so now we know our squad

[WTF11]

"kind of what a forum is for eh, expressing opinions"

or....expressing the same opinion again and again and again and again and again and again.

And having the same opinion despite everyone else disagreeing is........errrr. being of an independent mind?

So WS, Tich, BB, JimmyBN are so different? Expressing the same sycophantic tripe every post, indistinguishable from each other and all cringingly grateful for our owner buying his way into Championship play-off territory.

I genuinely would love to see Leeds back where we belong, but the price we are paying, becoming not much more than a cut-price Scum, makes me wonder if we have sold our soul for a few pieces of silver.

I go to watch Eastleigh when I can, strange that the feeling is more like ER some years ago than when i was last at ER (Norwich last season, for what it's worth). Old fart, wishing for times gone by and football played by guys who had some fleeting degree of affinity (even loyalty) for the club they played for. No more.

[WTF11]

This reminds me of the game we play with my friend when we head over the big city Melbourne every now and then. It's called spot the Aussie as you can hardly find one lol. It's the times and the world is f----. My parents watch tv back from the home land Greece and i'm stunned as i see asians and afrikan people on there speaking Greek better than me.
Anyway WTF it's the times and we can't do anything about it so we have to get used to it.

No we don't

[Jezleeds]

This reminds me of the game we play with my friend when we head over the big city Melbourne every now and then. It's called spot the Aussie as you can hardly find one lol. It's the times and the world is f----. My parents watch tv back from the home land Greece and i'm stunned as i see asians and afrikan people on there speaking Greek better than me.
Anyway WTF it's the times and we can't do anything about it so we have to get used to it.

I can't make out whether you're aware of the irony in what you say or not here!!

[Jezleeds]

No we don't

WTF when i was a ****ager my dad used to make negative comments about black and Asian people on TV all the time (i'm not suggesting you do this, although you do give that impression in some of the posts you posted recently, notably about making muslims in this country wear identifying badges before deporting them - here i'm talking about my dad though) - he said he didn't like them because they weren't 'from here'. So i asked him if he liked foreigners at all - he was definite that he didn't (he's been abroad once). I asked the same thing about southerners and he said 'can't stand them'. Later I asked him about midlanders and he said 'no - don't like them either'. What about people from South Yorkshire? No, again - common, apparently. South Leeds? He wasn't sure. What about people from the bottom of our street? Around then he started to get my point.

He's quite keen on his Polish carer now, in his 80s, which is more than a bit ironic. But needs must, eh.

The conversation in the 1980s made me realise that logic isn't always strongest when it comes to what people with strong opinions think about where people belong or fit in or their value.

I'm guessing there will be people living in Eastleigh or Portsmouth (where you live right?), who think that they should get the Yorkshire out of there as it doesn't belong. Northern scum - what right do you have living in their space? Here i'm assuming you're from Yorkshire originally.

Because if you're not, there would be absolutely no logic whatsoever in you supporting Leeds right?

[WTF11]

WTF when i was a ****ager my dad used to make negative comments about black and Asian people on TV all the time (i'm not suggesting you do this, although you do give that impression in some of the posts you posted recently, notably about making muslims in this country wear identifying badges before deporting them - here i'm talking about my dad though) - he said he didn't like them because they weren't 'from here'. So i asked him if he liked foreigners at all - he was definite that he didn't (he's been abroad once). I asked the same thing about southerners and he said 'can't stand them'. Later I asked him about midlanders and he said 'no - don't like them either'. What about people from South Yorkshire? No, again - common, apparently. South Leeds? He wasn't sure. What about people from the bottom of our street? Around then he started to get my point.

He's quite keen on his Polish carer now, in his 80s, which is more than a bit ironic. But needs must, eh.

The conversation in the 1980s made me realise that logic isn't always strongest when it comes to what people with strong opinions think about where people belong or fit in or their value.

I'm guessing there will be people living in Eastleigh or Portsmouth (where you live right?), who think that they should get the Yorkshire out of there as it doesn't belong. Northern scum - what right do you have living in their space? Here i'm assuming you're from Yorkshire originally.

Because if you're not, there would be absolutely no logic whatsoever in you supporting Leeds right?

Just to be clear, I don't care what colour, creed, nationality, ***uality or gender (if ladies were ever allowed to play in the same side men), those who pull on the Leeds shirt are, never have, never will.

