please visit our sponsors

Wednesday 31 March 2010

Hoist The Colours!!

Share
I felt it necessary to draw attention to an article written in the Yorkshire Evening Post today. In which Gary Walker questions the current attitude of Leeds United fans and whether they are really helping the team in what is a very difficult period.

The article can be found here:  Do Whites fans want to help the team?

In short, Mr Walker rallies for a call to arms and a 'United' front from the Elland Road faithful for Saturday's vital game against Swindon Town (and presumably the rest of the season). Claiming the negative attitude from the fans is making a positive performance from the Leeds players almost impossible for fear of a very audible reprimand from the paying punters. Gary goes as far as stating that a negative and disgruntled home crowd at Elland Road is worth a goal start to any opposition and that's what Danny Wilson's men will be looking for this weekend.

Although long-winded and clearly written by a passionate fan who is desperate to use his influence to give the team any advantage that will help shove them over the line come May, I can't help but agree with the majority of it. This isn't me climbing on my soap box and demanding that everybody should follow my example... I was the first to vent my sheer frustration when Robert Snodgrass wasted a match-winning opportunity against Brentford and couldn't even muster a nod of acknowledgement for the players efforts at the final whistle against Millwall but it is very much 'Do or Die' for Leeds United now and we need to play our part in helping the lads rescue a season that could now be historic for all the wrong reasons.

I, for my part will try not to get so frustrated each time Jonny Howson gives the ball away or each time Jermaine Beckford falls over. I'll even bite my tongue when Neil Kilkenney is inevitably substituted in place of one of Simon Grayson's favourites for a token appearance.

For more Leeds discussion join the Dirty Leeds forums at www.dirtyleeds.com
Share/Bookmark

6 comments:

  1. FFS, we have been "doing it for Leeds" for decades, is it really too much to ask that they do it for us?? Because if they can turn it around the fans will still be what they always are, something the club and its present owners, management and players should respect regardless of state of mind. Gary Walker and anyone else hasn't earned the right to criticise a single negative thought from a single negative Leeds fan! The team gets a billion times more from the crowd than they ever get back!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very true... I wrote a few weeks ago about Leeds United being The ultimate selfish lover but maybe just one last effort and then another to get us in The Championship play-off places and then another to actually win a final, or even score a goal...

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh cmon.... we all know the fans had a detrimental effect over the Jermain Beckford saga which funnily enough happened at the same time our form went down the toilet. Negativity from fans during a game is incredibly damaging regardless of how MUCH YOU THINK the club owes us. Get over it and face reality Clarkeonenil. If you boo sportsmen or you slag individual players off in the media or online it will effect them. The game is no longer made up of hard nosed scots that would carry on playing with an axe embedded in their heads. Its made up of sporting premadonnas who need to wear gloves in the summer and are psychologically weak......

    ReplyDelete
  4. If only Beckenbauer had been ignored by the referee in Paris, we would have won our European Cup....and until this wrong is made right, we will always be 'The Champions of Europe'
    Leeds Forever (Rotherham White)

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are in a situation in which Leeds supporters will find it hard to gain any satisfaction this season. If we get fully behind the club ( as we all want to do ) and do gain promotion, we will simply experience the same lack of investment, from the current regime, and a lengthy battle, in trying to get out of the "Championship". On the other hand, if the season ends in failure, and the supporters have not taken advantage of "match day" organised protests, we have missed our main opportunity to show the extent of discontent with Bates and Co, and this regime will definitely survive longterm............ What we are clearly in danger of is experiencing the same "ownership" issues as a result of the "success" of promotion, or, through the "lack of protest"............. So, we all want success, but lets remember this needs to be sustained and long term as a club such as Leeds is in reality competing for the Premier League not the Championship. Make your choices.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have often thought if I was a manager bringing a team to Leeds United, I would make my team get on the front foot early on. If we were not good enought to do that I would make sure they wasted as much time as possible. Wether that is by feining injury, or taking as much time taking throw in's, free kicks, goal kicks etc....

    The reason for all this is the Leeds fans are very easy to wind up, and get a negative feeling going all round Elland Road.

    I am as guilty of this as anyone. I know the negativity is detremental to the team, but it can't be more frustrating to watch any other club than ours!

    What I am trying to get across is, I more or less agree with what Gary Walker is saying. I have seen seemingly very good players lose all confidence before my very eyes,

    We see now that defenders don't want the ball off our keepers, we see that certain midfielders want to get rid of the ball up the park as quick as possible. All this is because the confidence is not there. You would think that players who are very well paid would be above the negativity that is going on around our ground. Unfortunately that is not the case!!
    In conclusuion, even though we have a few primadona's who are more frustrating than others, we can't risk us not going up this season!!! So put all the negative feelings to one side for the last round of matches, and be a positive support to help us get where we all want to be!!!!!

    ReplyDelete

Comment here. No login required.