It appears that pre-season training starts a week on Monday and it's been alleged that Bielsa wants the majority, if not all, of his new players in by then so that they can all bed in and be at the same stage together, fitness and preparation-wise.
No-one knows what's really going on behind the scenes at the club and I'm sure they're working to bring in the players MB wants. All we know is what we read on all the usual rumour-monger sites which is no indication at all. I may be unnecessarily sceptical and pessimistic but history has shown that the owners have previously dithered and allowed themselves to be drawn into lengthy, fruitless negotiations. Usually the issue has been money and as we know, there's not a lot of that around this summer.
In the next week or so I would hope that we'll be welcoming some new additions to the playing squad, but somewhere deep down I'm not convinced that will be the case. I'd love to be wrong, but once bitten etc...
If recruitment is slow and ultimately disappointing, I wonder what Bielsa's take will be.
Let's hope it all works out but I can't help but feel, rightly or wrongly, that we're going to have another typically painful summer of waiting and waiting, only to have to settle for B-list targets when the A-listers go elsewhere.
On another final note, I'm concerned that the players whose contracts are starting to run down have not been signed up yet. It's just another example of management dithering when time is of the essence.
If I could, I'd go into hibernation until the first day of the new season when it's all sorted out.
Let's hope for some good news in the next week or so.
MOT
Pre-season
posted on 13/6/19
Contract expires 2021
https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/22145/lu-phillips
posted on 13/6/19
I would HATE to see Phillips go.
BUT if Clarke going and Phillips bring in £30m and we being in 3 starters then it makes sense.
The only thing with that is bringing in people means you’ll be paying them a lot more than we are paying Clarke and Phillips so that has to be considered.
posted on 13/6/19
Problem now is that people are hunting for the best they can get, and usually the best are the best at other clubs, this'll say what the club want and also what Philips is after, he's young and has a chance of getting to where he didn't with us!..
You can rest assured that his agent will have one hell of a lot to say on this, it'll be a case of love off club or pull of Premiership that wins!..
Looks like he'll be elsewhere next season unless he's one that wears the shirt where the heart is!..
posted on 13/6/19
The annual barometer of measuring our ambition (or lack of) is upon us again. Leeds United’s very own version of Groundhog Day! Will they ever learn that continually selling your best players is what keeps us in this division? Let’s wait and see!
posted on 13/6/19
At the end of the day, we could sell Jansson, Phillips, Roofe and co and end up getting promoted anyway and not one person would moan about that......I think
Would have liked to have seen us move in the window by the end of next week, Its still very early but Bielsa strikes me as the kind of manager who would want signings and outgoings sorted early.
As for selling star players;
Jansson - Yes of we get 2 good replacements but in hope we keep him.
Phillips - Jog on
Roofe - Would rather keep him
Clarke - The one I would cash in on. Think around 15 would be good business for a player who has the stamina and first touch of a 1.5 mil player. Would replace him with someone like ODowda, Lowe, Adomah if he gets back to his best.
posted on 13/6/19
"Phillips - Jog on"
Who?.....Phillips or people that are chasing him?..
posted on 13/6/19
I don’t understand why we need to be selling any of our best players.
If Jansson, Phillips or Roofe leave, we won’t sign a better replacement.
posted on 13/6/19
When I said the end of next season I meant end of next season we have to play.
I consider this season to now be the 2019-2020 seasoned the 2020-2021 season to be next season
posted on 14/6/19
I put Phillips in a similar situation to Grealish last year. Both pivotal players for their hometown clubs. Grealish, despite lots of interest, decided to stay and Villa decided not to cash in. Net result they kept a key player who went along way to securing them promotion.
posted on 14/6/19
The difference is, Villa weren’t skint.