Leeds gamble

[Jim Smith 2,317]

Or in an alternate universe team recognises their weaknesses and acts to address them by adding some genuine quality in key positions in an attempt to stay up in the premier league. 
 

And yet our brainwashed fans will laugh at them. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

15 hours ago, Lowfields1919 said:

Yeah absolutely crazy.......... fancy spending some of the lucrative TV money on players to improve the squad and take it to the next level, whilst keeping yourself well within the financial constraints of your income streams.............. absolutely CRAZY stuff!!!!!!!!

What would you recommend? maybe pocketing the TV money and not spending any of it on improving the squad to give yourself a fighting chance? How did that model go for Norwich City last season?

Leeds are a very, very well run club at present and are at last going in the right direction, with an ambitious owner, world class renowned coach, and an improving squad with some brilliant youth signings for the future.

Take that chip off your shoulder, and stop talking nonsense.

Spending that much on a 29 year old definitely goes down as a gamble.

That said, don't really care whether it pays off or not, wouldn't mind you staying up really - good away day. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

20 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Or in an alternate universe team recognises their weaknesses and acts to address them by adding some genuine quality in key positions in an attempt to stay up in the premier league. 

Yeah that works.

That centre back they signed is a full German international, we've not managed to sign one of those yet.

They've clearly gone for bringing in a small number of top quality players.

May work, may not, but they could probably pay for those two big signings by selling Phillips if relegated for those who are knocking them. 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

2 hours ago, hogesar said:

Leeds fans are a different breed.

Half their fans thought and probably still think they're going to sign Messi.

The other half think they should be challenging for top 4 this season.

Add that onto the Leeds article published by one of their local journos basically stating the EFL is nothing without Leeds and its hardly a wonder every other clubs fans think they're a bunch of knobs and can't wait for them to fail again.

I know a few Leeds fans are they are all pretty sound to be fair.

One of them told me that the 29 year old was a risk before I had the chance to say it to him.

But you can't deny that if you looked at the Championship table last season and were asked to pick out a 'sleeping giant' then anybody under perhaps 45 would pick out Leeds United.

And although nobody will deny that Leeds have a higher than average number of knuckle draggers, those who judge the quality of fans by the atmosphere at their home ground will admit that Leeds can and regularly do make a lot of noise. It will be interesting to see them back in the Prem (if they are there long enough to be allowed to fill Elland Road).

Older people may throw Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday in the mix. 

[hogesar 9,666]

2 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

I know a few Leeds fans are they are all pretty sound to be fair.

One of them told me that the 29 year old was a risk before I had the chance to say it to him.

But you can't deny that if you looked at the Championship table last season and were asked to pick out a 'sleeping giant' then anybody under perhaps 45 would pick out Leeds United.

And although nobody will deny that Leeds have a higher than average number of knuckle draggers, those who judge the quality of fans by the atmosphere at their home ground will admit that Leeds can and regularly do make a lot of noise. It will be interesting to see them back in the Prem (if they are there long enough to be allowed to fill Elland Road).

Older people may throw Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday in the mix. 

I know a few and they're d*cks. 

Like all groups, theres some good and some bad. And as you suggest, they have a higher number of bad ones.

What their atmosphere has to do with my post I have absolutely no idea but its been poor on our last few trips there..maybe down to the results though...

[duke63 542]

We did it our way (most definitely within the financial constraints that recent years had imposed on us) Leeds are doing it their way.

None of us will know who got it right until this time next year,  maybe both, maybe one and not the other, might be neither.

Isn't that what makes football entertaining?

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,820]

As well as De Paul, Leeds are now in talks to sign an 18-year-old defender from Dinamo Zagreb for €20m. 

After the loans made permanent, Koch and Rodrigo, these two deals would take the summer spending to around £110m, which would be entering the Fulham and Villa range.