As to background, lived until early ****s in Pudsey, then Wakefield, then 10 years in Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria), then back to the UK (south), ended up in Hampshire about 15 years ago. Have great friends (yes, really!) in all the countries and parts of the UK I've lived in, doesn't stop me have a view on who plays for Leeds, in particular how the make up of the team reflects the place the club is.

[LeedsFTW]

If the intention of the debate is to have a team of players that have been brought through the football program in the UK & Ireland to represent Leeds, then yes I agree it is a shame that the general make up of the team does not represent this dynamic.

I would prefer the team to be made up of Academy Grads, UK/Ireland internationals with a few continental players, the types of players that produce those moments of magic we all like to see.

However IMO the FA have done absolutely nothing to prevent the richest Clubs, especially in the UK, poaching and stock piling all the talented youngsters in to their academies to the extent it starts to hinder their development and they rarely reach their true potential. I actually think it is detrimental to their development, talented youngster getting signed up and then being let go several years later to teams lower down the leagues when they get "too old" because they missed out on playing competitive matches, didn't gain from those experiences and quality opposition. The other side is that the stock piling of talent leaves a smaller pool of talent for the poorer clubs to be sieving through.

I would like to think Leeds signs players based on talent & potential, firstly and foremost. Yet how do you stop the big Rich clubs poaching any talented youngsters from your Academies?

Not sure what the answer is, maybe putting a cap on the number of players a club can have on the books in the various age categories, could possibly prevent the richest clubs mopping up and wasting all the talented youngsters?

Just think the FA could be doing a much better job in this regard.

[españablanco73]

thought it was great under the 3 foreigner rules back in the day, clubs had to put much more thought into which stars to bring in.
Unfortunately as much as WTF might wish it was diferent, those are not the rules we play under, so, best forget it and move on.....

[WTF11]

If the intention of the debate is to have a team of players that have been brought through the football program in the UK & Ireland to represent Leeds, then yes I agree it is a shame that the general make up of the team does not represent this dynamic.

I would prefer the team to be made up of Academy Grads, UK/Ireland internationals with a few continental players, the types of players that produce those moments of magic we all like to see.

However IMO the FA have done absolutely nothing to prevent the richest Clubs, especially in the UK, poaching and stock piling all the talented youngsters in to their academies to the extent it starts to hinder their development and they rarely reach their true potential. I actually think it is detrimental to their development, talented youngster getting signed up and then being let go several years later to teams lower down the leagues when they get "too old" because they missed out on playing competitive matches, didn't gain from those experiences and quality opposition. The other side is that the stock piling of talent leaves a smaller pool of talent for the poorer clubs to be sieving through.

I would like to think Leeds signs players based on talent & potential, firstly and foremost. Yet how do you stop the big Rich clubs poaching any talented youngsters from your Academies?

Not sure what the answer is, maybe putting a cap on the number of players a club can have on the books in the various age categories, could possibly prevent the richest clubs mopping up and wasting all the talented youngsters?

Just think the FA could be doing a much better job in this regard.

That was indeed the intention, (debating what football in general and Leeds in particular, are doing wrt the development of home grown talent), thank you.

[WTF11]

thought it was great under the 3 foreigner rules back in the day, clubs had to put much more thought into which stars to bring in.
Unfortunately as much as WTF might wish it was diferent, those are not the rules we play under, so, best forget it and move on.....

Which was the point of my query regarding how we as fans are different to the likes if those who go to Stamford, or the Etihad etc. We've always thought of ourselves as different (better), yes? Now, where they have led, we are now following, doesn't sit right, does it?

[joellufcprice]

Just to be clear, I don't care what colour, creed, nationality, ***uality or gender (if ladies were ever allowed to play in the same side men), those who pull on the Leeds shirt are, never have, never will.

As to background, lived until early ****s in Pudsey, then Wakefield, then 10 years in Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria), then back to the UK (south), ended up in Hampshire about 15 years ago. Have great friends (yes, really!) in all the countries and parts of the UK I've lived in, doesn't stop me have a view on who plays for Leeds, in particular how the make up of the team reflects the place the club is.

So why do you keep brining it up if you're no bothered? Why did you bring up that Roofe despite being born in Walsall has Jamaican heritage? Why do you tell us that Vieiria, who plays for England U20 was born in Guiniea? You've spent weeks telling us how much you want a british born eleven and don't want foreign signings, at least own your bias. Even the end of your comment here just highlights your attitude, Leeds is a multi cultural city, so it does reflect it even if you think Leeds is some all white british bermuda triangle where no foreign bloke has ever stepped.