Our Squad

[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...

[whitestomper45]

I think you're spot on with the observation about Blunts, and I hope we do something similar this coming season. There is a big difference though, and that is Bielsa. In a good way he has developed and honed players who were bang average before he arrived, but on the flip side he demands more (I suspect) than Wilder does of his players. so we end up in a division that is one of the most demanding in the world, with a coach who mirrors that, with a squad that is small by any standards and especially the PL, with some significant areas of weakness that require suitable investment, not cheap-as-chips freebies or players rejected not only by their "home" team but by those they get loaned out to (no prizes for guessing who I mean).

Radrizzani has stated publicly that promotion is worth approximately £200m to the club outright, and that there are other benefits yet to be evaluated in terms of increased sponsorship revenues, possible additional investment (both from existing partners and others). Some of that needs to be invested (not splurged) and one indication would be to make a suitable offer to Brighton for White (and at £25m he would be a better, proven (even at Championship level), investment than the £22m (fees already paid, and future commitment to buy) we might be on the hook for with Augustin.

Like to see the Gelhardt deal go through, the lad looks to have promise, and Benrahma too. Without a suitable white replacement (given that the club might not agree with me!), we will be exposed.

AR has said the value of the club has trebled in his time and that if we stay up a while, we will be worth €1 Billion. As an astute businessman he wont risk that with any cheap as chips deals, nor should he pay over the odds for any player including Ben White who is untested at Premier level and never £ 20M, you want them to do a Ridsdale and let all and sundry know Leeds will pay over the odds?

We just signed Harrison again (The player you didn't rate and reminded us incessantly ) for the season on loan, good astute business. A club record breaking shirt sponsorship with SBOTOP following the Adidas deal.

Given the brand awareness LUFC have maintained whilst in their 16 year wilderness..... yeah when you add it all up.. we really look like a cheap as chips outfit...not

[whitestomper45]

AR has said the value of the club has trebled in his time and that if we stay up a while, we will be worth €1 Billion. As an astute businessman he wont risk that with any cheap as chips deals, nor should he pay over the odds for any player including Ben White who is untested at Premier level and never £ 20M, you want them to do a Ridsdale and let all and sundry know Leeds will pay over the odds?

We just signed Harrison again (The player you didn't rate and reminded us incessantly ) for the season on loan, good astute business. A club record breaking shirt sponsorship with SBOTOP following the Adidas deal.

Given the brand awareness LUFC have maintained whilst in their 16 year wilderness..... yeah when you add it all up.. we really look like a cheap as chips outfit...not

sory bout the 2 posts the thing didnt seem to post first time, anyway its in duplicater

[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]

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).

[WTF11]

AR has said the value of the club has trebled in his time and that if we stay up a while, we will be worth €1 Billion. As an astute businessman he wont risk that with any cheap as chips deals, nor should he pay over the odds for any player including Ben White who is untested at Premier level and never £ 20M, you want them to do a Ridsdale and let all and sundry know Leeds will pay over the odds?

We just signed Harrison again (The player you didn't rate and reminded us incessantly ) for the season on loan, good astute business. A club record breaking shirt sponsorship with SBOTOP following the Adidas deal.

Given the brand awareness LUFC have maintained whilst in their 16 year wilderness..... yeah when you add it all up.. we really look like a cheap as chips outfit...not

Well, there you go, how clever was I to spot that post #84 was aimed at me!!

I wish there was at least some level of consistency in what you post. "nor should he pay over the odds for ANY player including Ben White". And I agree with that sentiment, 100%. But please explain how you come to that conclusion whilst supporting the ludicrous decision to tie the club to an £18m "investment" in Augustin who has never played in the English leagues, never mind the PL? (I suppose its par for the course, given Ortas previous dismal record of success bringing in players who hadn't payed in the Championship but for some reason were deemed "the next bright thing" until they were proven otherwise, something I suspect you will find I commented on, only to be told I didn't know what I was talking about) BTW, Brighton know how much White is worth, and we are not the only club who have offers in mind over £20m. And since when did I suggest "doing a Ridsdale", find anywhere where I have suggested we pay what is asked without negotiation? We pay what we have to pay, for suitable players, who will strengthen the squad (no matter what division we are in at the time), not the dross our Dof has repeatedly saddled us with.

See post #88 for my comment on Harrison (and do a bit of research as to when I last criticised the guy)

Leeds United is an attractive brand, anyone who says otherwise is just daft, which was why Radrizzani bought the club despite the basket case we were at the time. We are more so now we are in the PL, but to "stay up a while" we need to strengthen the squad, not simply retain those who got us there. That needs to be at the going rate, and I suspect Orta is still fantasising about finding some kid on a free, or playing for some backwater club in the back of beyond that is the new Messi. Like I said in #88, cheap as chips is as cheap as chips does, we will see what transpires between now and September 12th

[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!)