Managers, coaching staff and players have come and gone through the years, but one thing has remained constant - the passion, desire, and love shown towards the club by the Leeds United fans. At least 20,000 pay to watch our beloved club at Elland Road each week for the third season in the third tier, coupled with the fans who sell-out allocations at away grounds time after time, but what reward have we seen?
What exactly have we got in return in the past 8 years from Leeds United and its owners? 2 relegations, 25 points deducted, administration, the loss of ownership of our stadium and Thorpe Arch, and 3 playoff disappointments, to name but a few.
On the pitch, the players in white did not have the bottle for the fight last night, and did not do their jobs. If we, as regular employees, performed our jobs to such a sub-standard level week after week, we would be sacked. Ken Bates famously said that to watch Premiership football, we'd have to pay Premiership prices. Well we certainly are paying Premiership prices, but the football aspect is somewhat lacking.
It is hard to put a finger on just what has gone wrong since we entered 2010, but it would seem nothing is working for Leeds at the moment. Even bringing in the gritty Paul Dickov, at the spritely age of 37, has failed to inject some desire into a lifeless United squad, who look a completely different outfit since those wonderful FA Cup performances in Manchester and North London. Quite why the team wasn't strengthened in January opens up a completely different can of worms, but time is rapidly running out for Simon Grayson to put things right.
If, somehow, Leeds to manage to hold on to the second automatic spot, then the long-overdue promotion party will be based more on relief than success. Leeds fans deserve medals for their long-standing support of the club, despite everything we've been through, and promotion this season from this league is the very least we deserve.
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Note from the editor: Welcome to our new author DIPDEES, hopefully the first of many excellent articles.
I know how you are feeling, we went through similar here at Norwich, at the end of the day we don't always matter we are just supporters.
ReplyDeleteYou and Us should be so far ahead we needn't really have a worry, what the hell went wrong.
I’m afraid (like Grayson) I have no idea what we should do. The horse bolted in January (& I say this without hindsight as I said the same then) We needed to out Beckford, yes he was potentially going to score goals but in keeping him we devalued the team, we needed to buy two goal scorers and a centre back and probably beg a loan of a seasoned central midfielder, now I fear we are screwed – and this sadly probably means only one course of action – a change on manager usually inspires a short run of success, which is what we need. I say sadly because I do believe Grayson is the man for the job long term, we just don’t have that luxury.
ReplyDeleteOxford White
well said oxford white
ReplyDeleteIf Grayson thinks Micky Doyle is good enough to wear the white shirt then I've lost all faith in him. He also said last week he thinks Howson is good enough to play for England, oh.dear.me. When is Mike Grella going to get a run out, if Messrs Beckford & Becchio had the touch of that young man they WOULD be worth worth millions! Marching on Together...to Play-off pain again!
ReplyDeleteIt's the same conversation going on down here in South East London, (Charlton)
ReplyDeleteNo fight, no 'character', no belief and the crowd turning on the team & management.
The quality of football in this division is dire and it only needs a smidgeon of technique and balls to make a difference. We were stuffed 4-0 at the New Den last week withought Millwall really looking that good, they were just well organised and everyone played hard for the team.
We have had 2 relegations in 3 years so I can empathise with your pain!
Perhaps we'll meet in the Play Offs if we don't blow it completely and Millwall carry on their run?
Everything will be fine, we're gettin two more defenders,no goalscorers, we're either loanin them out or playing em in the reserves.
ReplyDeleteHi Marco, I agree this league is about work rate, bottle and team work, not a single Millwall player shone last night but they were the better team by a country mile.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I’ve booked a box at your place with a good mate who’s a Charlton fan, we were hoping for a 1st & 2nd place finish guaranteed by then and party a little – such fools with our clubs tendency to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Oxford White
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm a Saints fan and had a Leeds supporting friend come and watch the game at St Mary's recently. I actually felt embarrassed for her as Leeds were fairly awful, paticularly in the first half. You look to be a shadow of the team that played the first half of the season so well. Personally I think the win at Old Trafford has a lot to do with it - it seems the players, perhaps, got ideas above their stations and let it go to their heads.
For what it's worth I really hope you pick yourselves up and finish the season strongly - the fans deserve it for their loyalty it nothing else
Leeds are 2nd, on a bad run, but 2nd. It's hardly time to panic. The performance v Millwall was poor and for sure our form has suffered since the Old Trafford win. But to talk of sacking Grayson?? Grayson has done fantasticly well since he took charge. To win at Old Trafford is nothing short of amazing. The fact is the Leeds team would be performing a lot better if they weren't under all the pressure that playing for Leeds entails. If the fans start backing them and roaring them on to promotion, rather than booing and slaging them all the time - we'll win a couple, get our confidence back and it will be like before Christmas again. In summary - it's not the players, it's us. It's the same every year. That's why we have the best players and why we don't get promoted. So lets get behind them eh?
ReplyDelete