I think a big issue is that, in the championship, everyone's constantly looking up. McCormack will think "Moses is leaving Wigan and they've got more money than my current club, I'll go play in front of 12,000 people once a week and pick up double my wages, happy days!". That's my main issue with being in this league.

Snoddy's our captain and the most consistent performer of our current NPC era and all the players should accept that he's our top earner.

Any player who fancies getting a better pay-day at lesser club shouldn't be welcome anyway. Was never angry at Becks for wanting Everton as they're of similar stature (well, nearly) and playing top level football, but when average performers (Bradley, Schmiechal, McCormack etc) want to go to average clubs, that's when I get annoyed, personally.

Money talks these days, Bates has the right mentality with regards to wage hierarchy, however his repulsion of the modern footballer ideal is hampering our clubs` progression.

I agree LondonWhite88 - "Joe Public" would do the same if he was in a job but knew job down the road would pay more for doing same job. All about money, money, money.

Unless it's a move to one of the top clubs (Man City, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Spurs) I can't see why anyone would want to leave Leeds Utd as there just as bigger club than others in Premiership. Ross can;t even get in Scotland squad but is after bigger wages? Don't make sense.

The problem is this, in relation to these type of articles, if the club didn't come out and say they were willing to pay Snoddy more the fans on here would be baying for blood, when they do and it backfires they are baying for blood.

What Leeds United need is a proper, educated, intelligent, articulate and informed press liaison officer.

Bates needs to keep out of the firing line, he's too old and set in his ways, his attitude is not modern enough for today's news hungry public, Lorimer is a numpty (who I believe probably infuriates Bates as much as he infuriates us!) and Harvey cannot even get the story right for court!!

Bring in the right calibre of staff and you'd see a huge difference.

Exactly the same policy should be adopted re the playing squad.

Build Ken, build.

The articles that hit the press be they from Bates, Harvey, Lorimer or anyone else from ER for that matter are all part of the ER propaganda machine. "We don't conduct our business in the press" unless we want to......

Getting in early with comments like paying Snodgrass the highest wages and making McCormack a very generous offer are simply the means by which Bates & Co get in early.

As others have said before its inevitable that the fan base is going to have a pop at the board and this is their defence mechanism. Whether we believe the player or the club is open for debate but history tells us that Bates is less than economic with the truth at the best of times.

It's sad for the club because last year really was a write off but with key players kept on board and sensible quality additions, we could make a real stab at promotion.

I can't see it. I suspect Mr Warnock will be left looking for bargain basements just before the end of the window and the usual Bates' excuses will be recycled; our target decided to warm the bench in the Premiership, we offered generous terms but it wasn't enough blah blah blah.

There are those on here who suggested that Price was a sign of things to come. I genuinely hope that you're all right, this club has been a major part of my life for over 40 years. However, this close/pre season is beginning to have the same traits as those in previous years......

I'd think its not good when players know who earns what, I thought the agents were there to get the best deal they can for their client, and it was kept between both party's to agree and sign!..

When players know who gets what and its more then them then its only right to want more, if your doing the same job as Rooney wouldn't you expect the same money?..

To be fair Ken has got a good philosophy when it comes to paying players wages, he won't pay ridiculous wages or over the odds for the players. Good in one sense, but does the manager no favours.
However when it comes to charging fans to watch the team at Elland Road, suddenly charging fans ridiculous amounts is not a problem. Double standards from Kenneth.

If Ken has a good strategy for anything (other than milking Leeds United) then he's been bloody good at keeping it to himself for years.

He certainly doesn't endear himself to his paying customers, his players or former business partners.

However when it comes to charging fans to watch the team at Elland Road, suddenly charging fans ridiculous amounts is not a problem. Double standards from Kenneth.
......

If Ken has a good strategy for anything (other than milking Leeds United) then he's been bloody good at keeping it to himself for years.

He certainly doesn't endear himself to his paying customers, his players or former business partners.

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Stevie Dee, he did thank us all for coming to the Westham game, I thought it was a nice personal touch

"Finally, welcome to the 32-33000 fans for today, we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday".

There was no need for that little dig at the fans in my opinion.

I think Ken is entitled to have his little digs after saving Leeds United several times over with the significant investment that he has made in the club over the years. He's also an ever present at Elland Road......

Sir Keneth, I didn't see that as a dig at he fans, maybe becasue you hate Bates you took it that way, but when it is written down as above, picture Randy Learner saying that to the villa fans.. it would be bad at all would it?

Humans see things as we want to see them my father tought me that

Some good comments by most and i agree with much of it. If this summer turns out like all the rest under Bates I can see a massive fall in gates again. It will be much, much worse than last season. Ithought Bates had realised he was losing the plot, and employed Warnock which cooled it all down, because we thought we would at last get something decent coming in.

