Leeds sign United States midfielder Brenden Aaronson

[Monaco_Totty]

It remains to be seen if this is "a good bit of business".

Pray tell what is a 5 star guaranteed player signing 'before' pulling on the Leeds shirt then ?
Team game in it which requires many characteristics & hopefully Prima Donna ain't one of 'em.

[WTF11]

Pray tell what is a 5 star guaranteed player signing 'before' pulling on the Leeds shirt then ?
Team game in it which requires many characteristics & hopefully Prima Donna ain't one of 'em.

Never said a guarantee existed MT (and wtf is the prima donna reference got to do with anything??), simply suggesting that there are ways and means of increasing the assurance that the clubs investment is a good one.

As an example, it was suggested that JKA was "a good bit of business" by those who post here AND those who sign the cheques at LUFC.
I suggested before he kicked a ball (one of the few he ever kicked for Leeds) that a reject from not only his "parent" club but also his loan club was a less than stellar indication of the suitability of the player concerned to match expectations of LUFC. I was right, others were wrong.

Aronsson has done nothing of note in either the MLS leagues, or in his record in the Austrian leagues, and the Austrian leagues aren't exactly high on the profile of national leagues producing teams capable of high level competition, so exactly what is it that he offers to LUFC, other than being an American, playing (now) for a team that has a very substantial shareholding form an American organisation?

Set the £25m we are rumoured to have paid against other possible candidates (Nketiah, Minaminho, Taylor, Pulisic, Semenyo, Lingard, Lawrence, all proven in leagues that would be very hard for the Austrians to match) and see if the risk of a poor investment is high or low?

Past performance in football IS an indication of future performance, and Aronsson has no real past performance to measure

[asturianblanco]

Aaronson was connected with Leeds almost as soon as the 49-ers increased their stake in the club, well before the problems that led to Bielsa being sacked and Marsch appearing. This is a 49-ers led signing, Orta was just the bag carrier (as usual). It remains to be seen if this is "a good bit of business".

So, if Ortais only only the "bag carrier" why are you obsessed with bringing him down, why are you not preoccupied with bring ing down the dark forces behind him who are clearly pulling the strings in your opinion.

Methinks its because you dont have a Scooby?

[LeedsFTW]

Pray tell what is a 5 star guaranteed player signing 'before' pulling on the Leeds shirt then ?
Team game in it which requires many characteristics & hopefully Prima Donna ain't one of 'em.

Thinks this is just the pond we have to fish in at the moment. We appear to be trying to recruit players with potential EPL quality rather than proven. If it works, like with Rapha then it's brilliant. If they don't ignite the way we expect them too, then it looks like bad business.

I do agree there are players out there on potential free transfers that look like the could enhance what we have. However without having knowledge of their personal terms, we dont know if they really are affordable.

However, what irritates the most is when we refuse to buy a target for a couple of million more than what we offered, only to go after them later for an even higher price. James for example, O Brien will be another one.

Definitely more good championship players we should look at but can we quarantee them a starting position if they leave their current 1st team starting spot?

[WTF11]

So, if Ortais only only the "bag carrier" why are you obsessed with bringing him down, why are you not preoccupied with bring ing down the dark forces behind him who are clearly pulling the strings in your opinion.

Methinks its because you dont have a Scooby?

I'm not "obsessed with bringing him down". Even to think that anything I say here would have the slightest effect on his retention by or departure from Leeds would be ludicrous. I comment and make my views on his abilities and performance known because it's my opinion, which I'm entitled to express, as often and in any manner I see fit.

And "dark forces"? You mean our owner and minority shareholder? I think you will see that I mentioned the latter in the post you replied to, neither positively or negatively, simply that they will have been the catalyst for the Aronsson signing, Orta will have played little or no role, just as it will be with all the other American players we are rumoured to be interested in, the 49-ers influence will be what drives any future signing of American players, not the scouting talents of our DoF.

You may have a different opinion, and you're as entitled to express it as I am mine. I suspect I could garner more evidence to support my opinion than you yours, but that's just the point about opinions, they're not always based on fact.

As for having a clue, wind back a while and see what comments you made about the likes of JKA, Rodrigo etc.and compare my slighly less ecstatic observations, see who looks clueless.

