It must be a late April's Fool! The Mirror, in a masterpiece of lazy journalism, has linked Allardyce to Leeds on the basis that he is out of contract in the summer, and Leeds need a new manager. There is, of course, no evidence to support the story - not even a tapped phone call! - and, if you can be bothered to read a little further down, you will find the rag refuting its own story.
As the article admits, Leeds would struggle to match the wages West Ham are able to offer Allardyce, and, after being sacked following two take overs, Doctor Evil is hardly likely to climb aboard the White Pig when the Arab bank built on sand are hawking the club like a Bedouin in a bazaar.
The uncomfortable truth for Leeds fans is that whilst Allardyce is ideally qualified to take on the Warnock's rag bag collection of cloggers, Leeds United can no longer compete on a level playing field, financially, with West Ham. Yes a clapped out former England left back may fancy a long term contract to ease him into retirement rather than a four month extension to his Prem career, but Allardyce isn't desperate and knows when he is on to a good thing.
So tell me, why would anybody swap a Premiership club about to move into the Olympic Stadium and owned by lifelong fans for a team struggling to survive in the Championship, owned as a short term investment, without a stadium and accept lower wages into the bargain?
The Mirror article was a cheap way of generating hits if you ask me!
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Blackburn Lose Again! Sack Bowyer!
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Into the bottom three. Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost.
Into the bottom three. Looks like the chickens are coming home to roost.
Warnock's gone but Leeds are still failing in the final third
Poor Old Big Gob, despite what everybody else thought, he knew he was doing a great job, a better job than anybody else could have done. There was just one problem. Leeds, according to the Warnock, weren't good enough in the final third.
Fair enough. But which final third was the Warnock referring to exactly? The final third of the pitch? Well no arguments there! How many times has the team managed two goals in a game since Becchio's departure? Twice I think. So much for the Welsh Goal Machine, The Fresh Choice For You, Morison!
Then again, the Warnock could just as easily have been talking about the final third of games. How many points have been tossed away because of goals conceded in the later stages of matches because the old nags can't last out 90 minutes? It's become an alarming habit since the Leicester game!
But then again, he might have meant the final third of the season! Leeds have now sunk back into sixteenth place in the table, the lowest they have been for some time, and the relegation pack are sniffing at their heels. Whilst relegation is very unlikely, it is certainly far from impossible given the freakish results this Micky Mouse division keeps throwing up.
And today's game illustrated all three final third failings. One goal scored from just six shots all game, Morison still firing blanks and defeat courtesy of a goal in injury time, even though Charlton had not previously managed a stoppage time goal all season.
And tell me, what was the point of replacing the Warnock with Redfearn given the team selection today and the substitutions? Surely the man on the touchline was Old Big Gob in a Mission Impossible style mask? How else can you explain the decision to send on Shit Brown on 88 minutes with the score at 1-1, with Hell Hadji, Haribo and Poleon Dancer on the bench? Leeds United were playing for a draw against Charlton Pathetic! How humiliating.
I posted before the game that Leeds had learnt nothing since the Warnock's departure and this game illustrated my point perfectly. The Warnock would probably have picked the same team. The Warnock would have employed the same tactics. And the Warnock would have ignored his three most attacking substitutes too.
Still, given the surname of the acting manager, perhaps we should stop being too analytical and simply say, "Give us a twirl my dear. Doesn't she look gorgeous? Good game! Good game!"
So, where will Leeds finish? Higher? Higher? No Lower? Lower? Oh what wouldn't Leeds give to get a pair in any game before the end of the season!
Fair enough. But which final third was the Warnock referring to exactly? The final third of the pitch? Well no arguments there! How many times has the team managed two goals in a game since Becchio's departure? Twice I think. So much for the Welsh Goal Machine, The Fresh Choice For You, Morison!
Then again, the Warnock could just as easily have been talking about the final third of games. How many points have been tossed away because of goals conceded in the later stages of matches because the old nags can't last out 90 minutes? It's become an alarming habit since the Leicester game!
