms it. That's a big step by them and surely Bates needs to sell.

Let's say they've funded contracts that the current regime couldn't pay, if Bates pulls out now then the club will still have to pay those contracts.

Other alternatives is they've given the club a loan or maybe have bought some shares already.

Either way it's a bit more pressure to get the deal done.

More than likely why mcormack stayed, why else would he??

punk77 · 27-08-2012 12:08pm

QUOTE (boozie @ Aug 27 2012, 10:26 AM)
I've said before the buyers currently at the table are in it for the long haul. They have invested too much £ into this takeover just to let it collapse. They want Leeds United and are in no rush to push it through. The longer this goes on the bigger the pressure on Bates to sell, the money is running out and he knows the buyers are ready to step in. They are in a great negotiation position.

I estimated that their legal fees are already between 1 and 2 million (probably nearer two) and they have already paid 4million to the club. They are not going to walk away from that kind of money because Bates wants to play games. These are big boys who have played with bigger boys(I was going to say fish but that just leads to more puns) than Ken Bates.

I don't see this happening before Friday (just my opinion) but I do still see this happening.*

* I base all this on the last update I had on Saturday, who knows what has gone on since then. LUST statement should hopefully rattle Bates some more.

QUOTE (boozie @ Aug 27 2012, 10:47 AM)
Re: the money put into the club. I don't know the exact terms on which this was given. However, I understand there has been much negotiation about this. The buyers believed this was for the club for transfers/wages/general cash-flow. Bates believes this was for him because he allowed them exclusivity! There was a huge disagreement about this money but I understand this has been resolved. I dont know how it has been resolved.

The only remaining issue is Bates taking his legal advice from the lawyers he hired and signing the thing.

QUOTE (billyisgod @ Aug 27 2012, 10:45 AM)
very pleased to see the statement to our members being so well recieved, we have not been able to add much to what is already in the public domain but felt it was important we summarised the situation as we understand it just to try and bring some reason to the debate and answer the thousands of requests we have had.

can i also say a big thanks to boozie who is putting a lot of meat on the bones so to speak, he is doing you all a great service and deserves a lot of credit for that, cheers boozie

SarahBM · 28-08-2012 7:03pm

what do ye think the chances of the Notts forest game being moved for telly? I was thinking of going

punk77 · 28-08-2012 7:22pm

Tonight's team vs Oxford:

Ashdown, Lees, Kisnorbo, Pearce, Drury, Byram, Brown, Austin, White, Gray, Diouf

As today was supposedly d-day for signing Diouf, I'm not sure if his inclusion means we've signed him.

Tarquin1970 · 28-08-2012 8:22pm

2-0 Austin & Byram

KJ · 28-08-2012 10:47pm

Tom Lees got the third.

championc · 28-08-2012 10:57pm

SarahBM wrote: »

what do ye think the chances of the Notts forest game being moved for telly? I was thinking of going

In general, matches can only be moved up to three weeks before a game. However, in the case of the Forest game, the tickets are now on sale on the website so once this happens, there's no going back.

Bought my tickets yesterday and got flights a few weeks ago at 9.75 each way incl taxes.

JokerD · 28-08-2012 11:55pm

Warnock said an improved offer has been made to Diouf, said Diouf has more offers on the table and could get more money elsewhere but he hopes the crowd reaction to him will make him stay and that Diouf doesn't need the money, he has enough already.

Lamper.sffc · 29-08-2012 12:11am

JokerD wrote: »

Warnock said an improved offer has been made to Diouf, said Diouf has more offers on the table and could get more money elsewhere but he hopes the crowd reaction to him will make him stay and that Diouf doesn't need the money, he has enough already.

For me its a difficult one. Iv always hated Diouf as a professional footballer and if this summer had gone the way we all wanted it to go, I wouldnt give two sh1ts if he left but the way things are, we need him. So I hope he stays.

As a Leeds fan we really are having to sacrifice what we believe for the (hopefully) good of the team. Its difficult but when it comes right and it will, my god we are going to celebrate.

Zaph · 29-08-2012 12:41am

Bates, Warnock, Diouf - talk about an unholy triumvirate. The presence of just one at your club would send shivers down the spine of any right thinking football fan. How the hell did we manage to end up with all three?

G.K. · 29-08-2012 12:42am

"We're Leeds" seems the only explaanation.

Hijpo · 29-08-2012 1:00am

G.K. wrote: »

"We're Leeds" seems the only explaanation.

waited 2 hours to see the goals on sky sports news, they kept showing the same 8 or so matches over and over and then jumped to cricket and some cycling it frustrated the hell out of me. finally got fed up when the signal went because of the wind and rain battering the house.

