If Raph goes before the start of the season, that's our two best players gone. Harrison could well be following after that. Suddenly, we are looking at a team with little or no pedigree in this division. Yes, we have bought in three promising players, but the balance sheet will be deeply in the red as far as proven Premier League quality is concerned.
Our transfer policy looks ramshackle and as much as Victor has done to bring new blood in, he has achieved little in retaining star players, attracting proven players to the new project, or maintaining a culture of progress and development.
There is so much potential in our younger players, and so much support for our club, we just need a couple of quality players to see that come to fruition. I would love us to go for Zinchenko, Gallagher or Smith Rowe. Maybe we could find a shirt to fit Bernardo Silva or Ruben Neves. Someone to make us go 'Wow! That's real ambition.'
Instead, we are waiting on the sale of players to see how much is in the purse. There is no vision to attract quality players. This is so reactive and it looks amateurish. It makes Marsch look like a lightweight and I hear nothing from the club to suggest otherwise.
This was illustrated in the way we got rid of Bielsa. It was so undignified. As fans, we did not get a proper chance to show our gratitude to him. To players at other clubs, if they ever thought there was anything special about us, that light was extinguished. We have done a great job of making ourselves indistinguishable from the ten or so clubs that will be scrapping to avoid the drop in 22/23. No wonder Marsch is one of the bookie's favourties to be gone by Christmas.
I hope we can find a way to welcome Bielsa back into the Elland Road family, rather than waiting for the history books to do it for us. It would allow fans and the Club to celebrate his achievements and to smoothen the transition to a new, progressive Leeds United under Marsch. We could nourish a vision of growth and future success and invite star players to join in this adventure. Or we can patch it together, one bit at a time, and hope for the best.
A vision for the future
posted on 25/6/22
We are following the Leicester model, which I think is misleading to some. People say Leicester and they think 80 mill for Maguire, but the reason Leicester got that much was because they were an established PL club, holding out in the top 8, with a realistic shot of Europe most seasons. You need to work to get there.
People forget the players Leicester sold relatively cheaply along the way to get there, such as Kante. You just have to hope the players you reinvest in are better than the players you sold, and that you make more profit when it's time for them to be moved on. Some.of the players we have been linked with to replace Raphinha are very exciting indeed.
We never had a chance of signing any of the players you listed.
posted on 25/6/22
Just been sat 20 yards away at the bar from Raph Deco and AN Other in Nobu Ibiza
posted on 26/6/22
When you sell you best two players leaving the cupboard bare, it sends the wrong message to players with real quality.
Incoming players want to hear the club is building. All O can see is a very risky strategy which if things don’t work out for Marsch could leave us in serious trouble by Christmas.
Assuming Raphinha goes, on paper, apart from Aaronsen, I don’t see we have a single player with a value over £20 million (maybe Harrison or Meslier at as stretch), yet that is the quality of team Radrizzani is hoping Marsch will keep us up with. He maing a huge assumption that these new players becoming as good as Phillips and Rapha. It’s all well and good spending the money, but we will be starting from scratch having torn out the core of quality from the side. I’m not being a doom monger, just pointing out the massive risk being taken right now.
Most likely, Christmas is when we will have a better idea about how effective Marsch’s approach to Premier League football really is; in other words, once other teams begin to suss out how to counter his tactics and style of play.
Like all, would much prefer to be wrong, but I have serious concerns.
posted on 26/6/22
For a start, it works two ways. Yes, players might read it as the club being unambitious, or they might see it as evidence that a move to Leeds can be a pathway to Europe, with Leeds not going to stand in your way if a move materialises. This is obviously not ideal, but it's in line with the Leicester model, and is a perfectly valid way of furthering the club's stature, s long as we are consistent in the quality of signings, which is where it should come for scrutiny.
If Gakpo or de Kettle see us as an opportunity to move to England, with a club that want to look up, with a large fanbase and a lot of other pulls, that can provide a pathway to man City, Barcelona etc then that is an advantage in us getting them. if we bullied KP and Raph into staying then not only would that be detrimental to the morale of the players here, it would also put off ambitious younger players who want to use Leeds as an opportunity to get their foot in the door of Europe's elite, and that's the market we should be trying to tap.
posted on 27/6/22
I find it odd when anybody gets a new player people are on the edge, the best players in the world started as nobody's and got their chance because someone gave them one!..
The players coming to us, nothing to say they won't improve us, the same as players being to good for us, if the money is right than just about anyone would come to us!..
These day's money talks louder then football, but these day's there are clubs that have a little more then others, and that's the reason most off the best would choose ManC or Newcastle over us!..
posted on 27/6/22
This is terrible news r.e kp and raph.
Relegation sounds even more of a certainty.