[Mullet 293]

I'm not a Leeds hater I just don't like them, it will be very interesting to see how they get on this coming season. Everyone says what a talent Bielsa is but he has kept hold of Bamford who is crap so Bielsa can't be that clued up. 

[tricky974 61]

I agree I'm not a Leeds hater but I just don't like them and thats down to the fans that I either know or who have chatted too on forums. 

It has taken them 16 years to get to the top league and they seem to think that's where they deserved to be all along, they have had **** owners and bad management so have many clubs.

When we were promoted last year the way there fans that reacted to our promotion was ridiculous, they had been close twice and not made it.

Bielsa style of playing football over the last two seasons is very pressing and his players run themselves ragged, they have fallen away towards the end of football season as their players seem knackered, the covid 19 break has seemed to help Leeds gain promotion this time, the break seems to helped them get over the line.

The Leeds fans I know were still biting their nails after the lockdown period because nothing was set in stone. 

Now Leeds have now got themselves into the Premier league..we get to hear about how they should have been their all the time, what a massive club.

Every team has to earn promotion, no one deserves to be in a particular league, if they stay up they deserve to be there, if they get relegated likewise its what you deserve.

[Kenny Foggo 1,116]

Team gets promoted spends to strengthen.... Nutters....

[Tetteys Jig 830]

To be fair to them, they have a massive hole to fill with Ben White leaving and another with Agustin not being permanent, so there's Koch and Rodrigo. De Paul is presumably with replacing Pablo Hernandez in mind while they were a centre back light last season and got a bit lucky with the lack of injuries to White or Cooper (yes I know he was out for a bit). All logical business so far and I'd imagine Radz will be fronting the fees so if they go down.

If we tried that approach with the self funding model we would have been screwed and be scrambling around accepting £8m for Lewis etc. What will be will be for us and hopefully our approach will be vindicated with promotion again in the next couple of seasons but good luck to Leeds, they've waited a long time to be back in the big time.

[Indy_Bones 441]

17 minutes ago, Kenny Foggo said:

Team gets promoted spends to strengthen.... Nutters....

I agree, it makes total sense for them to spend to improve their chances if they have the finances to do so, but as Fulham showed (and Villa should have if not for that dodgy goal decision), spending over 100 mil is no guarantee of success, and there's no doubt in my mind that the Rodrigo signing is a big gamble.

Koch is an excellent signing, and if De Paul also goes to them, that will be another great deal.

If they can bring in a couple of other players then they absolutely will have improved their starting squad, and I think most fans don't take objection to them spending, but to the attitude displayed by SOME Leeds fans that they are somehow still a top six side whilst ignoring their last 15 or so years, and being insulting towards us and the approach we took at the same time.

My neighbour is a Leeds fan and is a great chap I can have perfectly sensible conversations about football with, I also work with another Leeds supporter who's also a nice chap (if a little over-confident about their team and ability), but the truth is that these people represent a minority in terms of the Leeds fans I have had discussions with, many of whom are like the entrenched Ipswich fans hanging on to the Bobby Robson days, who still regard themselves as being up there with the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool, despite all the evidence to the contrary and their total lack of competetiveness for well over a decade.

[Nuff Said 5,137]

Has there been any suggestion that they have put relegation clauses in the contracts of the new players they’ve signed?

[DraytonBoy 150]

I think if they get De Paul that ought to do in this transfer window, there's a young Dutch CB who played in the last couple of games that Bielsa rates highly and he'll be the back-up to Cooper and Koch. They are still keen on Kent at Rangers but I just can't see him getting a start ahead of Costa.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

surely De Paul would end any hunt for Kent?

[The Great Mass Debater 1,090]

Leeds should back Bielsa to the hilt. But hopefully there hasnt been such a turnover there that they have forgotten the lessons of the last time they were too ambitious

[spencer 1970 207]

On 29/08/2020 at 23:40, kick it off said:

By virtue of a dodgy goal-line tech computer.

sould have still stayed up regardless...sadly.

