We all have one thing in common as football supporters, we all want or teams to be the best in the league, Europe the World. We all know that's not possible and your only going to have a few teams in a decade that you can look at and say yes they were the best.
Our hopes for the future must surely be almost the same but what are your realistic hopes for the future.
I would be quite happy to watch good entertaining football at a price that most families can afford. I'd like a stile of football that we can wow about now and again. I can't remember having that wow feeling at a Leeds match for quite a long time. We all live in hope and dream about or team being the best but wouldn't it be nice to just be given some real hope. What gives you that hope or what would give you that hope.
Our hopes for the future.
posted on 9/5/12
A good article Cozer, 5 stars from me.
It depends I think on what you expect from football
and the club you support...some fans think if you dont
win games, you're not getting neither the 3pts or value
for money...win games and some think you're
getting value for money and feel satisfied.
I think of a game with the drama, the theatre of many
goals, last minute goals...late goals are what we
experienced many times with Simon Grayson.
I thought we got more drama, more value for money
with this manager than many we have had.
What we got were plenty of goals, late goals with
edge of the seat stuff, bad defense....but it all added
to the theatre and value for money!
Some fans may prefer routine winning of the odd goal
with a really strong defense, giving nothing away, but
this often produces sterile football, dour and boring
games...may even get you promoted?
But I prefer the unpredictability of games, which adds
to the drama...that for me, objectively, is value for
money.
With Leeds there are issues off the field, the politics
that stimulate interest, sometimes not always good
news...so even if the team are not the best, there is
the politics and history of the club that give added
value to being a fan.
So really for me the club doesn't have to be in PL to
be giving value for money...the drama and theatre of
future years in whatever league is enough.
posted on 9/5/12
Lester P: I totally agree with you about not having to be in the PL to be getting value for money. There were some games in division 1 I really enjoyed, the old second division in the 80 didn't seem too bad but we felt we always had a chance of moving forward the players weren't always the best put always gave 100%.
I believe the players have been totally demoralised by the way players coming to the end of their contracts are treated, none of the players seem to feel part of the club, in the same way the supporters are demoralised.
Its important to make people feel like their wanted employees and customers, that in my opinion is the biggest failing of the club at the moment and how easy it would be to turn around. All the club have to do is start treating people with respect make the players and supporters feel wanted. We had all that sheight yesterday over the casino on here. Do you think Tuscany say's to punters who've lost big time "fork off you bloody looser, I doubt it very much, he'll treat them with respect (to their faces) so they return. I bet he'd even pay for a cab home, if they'd lost a fortune.
Its all about treating people right.
Once that starts happening again down at ER the good times will come flooding back.
posted on 9/5/12
Cozer: It's interesting you should feel sorry and be sympathetic
to players...but these players imo are over valued, your
article mentions value for money.
I would focus my policies if I were chairman or manager
when valuing players on bringing wages and contracts
downsized...many clubs are suffering because of
players wages, so are fans when having to pay for
these overvalued players.
Bates is right to be tough on wages and contracts,
the players would bleed the club dry without any
conscience, in most cases.
As a club Leeds in my view have to start from a strong
wages and contracts policy...yes of course we must
have the motive of better pay for players who prove
their ability and loyalty, that's a given.
The days of being sympathetic to players who ask for
over inflated salaries are gone for most people, fans.
I think we should be critical of players and their agents
of bleeding football dry with their demands...the
market needs badly to downsize and then we get back
to paying for tickets at realistic prices.
posted on 9/5/12
There's way's of treating people. When Luciano Becchio
signed his new contract Bates went on record as say we've now got Becchio by the bullocks, that's not the way to treat your staff. Have you noticed the club have never come out at any time and admitted they've messed up about anything at all its always someone else's fault. Yes the players are on good wages but we can't compete with other clubs when it comes to signing the better players. There must be a going rate. Shaun Harvey gets paid £145,000 a year plus expenses it's all relative. I don't think £13 million for wages and transfer fees is a massive amount when trying to get out of this league, remember that pot stays the same even when we sell a player the manager doesn't see it in his transfer kitty. I'm all for reducing the wages if the supporters get reduced ticket prices but we don't. If we want PL football we've got to pay PL ticket prices. Well where not seeing PL football and we've being paying above average PL prices for the last 7 years, So where has all that ticket money gone ? Not on the new development because the club has taken a loan out over 2 years to pay for that.
posted on 9/5/12
Cozer, I remember reading that about Becchio in the programme, Boro at home I think it was.
A really really strange thing to say about a current player.
posted on 9/5/12
Jonty: Yes I think it was the Boro home programme.
Why would anyone think they'd get any respect from anyone for coming out with a statement like that. Wouldn't you then think as another player well he want get me like that. Its like Bates doesn't want players to sign new contracts.
posted on 9/5/12
that should read "won't" not want
posted on 9/5/12
Cozer, doesn't engender any loyalty in the player, nor in other players who don't want to get shafted by the club and it really shows the club's mentality I'm afraid.
posted on 9/5/12
The last time I got the wow factor at ER was seeing Bradley J's screamer against Arsenal.
I don't mind if we don't hit the dizzy heights of the CL for a long time. I can't imagine any game ever again making me feel as emotionally drained/ecstatic as the Bristol Rovers one.
I'd love us to get promoted and know we have a team who'll give everything they have till the final whistle. I'd prefer ticket prices to be more reasonable and I'd like us to win a cup - or, at least have a good cup run.
Anything more than that would be a bonus.
posted on 9/5/12
Wonder if Warnock will sacrifice the cups next season like he did at QPR? Certainly a way to gain an advantage in the league and if we have the small squad that is desired by Bates, then it would be sensible, but never nice to lose any match.