Quote Originally Posted by spaldy View Post
I'll bite on the passengers comment.

every team has "passengers". You can't have all "stars". The egos are just too great. You don't have to look far to see that. Citeh is loaded with the best and highest paid in every staff and player position and still lost last year. Lpool built up their team over 2-4 years and they certainly have some passengers as we discovered. However, the sum is greater than a collection of superstars like Citeh or Scum assemble. They were drilled by Leicester last week that probably spend a tenth of what they do.

The art is making sure that the passengers know their role. Perhaps Orta understands that MB and Rads are calling the shots and he just tries to execute the plan.

He would be missed if he had left this summer. I realize he's made a lot of mistakes but he's part of the fabric of the organization and probably one of those behind the scenes go that keeps things going smoothly.

we just agree to disagree. no big deal but in the end we'll end up top 10 this year and looking at Europe qualifying next.
It's not a case of biting or note m8, honestly it isn't. I agree that not all the parts of the team can be stellar (although the more that are the better!), but I go back to my question about what Bielsa would do if a player in the squad he was responsible for was performing in relative terms as well/badly as Orta has in his particular role in he organisation.

Orta occupies a very key position in the club, there is only one DoF, and if he isn't performing (and for Leeds it should be above average), then the club won't perform as well as it could. Had we avoided the big money "investments" of the likes of Lassogga, or Casilla, JKA, or the combined costs of the "lower echelon" 18 or so that never played for the 1st team before being shipped out (universally at a loss), then clearly substantial funds would have been saved making whatever transfer kitty we had (in whichever season since he arrived) that much larger.

Directorship isn't usually the equivalent of "management" and is usually rewarded at a considerably higher level. If Orta is't "calling the shots" all that would be required once the shot had been called by others, is commercial management, a much less expensive activity. so save some money and dispense with the role of DoF?

Despite his retention, I agree with you that we will do ok this season (something I had real doubts over before seasons start). I'd still say that going forward, if a DoF is still deemed necessary, we need better.