Our Squad

[WTF11]

This post from a year ago, started by Flintadore......

Quot[B]e Originally Posted by Flintadore View Post
Title contenders...3rd last year
Bookies favourites for promotion
World class manager
An academy that's the best in the country
A squad with players who are in demand...

Funny how easy it is to paint a picture of doubt...stoke the fears. Its so easy to tear down others, so hard to inspire them. After 15 years of debacle...I'm definitely good with what's happening at our club right now. Its not 'all good', but I'm not sure why others are letting the fearmongers...play.

Now, if they were fearmongering about Bates, or Cellino...or Rosler, or Christiansen, or Heckingbotton, or Evans...or Hockaday!!!!….then I'd be right with them.
"Its so easy to tear down others, so hard to inspire them".
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Finished by WTF11

Indeed, so why (as Cress asks in his post below), wasn't it possible for this "World class manager" to cope with and inspire someone who by most accounts is (was) our best defensive player and an inspiration to the team when their backs have been against the wall? Nah, easier is to just get rid.

And maybe having the best Academy in the country (and an U23 team that didn't come third, it came 1st), would be so much more appealing if some of the products of that Academy actually played in the 1st team now and again (instead of being loaned out, or played in the 1st team until an expensive replacement comes along (guess who)).

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Note the pessimism long before a ball had even been kicked this season gone....
Bit fecking embarrassing really...

And another example of playing man, not ball.

You can trawl through my posts as long as you like, but when you do, and find one that suits your purpose, maybe you could actually spend as much time in responding the argument/subject, as you do in finding the post in the first place?

The one you chose stands now just as it did then, we lost a talisman player (not the best in the division, but key to holding things together on many occasions when those around him were failing), and until Struijk played in the 5 games after re-start, how many other Academy players got more than 5 - 10 minutes throughout the season?

It's not pessimism, its realism. I'd prefer to look at the new season with hope borne out of clear statements of intent on the part of the club that some of the funds generated by promotion will be devoted to strengthening the squad, in the time between now and seasons start (a scant 5 weekends, with players returning to training this week). The rumours to date don't support that as being likely, but who knows, Orta might prove me wrong (not holding breath).

Btw, I suppose you are in the "Augustin will be our striker" school of thought?.

[CLIVETHELEEDSFAN]

also has anyone noticed how foreign Brentfords squad is? lots of scandinavian players but a fair few others who arent english or even british/irish, poor identity to me that, I wouldnt want leeds going virtually completely foreign (sorry if thats racist but theres clubs all over the world who try for the most part and stick to their own countries players)

9 out of 31 players in brentfords squad are english/british/irish, the rest are foreign, thats bad imo!

[CLIVETHELEEDSFAN]

Gelhart seems a good prospect, got a little taste of championship football this season just gone, wouldnt chuck him straight into the lineup, let him learn the bielsa way like we did with roberts, he didnt come into it straight away but looks a good player now, do the same with gelhart and see what happens. relating to the bees front line, brentford only scored i think 3 more goals than we did, meaning that most of their goals came from the front 3 and nobody else hardly, where as with us, our goals were spread out more evenly. i'd prefer for us to get someone in more proven than benramha watkins and mbeumo, the price of those 3 wouldnt be that cheap, we could spend the same amount of money on players of a bit better level, not saying those 3 are crap or owt, they aint, but if they were that good, why didnt they finish 2nd considering the bad form WBA were on? those 3 misfired when it mattered the most, sorry if this is harsh, but its true.

i'm not saying we can go in for Messi (as much as I would love for us to do) but a frontman more established to the PL or 1 of europes top divisions, or a top player from south america who again could adapt to bielsa very easily

[cherrypie7]

Strong rumour that Kiko Casilla has been told that he will be the number 2 goalkeeper next season if he stays. I think he might leave, and then we will need to find another unless Miazek stays. Heard Corberan wants Miazek to go to Huddersfield. Its a Merry-go-round!

[LeedsFTW]

Only fair Meslier starts as first choice. Stepped up when needed, wasn't really tested but didn't do much wrong. He is the man in possession of the shirt.

If Kiko wants the Jersey, he has to earn it back.

[WTF11]

Gelhart seems a good prospect, got a little taste of championship football this season just gone, wouldnt chuck him straight into the lineup, let him learn the bielsa way like we did with roberts, he didnt come into it straight away but looks a good player now, do the same with gelhart and see what happens. relating to the bees front line, brentford only scored i think 3 more goals than we did, meaning that most of their goals came from the front 3 and nobody else hardly, where as with us, our goals were spread out more evenly. i'd prefer for us to get someone in more proven than benramha watkins and mbeumo, the price of those 3 wouldnt be that cheap, we could spend the same amount of money on players of a bit better level, not saying those 3 are crap or owt, they aint, but if they were that good, why didnt they finish 2nd considering the bad form WBA were on? those 3 misfired when it mattered the most, sorry if this is harsh, but its true.

i'm not saying we can go in for Messi (as much as I would love for us to do) but a frontman more established to the PL or 1 of europes top divisions, or a top player from south america who again could adapt to bielsa very easily

Glad to see the Gelhrardt deal done and if it is 4 years then time for him to be blooded without chucking him in at the deep end. Looks a good prospect

[whitestomper45]

AR has stated that the value of Leeds has trebled since he took over and if they survive a few years the value be near £1B, so as an astute businessman why would he risk the opportunity, there are plenty of offers in the wings.

