Feelgood factor, where did it go?

[WTF11]

Ok, we're not relegated, and I sincerely hope we won't be, but.....thought I'd cheer myself up and watch "Take Us Home", Second "series", when we were promoted...

I get tearful too easily nowadays (and those who want to make "funny" remarks can f00k the hell off ), but apart from the wonderful moments when Hernandez, Harrison, Cooper, Costa (yes, him!) and Bamford are shown scoring priceless goals
, theres a piece about 44 minutes in, where the Huddersfield v W Brom result came through and promotion (at least) was ours, and the fans gathered outside ER not knowing the players were inside and then they saw them at the East Stand windows and then some came down to the tops of the steps, and there is Phillips, singing with the fans "Leeds are falling apart again", and it really makes you (well, me anyway) cry with pride that fans and players connected like that. For the life of me I can't understand why, when you go through all of that, and you'll NEVER feel like that again, with your gran on the phone speechless about what the team has achieved, would you go somewhere as soulless and frigid as Schitty?

I'm NOT having a dig, honestly, I guess as a "normal" person it's just about impossible to understand how you can leave behind something so integral to who you are, and what you have achieved. I'll never understand it, and I can't believe it was just for the money, but neither can I identify what it WAS for.

And back to the title of the thread Just a couple of seasons ago we were watching games played without fans, and yet there was that connection I mentioned. Now, we have a squad that has no "soul", not like the one that saw us get promotion, struggling to produce results, and facing relegation. How can we have failed so badly, so quickly?

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Ok, we're not relegated, and I sincerely hope we won't be, but.....thought I'd cheer myself up and watch "Take Us Home", Second "series", when we were promoted...

I get tearful too easily nowadays (and those who want to make "funny" remarks can f00k the hell off ), but apart from the wonderful moments when Hernandez, Harrison, Cooper, Costa (yes, him!) and Bamford are shown scoring priceless goals
, theres a piece about 44 minutes in, where the Huddersfield v W Brom result came through and promotion (at least) was ours, and the fans gathered outside ER not knowing the players were inside and then they saw them at the East Stand windows and then some came down to the tops of the steps, and there is Phillips, singing with the fans "Leeds are falling apart again", and it really makes you (well, me anyway) cry with pride that fans and players connected like that. For the life of me I can't understand why, when you go through all of that, and you'll NEVER feel like that again, with your gran on the phone speechless about what the team has achieved, would you go somewhere as soulless and frigid as Schitty?

I'm NOT having a dig, honestly, I guess as a "normal" person it's just about impossible to understand how you can leave behind something so integral to who you are, and what you have achieved. I'll never understand it, and I can't believe it was just for the money, but neither can I identify what it WAS for.

And back to the title of the thread Just a couple of seasons ago we were watching games played without fans, and yet there was that connection I mentioned. Now, we have a squad that has no "soul", not like the one that saw us get promotion, struggling to produce results, and facing relegation. How can we have failed so badly, so quickly?

Bielsa is special beyond football. There was a humility to him and a desire to do things the right way.

Work hard and if that doesn’t work - work harder. If it goes wrong look at yourself and not others and if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything.

A lot of those things are very LeedsYorkahire traits and I suspect a large part of the connection.

It look him an hour and a half to leave the training ground on his last day as so many fans pitched up to say goodbye and he wanted to speak to each and every one of them.

There aren’t many special people in the world and we were lucky enough to have one for a short period of time.

Treasure the memory as we were luckier than we sometimes recognise.

[spaldy]

WTF, think your post is heartfelt and not a dig in any way. I think there are a lot of other "normal people" that think like you on this matter (including me). I, for the life of me can't understand why Athletes leave their "heritage" for money. KP is a great example. Leed's through and through and he gave his all for the club and was rewarded with legendary status, playing for the 3 lions and likely never having to buy a beer at any pub in the Leeds area. Basically gave it all up for 30 pieces of silver (albeit it big, big pieces of silver").

it's not like the club had to sell him to avoid administration. I also can't blame the club since it was obvious his agent was pushing this. Don't know if that was because KP wanted it or the agent wanted more money. Likely both. in the end he ends up sitting the bench on one of the greatest clubs money can by playing mop up minutes in games already decided. He's basically Leeds version of Jamie Shackton the last couple of years. All that talent wasted for money.

In the end what difference will all the money make? Athletes played for year for the love and the game and impact on a team/community. Those with his talent were heroes and icons and are stories are still told about them decades later. I was not blessed to be a world class athlete but I know that I'd much rather have that than so much money I can fill a pool with it. At what point does it really become meaningless.

I do understand that some Athletes use the money to build a business empire or charity and make a real difference. It's a stepping stone to their next life's goal. In that case it makes total sense to chase the money. However, for most pro athletes that high point of their life is playing and impact they make on the team, community and sport overall.

[norfolk white]

Looking back to the bielsa era, we had Phillips, raphina, alioski, hernandez...wonderful skilfull players, best time of my life as a Leeds fan, and I go back to 1972 with the revie era, knew it would end at some point, and it has, sadly so.

[Ozwhites]

WTF, how dare you spoil it by now coming across as emotionally humane! Said tongue in cheek naturally...😁
And yes, that 2nd season of Take Me Home certainly sends a shiver up my spine.

[cherrypie7]

Ok, we're not relegated, and I sincerely hope we won't be, but.....thought I'd cheer myself up and watch "Take Us Home", Second "series", when we were promoted...

