I'm pretty gutted about the way this season has panned out after the start we had. However I think the questions over the owner, in particular the comparisons with some parasitic previous regimes, are pretty harsh.
Radz really got my attention and support when he bought back Elland road. Regardless of whatever investment vehicle he used to buy it, it was a real statement of intent. He is here for the long haul. Why didn't the other owners we've had do anything about it? It was expensive and they didn't want to tie more of their own money up in Leeds. Bates missing the buyback deadline on thorp arch I recall being my turning point on him for example as it was evidence he wasn't in it for the long term.
Summer recruitment was bad this year. I'm not too fussed about the u23 stuff at present, we will see in next 3 years if that was good business or not. Buying loads of players without English experience was high risk and of them all, maybe only saiz has been a success. I hope a few might be better for a year in the league but that's hope not expectation.
Losing a 30 goal striker, a top centre half and a top left back left big holes in our spine. None were dealt with and that was the big mistake this summer. We signed a dozen players and didn't address these issues. Also we needed to upgrade our midfield options and didn't.
I hope it is clear to orta and radz what needs sorting for next year and we see evidence of this in the next window. But in any event I see that radz is a pretty determined bloke who is in this for the long haul. Of all owners in the past 14 years I think he is the most likely to get us back. He has made mistakes, will make more, but at least we aren't selling Clayton for buttons and renewing Michael browns contract.
Radz
posted on 13/3/18
I agree with your points on recruitment, losing players, not replacing, etc etc etc yet after all of these issues you feel the ER purchase outweighs all of these.
I think it looked great that it was bought, I’d really like to understand leeds united’s (the football club) relation to the entities that now owns the club and what financial considerations there might be.
I’d also like the club to be clear whether we are staying at ER or not. In the stage managed Q&A session it was particularly ambiguos and you only have to look at Kinnears record to realise that a stadium move could well be on agenda and look at the impact that has had on the West Ham fanbase who are now lumbered with a ground not really fit for football and from which they will very likely never escape from unless they financially implode.
posted on 13/3/18
I just feel he is here to make a proper success of it rather than make a buck. He has made a few mistakes on the football side, I dare say he will make more, but I feel he is in this till we are back where we belong. Specifically I feel comparisons with other of our previous owners is unfair.
posted on 13/3/18
Comparisons are always fair, how close they match up is a different thing.
We have to not be clouded by hope. Lots of red flags around current set up. One of course hopes AR learns but that needs actions that we’ve not seen yet.
posted on 13/3/18
You suggest that "I just feel he is here to make a proper success of it rather than make a buck."
Buying ER is purely a commercial decision, hopefully one that benefits the club in the long term. But if the priority is promotion, then the choice of managers and the player recruitment give the impression that either he isn't fully committed to promotion any time soon or he is making mistakes and repeating them.
Also the comment about being here for the long term? Other than his infamous 5-year comment, I don't see any long term planning. Maybe he is here for the long term. Maybe he wants to make a quick profit and sell up.
I'm really not sure what to make of AR but so far its disappointment.
posted on 13/3/18
Long term planning: investment in a number of younger players. You can question the wisdom of getting lots of young Europeans in, I certainly do, but not his commitment and the financial outlay on this as part of a long term strategy.
Buying ER means we aren't saddled with ever increasing rent to an unrelated 3rd party. Huge move in the right direction.
I think the transfer business to date has been very underwhelming. I thought the January business was better. 2 out of 3 signings have experience of English football and were in positions we were deficient. Forshaw is an upgrade on our current midfield. Roberts unfortunately injured. De bock looks underwhelming again unfortunately.
I could go on for some time about how bad bates, gfh, cellino were. They were real dark days. Radz isn't perfect but he isn't in the same league as them is all.
The only big criticism for me is the transfer business in the summer. I think we need to get that right this summer and learn from the mistakes. I'll be a bit harsher if we get it wrong and go for people you've never heard of from Europe by the dozen again but I don't think we will this time.
posted on 13/3/18
Here is what worries me. AR didn’t a lot of money on players this summer and basically blew all the Wood and Taylor money with promise of better than 7th.
That spend should be enough to improve our position.
However the move to incent players in away game form indicates a desperation to improving position that should not be needed beyond the player investment.
I cannot see that we made any profit this season.
I’m going to stick my neck out now and predict that if we aren’t going up next season then we will hit big financial issues by end of next summer as accounts announced by then shed light on the true financial arrangements around ER.
I’ve not got a good feeling about this.
posted on 14/3/18
I'm glad all the wood and Taylor money was reinvested. It's about time we had an ownership who did that rather than leech money out of the club.
I'm not glad, as you say, that it was invested poorly.
The problem with this league is that parachute payments skew everything. Even a club with our revenue generating capacity can't compete with these parachute payments.
There seems to be a sort of plan to develop our own young players with a big investment in European youngsters. Not sure it will work but to compete against parachute payment teams you either bet the farm (don't want us to do this) or try to find a different edge.
It looks like we are trying to find that but it isn't going to happen overnight.