[spaldy]

Owning a sports team is generally a money losing proposition. Like Horse and auto racing. The problem is there are only so many super rich owners willing to splash big cash. There are enough in the prem to be a very disruptive force. We aren’t one of them. The 49s have money but they aren’t super stupid with it. We will be more like Arsenal under Wenger than the current Arsenal.

I do wish we’d get some tough UK based players from lower leagues to supplement our current team.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Owning a sports team is generally a money losing proposition. Like Horse and auto racing. The problem is there are only so many super rich owners willing to splash big cash. There are enough in the prem to be a very disruptive force. We aren’t one of them. The 49s have money but they aren’t super stupid with it. We will be more like Arsenal under Wenger than the current Arsenal.

I do wish we’d get some tough UK based players from lower leagues to supplement our current team.

I believe there is wealthy family behind the 49ers and not just one individual and whilst they have money it’s not Abromovich, City or Newcastle type money. Some of that money is tied up in other businesses too.

[spaldy]

You are correct on the family. However it’s based heavily on retail commercial property. That was killed by the pandemic. The opposite of oil money lately

[cherrypie7]

Highly rated by who? Agreed its different to have a new player in as soon as this, but it makes a hell of a lot of difference if there is confidence that the player concerned is RIGHT, and as yet I've not seen any response to my question about just here does he fit in?

He's done nothing credible in any league that compares to the PL (even good Championship players have evidenced their suitability). The Austrian leagues don't regularly produce teams (never mind players) that are up there with the best of the best, and Aronsson is no more or less a product of that system than anyone else.

As with many others, I hope he proves me wrong, I'm not holding my breath.

1. Highly rated by Marcelo Bielsa who fully approved the possible transfer in the January transfer window. 2. "He has done nothing credible in any League that compares to the PL (even good championship players have evidenced their suitability). This doesn't make sense. It implies that the Championship is comparable to the PL but the Austrian League is not. 3. Most importantly, Red Bull Salzburg is an excellent team which has won the League title 2x and played Champions League football and this season got into the knockout stage. Aaronson was a regular member of this team. Although debatable, I think that Salzburg could be considered better than Leeds at this precise moment, based purely on this season past. Together with his international experience and Bielsa's approval, there really is no question that Aaronson is of a class compatible with Premier League and will be an asset for Leeds.

[WTF11]

1. Highly rated by Marcelo Bielsa who fully approved the possible transfer in the January transfer window. 2. "He has done nothing credible in any League that compares to the PL (even good championship players have evidenced their suitability). This doesn't make sense. It implies that the Championship is comparable to the PL but the Austrian League is not. 3. Most importantly, Red Bull Salzburg is an excellent team which has won the League title 2x and played Champions League football and this season got into the knockout stage. Aaronson was a regular member of this team. Although debatable, I think that Salzburg could be considered better than Leeds at this precise moment, based purely on this season past. Together with his international experience and Bielsa's approval, there really is no question that Aaronson is of a class compatible with Premier League and will be an asset for Leeds.

Ok, in the order you gave the respons.

1. Where is the evidence that Bielsa "fully approved the possible transfer"?

2. I'd suggest that the statement makes perfect sense. As a guide, how many players from Austrian teams have been acquired (and retained) by PL clubs, and how many have done so either by virtue of promotion or being transferred from PL clubs? I think we're both too old to be bothered, however I suspect there would be more of the latter than the former. What other measure would be credible? In addition, the Austrian league has all of 12 clubs, and Salzburg has finished as Champions on 16 occasions since 1993 (unbroken since 2013), bit like Celtic and Rangers north of the border, and hardly an indication of healthy competition in the league.

3. Winning the Austrian league title isn't comparable (not even remotely) with winning either the Championship or even less, the PL. Like comparing the Irish or Scottish league titles with the PL. getting into the knockout stage is one thing, competing in "sudden death" matches slightly different.

Whether Salzburg is a better club than LUFC is obviously down to a persons opinion, as there have been no matches between the two (ever, I believe), and depends on the view of the PL v the Austrian Bundesliga. the fact that there are only 12 teams in the Bundesliga would suggest a close comparison would be the Scottish Premiership, (although the Scottish set-up of 6 teams relegated or promoted makes it difficult to compare).

Aaronson has never played for a club (or country) at a level comparable with the PL, can't see how you can conclude otherwise, given his clear lack of competitive performance in anything like the English leagues (PL or Championship).

Obviously we differ as to what Aaronson can/will bring to LUFC. The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.