I get tearful too easily nowadays (and those who want to make "funny" remarks can f00k the hell off ), but apart from the wonderful moments when Hernandez, Harrison, Cooper, Costa (yes, him!) and Bamford are shown scoring priceless goals
, theres a piece about 44 minutes in, where the Huddersfield v W Brom result came through and promotion (at least) was ours, and the fans gathered outside ER not knowing the players were inside and then they saw them at the East Stand windows and then some came down to the tops of the steps, and there is Phillips, singing with the fans "Leeds are falling apart again", and it really makes you (well, me anyway) cry with pride that fans and players connected like that. For the life of me I can't understand why, when you go through all of that, and you'll NEVER feel like that again, with your gran on the phone speechless about what the team has achieved, would you go somewhere as soulless and frigid as Schitty?

I'm NOT having a dig, honestly, I guess as a "normal" person it's just about impossible to understand how you can leave behind something so integral to who you are, and what you have achieved. I'll never understand it, and I can't believe it was just for the money, but neither can I identify what it WAS for.

And back to the title of the thread Just a couple of seasons ago we were watching games played without fans, and yet there was that connection I mentioned. Now, we have a squad that has no "soul", not like the one that saw us get promotion, struggling to produce results, and facing relegation. How can we have failed so badly, so quickly?

No, it wasn't about money. Philips left to win trophies. He probably wanted something tangible before the best years of his career were over. Athletes of all sports want that. I dont blame him.
As for a squad with no "soul", I was heartened by the fact that 4 players (ayling, meslier, Harrison, barndoor) who took us up, played in the last match against Southampton.

[WTF11]

No, it wasn't about money. Philips left to win trophies. He probably wanted something tangible before the best years of his career were over. Athletes of all sports want that. I dont blame him.
As for a squad with no "soul", I was heartened by the fact that 4 players (ayling, meslier, Harrison, barndoor) who took us up, played in the last match against Southampton.

I can understand any sportsperson wanting to have a cabinet with the glittering prizes won over a career, but if (and it's quite a big "if" at present) Phillips is part of the team that actually plays and wins in a cup final of some sort, or as part of the side that lifts the PL title, how much will he have contributed? So far, playing for City, he has been on the pitch for around 180 minutes, over 9 appearances, provided zero assists, zero goals, and yet has a 90% pass success rate (you don't suddenly get "bad" as I've said before). so his skill hasn't diminished, but the chance to demonstrate it has, drastically. So if City succeed in winning something, and Phillips happens to have been in the side, (starting or as sub), looking at the medal or cap, or whatever, in his prize cabinet, how will he feel? Like you, I don't blame any professional sportsperson for wanting to achieve, just can't fathom how 20 minutes a match, in 9 games, would make that person feel proud of their contribution, when they have previously been "significant" albeit at a "lower" club. Nowt so queer as folk, so they say in't North.

As for the "soul" comment, again agree with you about those who remain, but look how many have gone, particularly those with true magic as players, either in terms of skill, temperament, or both, taking away the spirit and camaraderie that was there in 2020 (including Berardi, Alioski, Klich, Hernandez, Raphina and of course Phillips). Nothing lasts forever, thats for sure, just wish the powers that be could have seen that we had a core of players who with some judicious investment could have formed the kind of band of brothers we saw under Revie, Wilkinson, and Macallister, and a coach who properly supported would have still been with us.

[spaldy]

No, it wasn't about money. Philips left to win trophies. He probably wanted something tangible before the best years of his career were over. Athletes of all sports want that. I dont blame him.
As for a squad with no "soul", I was heartened by the fact that 4 players (ayling, meslier, Harrison, barndoor) who took us up, played in the last match against Southampton.

"Winning trophies" while sitting the bench is a lot like being the valedictorian of the summer school class.

[spaldy]

And no, many good athletes don't go somewhere to "win trophies". The #1 trait they all possess is desire to play and be a critical part of building a team or program. KP had to know it was going to be a big ask to break that lineup. he could have helped Leeds go to the next level and been the building block for that. He's in the prime of his career.

He went for the money. His call, but call it like it is.

[cherrypie7]

I can understand any sportsperson wanting to have a cabinet with the glittering prizes won over a career, but if (and it's quite a big "if" at present) Phillips is part of the team that actually plays and wins in a cup final of some sort, or as part of the side that lifts the PL title, how much will he have contributed? So far, playing for City, he has been on the pitch for around 180 minutes, over 9 appearances, provided zero assists, zero goals, and yet has a 90% pass success rate (you don't suddenly get "bad" as I've said before). so his skill hasn't diminished, but the chance to demonstrate it has, drastically. So if City succeed in winning something, and Phillips happens to have been in the side, (starting or as sub), looking at the medal or cap, or whatever, in his prize cabinet, how will he feel? Like you, I don't blame any professional sportsperson for wanting to achieve, just can't fathom how 20 minutes a match, in 9 games, would make that person feel proud of their contribution, when they have previously been "significant" albeit at a "lower" club. Nowt so queer as folk, so they say in't North.

As for the "soul" comment, again agree with you about those who remain, but look how many have gone, particularly those with true magic as players, either in terms of skill, temperament, or both, taking away the spirit and camaraderie that was there in 2020 (including Berardi, Alioski, Klich, Hernandez, Raphina and of course Phillips). Nothing lasts forever, thats for sure, just wish the powers that be could have seen that we had a core of players who with some judicious investment could have formed the kind of band of brothers we saw under Revie, Wilkinson, and Macallister, and a coach who properly supported would have still been with us.

I dont think Philips thought he was going to play so little when he signed.
As for spirit we do have Adams, and the dynamic duo - Gnonto and Summerville. Although I must say, the latter 2 when they play together try to find each other a little too much, sometimes overlooking a better alternative.