But then again, he might have meant the final third of the season! Leeds have now sunk back into sixteenth place in the table, the lowest they have been for some time, and the relegation pack are sniffing at their heels. Whilst relegation is very unlikely, it is certainly far from impossible given the freakish results this Micky Mouse division keeps throwing up.
And today's game illustrated all three final third failings. One goal scored from just six shots all game, Morison still firing blanks and defeat courtesy of a goal in injury time, even though Charlton had not previously managed a stoppage time goal all season.
And tell me, what was the point of replacing the Warnock with Redfearn given the team selection today and the substitutions? Surely the man on the touchline was Old Big Gob in a Mission Impossible style mask? How else can you explain the decision to send on Shit Brown on 88 minutes with the score at 1-1, with Hell Hadji, Haribo and Poleon Dancer on the bench? Leeds United were playing for a draw against Charlton Pathetic! How humiliating.
I posted before the game that Leeds had learnt nothing since the Warnock's departure and this game illustrated my point perfectly. The Warnock would probably have picked the same team. The Warnock would have employed the same tactics. And the Warnock would have ignored his three most attacking substitutes too.
Still, given the surname of the acting manager, perhaps we should stop being too analytical and simply say, "Give us a twirl my dear. Doesn't she look gorgeous? Good game! Good game!"
So, where will Leeds finish? Higher? Higher? No Lower? Lower? Oh what wouldn't Leeds give to get a pair in any game before the end of the season!
Why Derby's Clough would fit the Leeds bill
All the usual suspects are being mooted for the Leeds job but nobody is thinking outside of the box. Yes O'Leary is popular with some fans, but it was his purchases that bankrupted the club, and for all the money spent and all the glamorous football played, Leeds won nothing under the Irishman except friends. I must confess, even I had a grudging respect for a while.
The suggestion that Leeds might turn the clock back and appoint Clough may seem absurd to some, but I suspect it would be a masterstroke. In a trice, history would be stood on its head, and the Dirty Dirty club would appear in a new, holier than thou glossy sheen. Yes Leeds can change. Yes Leeds can forgive and forget. Yes Leeds can admit to their sins, break with their past and look to the future.
And leaving aside the emotional baggage that would accompany the appointment, Clough Junior would be the ideal man for the job. There is a crop of young talent coming through at Leeds and Clough would give them their heads, teach them the right way to play the game - the Clough way - and develop a team over a couple of years that could challenge for the Prem and then survive in the Prem after promotion.
If appointed, Nigel would face the same "Old Guard" resistance that his father encountered on take over at Leeds, but this time the fans would be happy to see the old heads decapitated. Podgy Kenny, Shit Brown, Speaking in Tongues, Hell Hadji Diouf...there's not a Bremner, Giles, Gray or Hunter amongst them and no self respecting Leeds fan would shed tears or voice dissent if a Clough arrived and showed that bunch the exit door, along with a host of other Warnock signings.
Poleon, Byram, Lees and others should be the bedrock of a new Leeds, a young Leeds, a vibrant Leeds, a fresh Leeds - everything that the Warnock hates. To hell with experience, to hell with pragmatism, to hell with safety first, the Warnock's caterpillar has to crystallise into a new Cabbage White butterfly, and Nigel Clough would be the perfect man to orchestrate the transformation.
Dare Leeds appoint him? Would Clough accept the job if approached? It could be a marriage made in Heaven with even Brian and Don shaking hands and smiling down on Elland Road together!
The suggestion that Leeds might turn the clock back and appoint Clough may seem absurd to some, but I suspect it would be a masterstroke. In a trice, history would be stood on its head, and the Dirty Dirty club would appear in a new, holier than thou glossy sheen. Yes Leeds can change. Yes Leeds can forgive and forget. Yes Leeds can admit to their sins, break with their past and look to the future.
And leaving aside the emotional baggage that would accompany the appointment, Clough Junior would be the ideal man for the job. There is a crop of young talent coming through at Leeds and Clough would give them their heads, teach them the right way to play the game - the Clough way - and develop a team over a couple of years that could challenge for the Prem and then survive in the Prem after promotion.
