It's 1982, only a few years on from Don Revie, titles, European Cup Finals, the players whose names we still recall today.
We had a shocker of a season, but odds still in our favour, we beat Brighton, just need to avoid defeat in final game.
It was way before internet, I think we still only had 3 TV channels BBC1,BBC2, ITV, we just relied on tv, video recordings if we were lucky to have a recorder and newspapers, especially tough for those of us who didnt live in Leeds to keep up to date.
This team needed to do that, that team needed to do this, real combination of stuff for us to get relegated, but it was happening and on last day we got beaten by West Brom, the unthinkable happened and we were down.
I remember being in tears and my girlfriend at the time consoling me.
It feels the same now, this team would have to beat Brighton etc and its happening, except, now, 40 years on, there is less emotion. We haven't come from just having the best team in Europe and a team of household names, we've had a good couple of years yes, but nothing like 60s/70s we had under Don.
Today we have a board who are disconnected, an owner who is an idiot in the press, managers with no real connection to the club and most of our players dont give a monkeys about the club and what it means to us.
We were a mess when we went down, Clarke was a great player but wasn't right manager, we had English, Scottish and Welsh players, no one more exotic than that, mix of experience and some talent coming through, but its a shock to the system and took us 8 years to get our act together.
I don't think we bounce straight back up this time.
I dont have confidence that our board have teh nouse to built in relegation clauses, I think we're so naive in football that we have probably thrown money at players thinking relegation won't happen, indeed AR said that relegation this season was "impossible".
We've seen from JKA contract how wrong we can get it, we've thrown 5 year contracts around like confetti and extensions (Llorente) that should never have been given, we've spent over 300 mill in 3 seasons and we've been losing money as well, I fear we're heading for a big financial mess.
If we can magic some points from somewhere and stay up, it papers over the cracks, but I fear its a stay of execution, for we need to spend 100m/200m to try and stay up again next season, all whilst trying to offload players who have dropped in value for teh most part.
Our jewel in the crown is a kid whose played a handful of matches this season, there really is no one else of value and that isn't going to be able to fund a rebuild.
We will need a manager who can develop what we have. We had one of those, there will be others around, but this will be a critical choice and I dont think AR or 49ers are best placed to assess or secure right choice.
We really need a proper, experienced football person at the top, or someone who trusts in a proper, experienced football person to make teh football decisions.
History repeating itself
posted on 9/5/23
comment by Outwood White (U9610)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
I was just reading Robles contract ends at the end of the season. If Meslier goes as well we could end up with Klaesson as our only keeper! What a mess
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe Abad steps up and makes his professional goalkeeping debut
posted on 9/5/23
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Outwood White (U9610)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
I was just reading Robles contract ends at the end of the season. If Meslier goes as well we could end up with Klaesson as our only keeper! What a mess
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe Abad steps up and makes his professional goalkeeping debut
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I mean what an embarrassment that is... I can't imagine any other club in the football pyramid gives a GK coaching job to someone who hasn't ever played GK professionally..... like Hancock handing out emergency covid protective equipment contracts to his mates who had no prior experience... allegedly!
posted on 9/5/23
Just read Mark Jacksons been sacked from MK Dons
posted on 9/5/23
Goal keeping ‘coach’ is Orta’s mate.
Orta has fcked this club so badly.
posted on 9/5/23
Bamford deleted his Twitter account from abuse from Leeds fans today. Not a fun time around the club at the minute.
posted on 9/5/23
"Goal keeping ‘coach’ is Orta’s mate."
Kinnear and Orta are AR's mates, a reason why it was so hard to get shut off Orta!..
Can't be nice a mate throwing his mates out!..
posted on 9/5/23
comment by BATTYWACK (U2254)
posted 1 hour, 55 minutes ago
Bamford deleted his Twitter account from abuse from Leeds fans today. Not a fun time around the club at the minute.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bamford’s no one’s favourite player any more but online abuse is unacceptable. Achieves nothing.
posted on 10/5/23
It's abhorrent but not at all surprising that Paddy Bamford is being abused on Twatter - it's an utterly toxic medium.
Twatter is a very effective means of provoking and dividing people, thereby making it easier for other, more powerful people to manipulate and exploit them. Why else would Elon Musk want to buy it?
Fans have a right to be angry about the way their club has been run since we were promoted - I'm mad as hell - but that anger needs to be expressed in a meaningful way, ie collectively, and directed at the right target - at Andrea Radrizzani. He alone is responsible for our current situation.
RADRIZZANI OUT!
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Lorralorimer (U18994)
posted 9 hours, 25 minutes ago
comment by BATTYWACK (U2254)
posted 1 hour, 55 minutes ago
Bamford deleted his Twitter account from abuse from Leeds fans today. Not a fun time around the club at the minute.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bamford’s no one’s favourite player any more but online abuse is unacceptable. Achieves nothing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
None of the players should get abuse on or offline. Right now offers nothing at all to any chance of staying up.
Any members of the promotion winning side deserve respect and will always get it from me, until/unless they do something to prove otherwise. They brought elation and restoration to top league, obviously with the coaching from MB, but still they had to commit to working ridiculously hard and differently to achieve the success they brought to all of us.
Okay so Bamford missed a sitter - it's been done before and will be again. No consolation for us, but not a reason to abuse the guy for me. Those players who achieved promotion are in truth probably lacking what we need to stay up - not there fault. That's the club and those above making calls that have been poor. Those guys, I feel to a man, lace up the boots and do there best to keep us in the league.
As Jaz has said - twatter - it's a toxic medium filled with toxic keyboards.
posted on 10/5/23
comment by Outwood White (U9610)
posted 21 hours, 21 minutes ago
I was just reading Robles contract ends at the end of the season. If Meslier goes as well we could end up with Klaesson as our only keeper! What a mess
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where is Klaesson? Hasn't got on the bench for ages, Robles has pulled on the shirt for the U21's on occasion, at present our U21 first choice is Dani Van Den Heuval with Christy, Brook and Ombang also making appearances at various stages (all good prospects but I think it's a position like no other where all the stars need to align for a keeper to break through).
I hear KK wants a move away as he craves first team football, no great surprise if we have no senior keeper at the end of the season. Has nearly been the case before and we ended up signing Sully if I recall.