Why these clubs with their plastic fans, I.e.chelsea and man City are the clubs with all the money is beyond me. Footballs a total mess. If a respectable club like Leeds can't keep superstars, what hope do others have.
posted on 28/6/22
comment by Lubo - Struijk of Genius (U14008)
posted 1 day, 16 hours ago
For a start, it works two ways. Yes, players might read it as the club being unambitious, or they might see it as evidence that a move to Leeds can be a pathway to Europe, with Leeds not going to stand in your way if a move materialises. This is obviously not ideal, but it's in line with the Leicester model, and is a perfectly valid way of furthering the club's stature, s long as we are consistent in the quality of signings, which is where it should come for scrutiny.
If Gakpo or de Kettle see us as an opportunity to move to England, with a club that want to look up, with a large fanbase and a lot of other pulls, that can provide a pathway to man City, Barcelona etc then that is an advantage in us getting them. if we bullied KP and Raph into staying then not only would that be detrimental to the morale of the players here, it would also put off ambitious younger players who want to use Leeds as an opportunity to get their foot in the door of Europe's elite, and that's the market we should be trying to tap.
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In regard to your second point, Lubo, Tottenham held on to Kane last season even though he was banging at the door to get out, and what happened? He settled down and with the help of Son, blasted Spurs back into the Champions League. Understandably, there is less noise coming from Spurs about him wanting to leave for another club.
Players are no different from the rest of us, they all want the best deal they can get. Raph is making noises right now, but if we could keep him on board, even till January, it would be massive for the club. He is the most talented player we have had in 20 years. We should remember how hard and expensive it is to bring in that kind of talent on our kind of budget.
It is extremely short-sighted to sell him for 60 million or so and assume that we can get one or two players who can equal the impact he has on a game.
He won't like staying a third season with us, but these are professional footballers who are good at one thing in life, and want to showcase that talent at every opportunity. If we don't have to sell him, don't sell him.
posted on 28/6/22
comment by My favorite Marschian (U19827)
posted 2 hours, 49 minutes ago
comment by Lubo - Struijk of Genius (U14008)
posted 1 day, 16 hours ago
For a start, it works two ways. Yes, players might read it as the club being unambitious, or they might see it as evidence that a move to Leeds can be a pathway to Europe, with Leeds not going to stand in your way if a move materialises. This is obviously not ideal, but it's in line with the Leicester model, and is a perfectly valid way of furthering the club's stature, s long as we are consistent in the quality of signings, which is where it should come for scrutiny.
If Gakpo or de Kettle see us as an opportunity to move to England, with a club that want to look up, with a large fanbase and a lot of other pulls, that can provide a pathway to man City, Barcelona etc then that is an advantage in us getting them. if we bullied KP and Raph into staying then not only would that be detrimental to the morale of the players here, it would also put off ambitious younger players who want to use Leeds as an opportunity to get their foot in the door of Europe's elite, and that's the market we should be trying to tap.
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In regard to your second point, Lubo, Tottenham held on to Kane last season even though he was banging at the door to get out, and what happened? He settled down and with the help of Son, blasted Spurs back into the Champions League. Understandably, there is less noise coming from Spurs about him wanting to leave for another club.
Players are no different from the rest of us, they all want the best deal they can get. Raph is making noises right now, but if we could keep him on board, even till January, it would be massive for the club. He is the most talented player we have had in 20 years. We should remember how hard and expensive it is to bring in that kind of talent on our kind of budget.
It is extremely short-sighted to sell him for 60 million or so and assume that we can get one or two players who can equal the impact he has on a game.
He won't like staying a third season with us, but these are professional footballers who are good at one thing in life, and want to showcase that talent at every opportunity. If we don't have to sell him, don't sell him.
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Comparing us to Tottenham is like comparing chalk to cheese. They are an established PL club, never likely to be at risk of relegation, and always likely to have some form of European football. Man City would have been a step up from them (and his agent not been incompetent he would probably have made the move), but he's still at a club able to pay him extortionate wages, guarantee him European football, and (hypothetically) challenge for trophies.
On paper, I understand your point. I just don't think it works as binarily as you seem to think it does. There are plenty of downsides of forcing your best players to stay, be that they down their tools and refuse to play, it dents the morale of the team, deters potential future signings etc etc. On paper, you always want to keep your best players, but the reality of football is not that cut and dry. Sometimes, it suits you better selling one star player, and reinvesting that money on two. If they work, you have two star players instead of one. Then you sell them and you can have four. It all relies on recruitment being good.
posted on 28/6/22
According to the Newcastle boot cleaners the richest club in the world are another after Raphinha!..
40mill, wtf!..
So, if true, that means we'd be taking a hit on our 2 best players, or someone at the club had best fecking wake up!..
posted on 29/6/22
Rumors are indicating that many future "stars" are being bid on. or soon to be sold. Sadly, if this trend continues at Leeds, you will be playing in the First division in a couple of years!