JokerD · 29-08-2012 7:49pm

It has been claimed by different people that Bates has often rang fans in the past regarding issues concerning fans etc.........well a poster on WACCOE is saying Bates phoned him today and this is an account of the call....

Right ok, this is how it went and bearing in mind the convo was 15 mins long i cannot remember everything that was said....

So, after acquiring the fax number of our friend Ken, I sent Ken a fax at 14:02 this afternoon in the form of a letter trying to reason with him and ask why we found ourself in the current situation. Ken doesn't do emails, hence the fax. At 15:19 pm my phone vibrated and I looked and saw the number was similiar to the fax number I had sent to Monaco an hour earlier. I answered and cheekily said, Good Afternoon Kenneth before he had chance to say who it was.

Ken's response was to ask me to go out of the office as he could hear people talking in the background and he wanted us to have an honest chat so I left work and went and sat in my car, as I was doing so Ken was ordering his missus around, not in a violent way mind, telling her to move some bags. He then told me he had rang me as he found my letter reasonable and not some of the "****ing ****" others have sent him and started advising me about the confidentiality agreement that's in place and why he nor the club could say too much but that it was obvious from that "****ing LUST statement" that the lawyer for the buyers wasn't so good at being confidential. I told him that this was probably because these guys weren't hiding away in Monaco (which Ken tells me has been lovely today cos its a bit cooler) and had people in their face all the time. (I am not aware who LUST source is btw, it was ken that mentioned the buyers lawyer)

At this point KB started to tell me about the negotiations and how people assumed it was a full takeover when it wasn't. (Although i think i did hear him say initially but he didnt expand on that) He advised me that the company involved lost a lot of money, a hell of a lot , in 2010 and how LUFC had made more money than them last year when they had made something like £250,000. I'm sure he then said he was yet to see proof of funds but he went a bit garbled at this point, and when I said his own club statement said that "funds we're not going to be an issue" he said well yes, quite. Kenneth then started reading me the statement LUST put out the other day and how that twat Gary Cooper (BIG to you and me) who was "just an IT officer for Hull city council" was looking for headlines and hadn't got any facts right at all although he contradicted himself by repeating that there was a "sneak" who was obviously leaking info to LUST.

At this point, I asked Ken what his plans were and he said he was not prepared to discuss that with me but that I should be happy that the team have won 4 out of 5 games and that is going along swimmingly. I stopped him and referred him back to his own programme notes for the Wolves game which stated that "Pub rumours" are to blame and he then started saying that ten years ago you could go to the pub and have a conversation with your mates, the ones that had genuine info would be listened too and the others shot down but these days with "Twitter, Facebook, forums and google" people who knew "**** all" were allowed a voice and given credit when they shouldn't be. I told him that rumour was all people had hence why there is a near 5000 page thread on "one site" discussing the matter and that twitter was constantly awash and at that point he started slagging off the gourmet hotdog guy but that he "has his card marked"!!

I again asked what his plans for the club were and he said he wouldn't discuss that with me and then started telling me a story about something to do with Blackburn Rovers from years ago. Suddenly then he came out with a comment that we should be very proud to have a talent like Sam Byram coming through and I stopped him and said "Whilst your still here, if you get a phone call from Norwich about him please tell them to **** off and put the phone down" to which he told me he loved football humour and that, and this is revealing, that he had read on twitter that morning that people wanted Norwich at home so we could play Leeds reserve team and laughed at himself saying that before saying how he loved that type of humour from fans.

So I asked what his username was on Twitter and he told me that he didn't want to talk about that. He then started to tell me he had to go as his other phone was ringing, had been talking for 15 plus minutes, so I said quickly tell me what your going to do about letting someone else have a go and he said "I will speak to you later" then said bye and put the phone down!

So nothing groundbreaking, but he rang me. He didnt tell me anything we didnt really know and wouldnt tell me what his plans were. I wish i could have got more but as he told me he has "been in football for 60 years and nothing suprises him anymore"

punk77 · 29-08-2012 8:48pm

Sounds like the ramblings of a sad senile old man. I almost feel sorry for him......not.

Tarquin1970 · 29-08-2012 9:01pm

punk77 wrote: »

Sounds like the ramblings of a sad senile old man. I almost feel sorry for him......not.

Ken or the WACCOE poster?

punk77 · 29-08-2012 9:08pm

Tarquin1970 wrote: »

Ken or the WACCOE poster?

Well I don't know how old the poster is but he sounds genuine so I guess it must be Sir Ken

Leeds United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours

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