If appointed, Nigel would face the same "Old Guard" resistance that his father encountered on take over at Leeds, but this time the fans would be happy to see the old heads decapitated. Podgy Kenny, Shit Brown, Speaking in Tongues, Hell Hadji Diouf...there's not a Bremner, Giles, Gray or Hunter amongst them and no self respecting Leeds fan would shed tears or voice dissent if a Clough arrived and showed that bunch the exit door, along with a host of other Warnock signings.
Poleon, Byram, Lees and others should be the bedrock of a new Leeds, a young Leeds, a vibrant Leeds, a fresh Leeds - everything that the Warnock hates. To hell with experience, to hell with pragmatism, to hell with safety first, the Warnock's caterpillar has to crystallise into a new Cabbage White butterfly, and Nigel Clough would be the perfect man to orchestrate the transformation.
Dare Leeds appoint him? Would Clough accept the job if approached? It could be a marriage made in Heaven with even Brian and Don shaking hands and smiling down on Elland Road together!
Friday, 5 April 2013
Why would Leicester appoint Paul Ince?
I know Pearson has cocked up big time at Leicester, but why on earth would the lame Foxes appoint Paul Ince? His record is pretty damn awful and he has only been in the Blackpool job for five minutes.
Surely Martin O'Neill is the ideal man? If I was running the club, I would appoint him tomorrow and offer him a £1m bonus if he guides Leicester into and through the playoffs.
And who would bet against him doing it?
Surely Martin O'Neill is the ideal man? If I was running the club, I would appoint him tomorrow and offer him a £1m bonus if he guides Leicester into and through the playoffs.
And who would bet against him doing it?
Leeds Learn Nothing Despite Warnock's Departure
Dear God, the Warnock has gone but nothing has changed at Elland Road. All those hoping that the departure of Old Big Gob might signal a change in direction will be bitterly disappointed by the news that old codger Brown has been awarded a contract extension.
At his best, in his prime, Brown was a dirty sod but a half decent player. Now he is just a dirty sod. How old is he exactly? Eighty six?
It's no good getting rid of the Warnock if the Warnock's Dad's Army remain!
But then Brown's wages won't amount to too much so the Arab bank built on sand is, no doubt, delighted to sign him up for another twelve months. And so what that Brown might not figure in the new manager's plans? Whoever replaces the Warnock will have to operate on the same old shoe string it seems.
At his best, in his prime, Brown was a dirty sod but a half decent player. Now he is just a dirty sod. How old is he exactly? Eighty six?
It's no good getting rid of the Warnock if the Warnock's Dad's Army remain!
But then Brown's wages won't amount to too much so the Arab bank built on sand is, no doubt, delighted to sign him up for another twelve months. And so what that Brown might not figure in the new manager's plans? Whoever replaces the Warnock will have to operate on the same old shoe string it seems.
What in the name of Don Revie is going on at Leeds?
Well, just before I went away to the mountains I posted that, should Leeds win at Ipswich, they would be back in the promotion mix. Just as I predicted, all their rivals struggled in that round of fixtures and had Leeds played their part, they would have climbed back to within touching distance of the playoffs. Better still, had they then beaten Derby County at home, they would now be sitting just three points behind sixth placed Brighton. But, just as downhearted Leeds fans responded, that involved a big IF - because it assumed Leeds could actually win a game!
That said, until Lees was sent off, it was all going to plan. I had a tenner on a 1-0 win for Leeds at Ipswich and with 11 men on the pitch, the Warnock's old nags were in with a shout. I was certainly hopeful. Then came the red card and it was curtains!
Warnock screamed "Stupid!" after the game and it was somehow deliciously appropriate that the sending off of a guy called Lees should end the dreams of promotion for yet another year. Dirty Dirty Lees became Stupid Stupid Lees as the red card was shown.