Leeds have improved the contracts of existing staff to tune of over € 20M, just signed Harrison again on loan (you don't rate him we know, but he is on books of a top 2 team) Just signed a record breaking shirt sponsorship with a global brand. SBOTOP added to the Adidas deal
Anyone who knows anything about marketing/branding will be aware how global the LUFC brand is despite 16 years in the wilderness,.

Yeah can see how it all looks like a cheap as chips club...

[WTF11]

AR has stated that the value of Leeds has trebled since he took over and if they survive a few years the value be near £1B, so as an astute businessman why would he risk the opportunity, there are plenty of offers in the wings.

Leeds have improved the contracts of existing staff to tune of over € 20M, just signed Harrison again on loan (you don't rate him we know, but he is on books of a top 2 team) Just signed a record breaking shirt sponsorship with a global brand. SBOTOP added to the Adidas deal
Anyone who knows anything about marketing/branding will be aware how global the LUFC brand is despite 16 years in the wilderness,.

Yeah can see how it all looks like a cheap as chips club...

Not sure if that was aimed at me (the tone would suggest it was).

No idea what the f00k your first paragraph was all about, but for the record, I agree with the increase in club value, the large increase in income that is almost immediate and that which will flow from further exploitation of Premiership status, but if we are to avoid yo-yo-ing in and out (and thats presuming we could get back of we dropped out first year), then judicious investment in certain areas of the squad is required. Just about everyone is in agreement on that, given the squad we have.

Presuming the dig was aimed at me, how do you come to the conclusion that I "don't rate" Harrison? He was poor the first season on loan, very impressive last season and I genuinely expect him to be as good this next season (although he will find PL defences a bit harder to get round, despite his speed). Said as much consistently, so no idea why you would think otherwise (apart from the incessant need to have a dig, but there you go).

I'm well aware of how global the Leeds brand is, and have never said anything to suggest otherwise, quite the contrary. Would have been better (IMHO) had the Clipper deal been for the 1st team home kit, but as they say, money talks.

Lets see who is brought in over and above the Gelhardt lad (who reports suggest cost us all of a million, which whilst IMHO "cheap as chips" is a very good piece of business. I have no issue with getting a good deal, and the Gelhardt deal looks like just that. My concern, and what I have repeatedly written posts about, is the apparent obsession on the part of our DoF with rejects from other clubs about to run down their contract, has-beens who are seeking to pad their pension pot, or never-weres who for some reason he thinks can be transformed at Leeds (with or without Bielsa, given his attempts at recruitment before and after Bielsa arrived). the one saving grace (as I pointed out in the reply to Cherrypie, is that I suspect Bielsa has had a calming influence on Ortas more extravagant inclinations (although the Casilla and Augustin debacles suggest he hasn't completely closed them down)

All of what you say about what the club has done since promotion I agree with, but aside from the retention and/or placing under contract of players who were loanees, only one acquisition on the back of known income for 20/21 and that at a bargain price. We need White, or a suitable replacement, and that ISN'T going to come at a knock-down price. We need at least a support/replacement for Pablo who can't be expected to weave his magic for all full-length appearances in PL games next season. We probably need a PL-capable striker, despite getting Gelhardt who after all is only 18 and while doing exceptionally well at Wigan, it was at Wigan, not Leeds in the PL.

Cheap as chips is as cheap as chips does, lets see who is brought in between now and September 12th. (And to go back to a comment made by someone previously about newcomers, no, we don't have until Christmas to get them "bedded in" the Bielsa way).

[spaldy]

Looks like we lost out on White to lpool

Might be one of a handful of clubs that could do that if Brighton sold.

Hard to believe we have gone from frees and left overs from lower tier clubs and losing our players to the likes of Norwich to getting beat out by the best club in English football in 2 years for a prospect

One of the greatest turnarounds in English football hitory..

[WTF11]

Looks like we lost out on White to lpool

Might be one of a handful of clubs that could do that if Brighton sold.

Hard to believe we have gone from frees and left overs from lower tier clubs and losing our players to the likes of Norwich to getting beat out by the best club in English football in 2 years for a prospect

One of the greatest turnarounds in English football hitory..

But we still lost out (if indeed he has gone to Liverpool), and we have no suitable replacement lined up, as far as anyone knows of course!)