If it all goes pete tong again, I reckon he's fooked big style. fans have had enough of paying top dollar to watch garbage, whilst smaller clubs are battering us.

Telling the fans that they had made a substantial offer to Snodds was done in the correct way. It lays a marker down for the rest of the players and those thinking about maybe coming. It demonstrates that this time leeds are serious and have ambition. If snodds goes, it can only be because he can see nobody else of any quality coming in and going for promotion. I see more than a few hundred having a little march around Billy's statue this time. I reckon mass unrest and bates will need protection this time. 8-years of shiiit, it has to end

Doc, forget about that, have had a woman at ER??

'doc does ER'?

He was having a go at the fans who only turned up because it was West Ham. 33366 against the Hammers on the Saturday, 21367 against Forest on the Tuesday.
Bates Knew the low crowd was coming midweek, it's a major problem because of Leeds' pathetic number of season ticket holders, relative to the clubs size. Norwich had more season ticket holders than we do now in league 1, which is why their attendances stay fairly constant. It can't help the players when they turn out in front of a packed out Elland Road on the Saturday with a decent atmosphere, going to a Tuesday night in a half empty stadium with no atmosphere whatever.

beckford on his way out of the crisp stadium and the foxes have just spent £1m on non-league striker Varney.

Come on Colin make us happy and show ross the door if he doesn't like it.

SKB..... I can't see in that sentence where he is having a go at the fans?, with sarcasm? - in actual hope as the chairman of our football club that fans would go to the game the Tuesday, as stated, if Peter Ridsdale (who we all liked) came on the screen before a saturday game saying 'look forward to seeing you on tuesday' what would you have though to that?

Lets not forget Ken's comments about Morons came after a group were chanting abuse at him.

this reminds me of when we receive an email or a text in English, if the reader is in a bad mood, he could take a comment like 'well sort it out then' as really offensive, BUT if the reader is in a good mood 'he might take that as funny'

IMO, I think many Bates haters took that in a wrong way

Doc, I'd have Beckford over Ross

Sadly I think the board expects the inevitable and public statements are part of their defence.

Harvey made the strange statement about the Casino generating revenue to get Leeds into the Premiership which implies an expectation within 2 to 3 years for promotion.

Bates then states that the Casino project will be in partnership with an experienced operator and that Leeds United will benefit from a redeveloped West Stand gratis. If that's the plan then the Casino revenue thereafter will almost certainly go in its entirity to the partner given the huge upfront costs.

I get the feeling that Bates & mates will take promotion if it comes but building the team is not the priority. Getting an A1 infrastructure in place at ER seemingly is.

If we lose players over and above the released/listed ones then we are looking at yet another new team for the umpteenth time. It's a big ask of Warnock, no matter how experienced he is at this level and the number of promotions he's delivered.

If not before the season starts Mr Warnock will be on his way soon when he realises what he's got to work with and promotion is a distant pipe dream.

I agree Doc, crowds will continue to dwindle. Bates' membership offer smacks of the board showing some concern here with the offer of discounts against matchday tickets (albeit very limited).

Warnock was a panic move when it was clear that the natives were getting very restless.

Snodgrass is waiting to see what talent is arriving at ER before signing. With Leeds United setting deadlines for players to sign new contracts before the Bearded Wonder is loosens his grip on his wallet, I suspect the inevitable is going to happen and he'll be on his way as, indeed, will others.

Premiership prices but no team investment despite assurances to the contrary. We find ourselves in a very difficult situation. Leeds United is not attractive to external investors while Bates is in situ.

Bates is going nowhere because he's making money.

I'm not returning to ER until something changes.

Tuscany: I suspect we'll have neither.

Stevie Dee, Bates is the only chairman that bends the truth then? - or has inconsistancies in statements?

Ridsdale once said 'we won't sell our crown jules'

comment by Stevei dee
I'm not returning to ER until something changes

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Again, I'm saying you are not a loyal fan or anything, but when Bates says things like 'see you all on tuesday' its the likes of you he is talking (if you beieve he was having a go).... Leeds fans constantly go about the loyalty to Leeds, but as the song sung by us Leeds fans when we were CL, "where were you when we were sh 1 t' apllies here...

Take a look at the average crowd in 1987, before we got back to the old div 1, (below what it is now)

Then look at the crowds in the 70's, vs teams like wigan, or bottom of the league teams... lower than now.... even the great Don Revie used to say things in the papers about fans not going, only for the big games... though it's only Bates who gets the grief??

Oh I don't doubt that others have artistic licence when it comes to putting stories into the public domain. Doesn't make it right and Bates, in my humble opinion, has been doing this ever since he arrived. Did Ridsdale, in his time at Leeds, go out of his way to direct abuse at the fans?

Bates continues to "bend the truth" year in year out. Is constantly in litigation because he can't exercise control over his mouth. He's a liability to this club and progress is unlikely whilst he's in tenure.