[nutty nigel 7,533]

https://roblufc.org/2020/08/28/leeds-uniteds-promotion-has-ripped-the-life-out-of-the-football-league-by-rob-atkinson/

Is this guy one of our visitors?

😯😯😯😮😮😮

[Crabbycanary3 994]

34 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

https://roblufc.org/2020/08/28/leeds-uniteds-promotion-has-ripped-the-life-out-of-the-football-league-by-rob-atkinson/

Is this guy one of our visitors?

😯😯😯😮😮😮

Wow, that is some article. Incredible comes to mind.

[Canary Wundaboy 1,359]

40 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

https://roblufc.org/2020/08/28/leeds-uniteds-promotion-has-ripped-the-life-out-of-the-football-league-by-rob-atkinson/

Is this guy one of our visitors?

😯😯😯😮😮😮

Wow. Just wow.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

44 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

https://roblufc.org/2020/08/28/leeds-uniteds-promotion-has-ripped-the-life-out-of-the-football-league-by-rob-atkinson/

Is this guy one of our visitors?

😯😯😯😮😮😮

wow, 1 promotion after 16 years and giving it the biggun already, what a sad sack!

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

18 hours ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

As well as De Paul, Leeds are now in talks to sign an 18-year-old defender from Dinamo Zagreb for €20m. 

After the loans made permanent, Koch and Rodrigo, these two deals would take the summer spending to around £110m, which would be entering the Fulham and Villa range.

That figure seems a bit off from what I've seen.

TransferMarkt seem to think they've spent £61.78m (not including the 20 million euro guy), so what would that be £75m to £80m if that goes through.

But that doesn't mean they may not recoup a little in outgoings before the window closes. 

Also makes no sense to look at a single year in isolation, because if you did that then people could accuse us of buying the title this year couldn't they, if we win it? 

Last year I don't think Leeds spent any money at all, but they generated £27m in player sales. So do you deduct £27m from this summers spending? 

We would consider last seasons minimal spending when considering this summers outlay wouldn't we, so we'd want to be considering Leeds net transfer profit of £27m last season when looking at what they spend this summer? 

Fulham seem to be splashing the cash every year and not selling many at all, but it can't be claimed that Leeds have bought their way out of the Championship. In fact, over the past few years they seem to be reasonably well run for the first time in decades. 

[kirku 1,332]

4 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Last year I don't think Leeds spent any money at all, but they generated £27m in player sales. So do you deduct £27m from this summers spending? 

We would consider last seasons minimal spending when considering this summers outlay wouldn't we, so we'd want to be considering Leeds net transfer profit of £27m last season when looking at what they spend this summer? 

Fulham seem to be splashing the cash every year and not selling many at all, but it can't be claimed that Leeds have bought their way out of the Championship. In fact, over the past few years they seem to be reasonably well run for the first time in decades. 

Don't disagree with the overall sentiment but the bit in bold isn't remotely true.

They'll have spent a fair whack in loan fees, in no particular order: Costa, Augustin, Nketiah, Harrison, and White. Probably others too.

[Rich T The Biscuit 562]

2 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

https://roblufc.org/2020/08/28/leeds-uniteds-promotion-has-ripped-the-life-out-of-the-football-league-by-rob-atkinson/

Is this guy one of our visitors?

😯😯😯😮😮😮

And this beautifully sums up why fans up and down the country hate Leeds and will be crossing their fingers that stuff like this comes back to haunt them. 

All clubs have them but this is gold 😂

[1902 1,167]

I disagree that Leeds have a higher number of objectionable fans, just those that are objectionable really really over compensated during their EFL years. The internet age magnifies those voices as well unfortunately. In the whole how big a club are Leeds question , the honest answer is pretty damn big, they have had two/three periods of real success and Leeds is a big city with only one club. It was ridiculous that they took half my lifetime to get back up to the premiership though and it's strange that anyone would be doing anything but sighing with relief rather than lording it over other clubs fans.

