There is always this feeling that we're too good to go down, Forest are rubbish, we should get 3 points v Bournemouth etc etc.
There is a real blinkered view that is born of desperation to stay up and the fixtures are such that we never really drop down and we never really climb up, but now we're getting to the tough run of fixtures having not really gained the points we needed from etc relatively easier run of fixtures.
As others have said, it's torture.
How is this club so able to shoot itself in the foot?
3 years after the AR ego trip "Take us home" we're heading in completely wrong direction.
You only have to look at Chelsea to see how new managerial appointments can fail, it's not a question of just throwing money at players.
But almost every signing in hindsight looks wrong, from Roca to Rutter. Managerial ins and outs all been wrong since day 1 except for Bielsa inbound.
This won't change with current regime.
I'd love to say lets get relegated, clear out players, change owners, bounce back.
BUT.
We never bounce back.
We stay down for years.
I think we have got ourselves in such a financial pickle with commitments and strangely structured deals left right and centre that if we go down we'll be in real trouble.
If we stay up, we pay loads of staying up bonuses, we';re committed to permanent signing of Mackennie for example and we dont have Raphinha and Philips revenue to try and fund rebuilding.
I genuinely think we're on a bit of a knife edge and we dont have any visibility of 49ers plans or ability/appetite to fund.
I dont feel any AR exit will be smooth, I feel it will be messy, especially around Elland Road ownership. What is ever going to happen with our much hyped exit from TA.....just been so much hot air, hiding the more and more complex mess we get ourselves into.
One would hope that parachute payments, we bounce back up, but I dont see it with these players, I dont see it with this club.
Relegated in 82 took us 10 years to get back.
Relegated in 2004, took us nearly 20 years to get back
Relegated in 2007, took us 3 years to get out of League 1!!!
Just rambling at this point really, but this club is part of lives like nothing else, some of us have been going through this for decades and owners like AR have no true understanding of what this means.
I look at Wrexham, see Ryan Reynolds engaging with the community. I see Forest sticking with their manager supporting him as best they can, I see Brighton change managers regularly but keep an ethos and successful plan over time, I look at Brentford's stability, success and transfers nous.
We have huge revenues compared to these, huge fanbase compared to these, huge history compared to these, but are nothing compared to these right now, so poorly are we run.
having said all this, I dont think it's big change needed.
An owner who gets it, an owner who appoints well, engages properly and genuinely wants the best for the club, not just himself/herself.
A real mess
posted on 27/4/23
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by The Donn (U15142)
posted 1 minute ago
Well said Jonty couldn’t have put it better myself.Only problem is calling it a mess is an understatement.I don’t get the Mckennie situation I thought that that had an option to buy not an obligation to buy.Also today I see it’s being reported that a price of 25 million is being touted for Summerville .I think it should’ be more .
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remember costa obligation to buy, the idiocy of JKA deal, our board are inept.
I think Summerville has exceeded my expectations of him, but I'm not convicted ned he is answer for us. He's a bit part player and is restless when not playing, if we got offered 35 mill I'd try to get it up to 35 but would let hime go.
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McKennie is an option to buy not an obligation.
That’s how it’s been reported by most media outlets.
Leeds’ own wording was “with a view to a permanent deal in the summer”.
I think after the JKA debacle they won’t get caught with their pants down again surely?
posted on 27/4/23
comment by The Light Brigade (U22847)
posted 58 minutes ago
£25m for Aaronson. I’d conveniently blocked that from my memory. Shocking.
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I know, makes you wake up in a cold sweat when you remember it.
posted on 27/4/23
I think if by some remarkable change in luck and form we scramble to safety and the 49ers take charge in the summer as we expect, the prospect of those players being suggested who would leave if we are relegated I think most will leave anyway possibly bringing in for Gnonto, Meslier, Adams, Koch, Rocca, Rasmus, Aaronson, Summerville and Rodrigo £100 million.
Their value I think would decrease by about 10 - 20% if relegated giving us £80 - 85 million
The point being unless there has been some Robert Maxwell fraudulent behaviour going on behind the scenes I am not worrying about our financial stability I just worry about who is in charge of spending because we all can agree that that side of things has been an unmitigating disaster and if the Brentford, Fulham or Brighton DOF can be poached/tapped up, they should be the new owners first signing.
posted on 27/4/23
I have a dream. We are playing Sunderland in the Championship play-off final in 2024. It's all square in the last minute of extra time and the ball rolls gently to Bamford in front of an empty net. He shoots and...
posted on 28/4/23
I think with parachute payments and players sales we will be okay financially as long as we bounce back up pretty quickly. We are in a much better position than the last time we were relegated.
First thing 49ers need to do is get rid of Orta. Make a big statement. Hire a manager who wants to buy his own players. Help him out but let him have full control.
posted on 28/4/23
"Hire a manager who wants to buy his own players."
Like Marsch with Aaronson, Roca, Kristiansen, Adams, McKennie you mean?
posted on 28/4/23
comment by Outwood White (U9610)
posted 2 hours, 4 minutes ago
… as long as we bounce back up pretty quickly.
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But we don’t do things like that at Leeds United.
posted on 28/4/23
True - just hypothetically speaking. You can never guarantee anything.
Jonty - do you judge all managers as the same as Marsch or do we actually get a decent manager this time who we can trust to sign players?
posted on 28/4/23
Outwood your point was about managers choosing players, I pointed out we just had one of those, but look how it worked out.
You need a manager to choose players but more importantly a manager who knows what he’s doing in the situation he’s in.
posted on 28/4/23
Thats why the right manager is vital. I never wanted Marsch. I knew it wouldn't work as soon as I saw the narrow wingers formation.
Look at Kompany at Burnley.