What will be interesting for me is how, if they stay up, the fan base reacts to being mid-table because I can't see them getting much further than that without a real slice of luck. Leeds fans have spoken for so long about just reaching the premiership, what will they do now they are in the promised land and start getting turned over by the clubs they see as their natural rivals.

More immediately though, I have seen too many strikers arrive in the premiership with goals in other leagues only to fail miserably, and too many hit the ground running despite everyone thinking they would be a clubs 2nd or 3rd choice striker to judge whether Valencia have screwed them over. The signing of an internationally recognised defender is far more of a statement for me, and it shows the advantage of having a big name coach, money aside, I dont see that as being possible for us if we are promoted.

Edited August 31, 2020 by 1902

[HazzaJet 252]

Anyone here remember that “Spainboy” Leeds fan who constantly said we’d never manage to beat them to the title in our League One season - and what happened? Personally I feel all newly promoted teams are at high risk of going straight back down unless they have a lot of PL experience in their squad - look at Villa: spent £140m, only stayed up thanks to a fault in GLT. You do get some surprises though, like Sheffield Utd and Wolves. Leeds are long overdue a return to the top flight - wasn’t it the 03-04 season they were last in it? We’ll just have to wait and see how they do, although I’d love to see us go straight back up and them and Villa to go down this season.

Yes we hardly spent anything last season, but the objective was to try and get rid of the debts first rather than risk doing Fulham. This season we’re better off, have made some great signings, and if we sell any of our talent will get at least £20m for each player. As a result of this if we manage to go straight back up we should be able to strengthen our squad.

[Surfer 1,547]

2 hours ago, Rich T The Biscuit said:

And this beautifully sums up why fans up and down the country hate Leeds and will be crossing their fingers that stuff like this comes back to haunt them. 

All clubs have them but this is gold 😂

Oh boy. And it also sums up the attitude that defines the Premier League - that it is all about the club and not the competition. The Championship is by far a better product precisely because it's teams come and go, it has "big" clubs like Forest and Derby and "minnows" like Barnsley and Brentford. 

[yellowrider120 762]

6 hours ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

Wow, that is some article. Incredible comes to mind.

Correct - 'incredibly' bitter, twisted and arrogant comes to mind. Can forgive them some gloating at Pride Park if twelve months previous one Ram crapped on said dressing room floor and the great 'Frank Lampard' presumably thought it funny?

That said, their comments are so full of hype it's unbelievable (but then not really as we know what they're like). One geezer boasts they would fill an 80k stadium ('because Spurs can fill 60k'), another reckons they're 'the biggest draw in the PL' (!!) and will 'sell out every ground' (he meant home fans by the way). Numpties! 

I seriously hope they get turned over and come straight back down. I think Bielsa is overhyped anyway. All I saw when we whipped them away in the promotion season was a gang of blokes chasing around like lunatics all game. No awareness that they might have just benefited from a spell of decent possession and try something different. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,820]

5 hours ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

That figure seems a bit off from what I've seen.

Maybe it is, but my working was as follows:

*Helder Costa: £16m

Illan Meslier: £5m

Rodrigo: £27m

Robin Koch: £13m

**Jean-Kevin Augustin: £18m

***Rodrigo De Paul: £30m

***Josko Gvardiol: £18m

 

*Officially July, so may not count as this season, although it is this summer

**Still in the courts, I believe

***In talks, apparently.

So they've definitely spent £45m, if De Paul and Gvardiol go through it passes £90m, and then it depends where/if you want to count Costa and Augustin.

 

[hogesar 9,666]

5 hours ago, Rich T The Biscuit said:

And this beautifully sums up why fans up and down the country hate Leeds and will be crossing their fingers that stuff like this comes back to haunt them. 

All clubs have them but this is gold 😂

Yeah that article perfectly summises them