Perhaps if the Warnock had criticised his namesake's horror tackle in the home game against Millwall, the young Lees might not have made that challenge. Perhaps had the Warnock not defended Varney's elbow in the first Millwall game, Lees might have thought twice before making that challenge. Perhaps had the Warnock tried to build a footballing team rather than a clogging team, the young Lees might have shown a little more restraint. But like the IF, that involves a big PERHAPS. The Warnock only knows one way, and that one way is not subtle!
But as I posted back on March 18, it is not the Warnock's fault that Leeds are where they are in the table. I asked then why the Arab bank built on sand had left the Warnock in charge and why they had failed to invest in the squad in January when on the shoulder of the play off pack . Indeed, on March 19, I posted that the Board must sack the Warnock immediately if Leeds were to mount a challenge for the play offs, because Old Big Gob had given up hope and Adkins would not be in the job market for long.
But did GFH Capital act? Did they hell as like! They prevaricated, waiting until all hope of promotion had disappeared before showing Warnock the door, and waiting too until both Adkins and Il Duce Di Canio were in jobs before taking decisive action. And even now, they don't seem to have a replacement in mind.
Why? In the name of Don Revie, why? The "no need to hurry" mantra has been repeated even after the Warnock's departure and even as Leeds sink towards the relegation quicksand. No need to hurry? The Board have had four months to source a replacement! Hurry? A snail high on cannabis would move quicker than Patel and Haigh!
Sadly, Leeds United are now beyond a joke. Somebody needs to grab the club by the throat and shake it. The world has moved on since the great days of Revie and the heady interregnum of Wilkinson. Leeds will now miss out on the massive rewards on offer to Prem clubs next season so the gulf will simply widen. And with GFH Capital's ownership diluted, there's another "decision maker" in the already utterly confused mix of what purports to be the Leeds United Board.
So Leeds go in to the remaining fixtures with a rookie manager, a rookie Board and as much sense of direction as a blonde with an upside down map - and with the loose cannon of the Warnock gobbing off from the side-lines.
It is now beyond funny, it is now downright bloody ridiculous. Over the last 12 months, I have grown to care about a club I once loathed, and whilst I have jested, I would never have wished this mess upon what was once a great club. Yes the morons who issue death threats deserve this, yes those who sang in support of Savile deserve this, yes those who aimed foul abuse at Dave Jones deserve this, yes those who hid the assailant of Kirkland deserve this, yes those who arrogantly insist that Leeds are a huge club in the face of all the facts deserve this, but the average decent Leeds fans do not deserve this. Proper Leeds fans deserve a well run club back in the Prem.
Don Revie must be turning in his grave.
That said, until Lees was sent off, it was all going to plan. I had a tenner on a 1-0 win for Leeds at Ipswich and with 11 men on the pitch, the Warnock's old nags were in with a shout. I was certainly hopeful. Then came the red card and it was curtains!
Warnock screamed "Stupid!" after the game and it was somehow deliciously appropriate that the sending off of a guy called Lees should end the dreams of promotion for yet another year. Dirty Dirty Lees became Stupid Stupid Lees as the red card was shown.
Perhaps if the Warnock had criticised his namesake's horror tackle in the home game against Millwall, the young Lees might not have made that challenge. Perhaps had the Warnock not defended Varney's elbow in the first Millwall game, Lees might have thought twice before making that challenge. Perhaps had the Warnock tried to build a footballing team rather than a clogging team, the young Lees might have shown a little more restraint. But like the IF, that involves a big PERHAPS. The Warnock only knows one way, and that one way is not subtle!
But as I posted back on March 18, it is not the Warnock's fault that Leeds are where they are in the table. I asked then why the Arab bank built on sand had left the Warnock in charge and why they had failed to invest in the squad in January when on the shoulder of the play off pack . Indeed, on March 19, I posted that the Board must sack the Warnock immediately if Leeds were to mount a challenge for the play offs, because Old Big Gob had given up hope and Adkins would not be in the job market for long.
But did GFH Capital act? Did they hell as like! They prevaricated, waiting until all hope of promotion had disappeared before showing Warnock the door, and waiting too until both Adkins and Il Duce Di Canio were in jobs before taking decisive action. And even now, they don't seem to have a replacement in mind.
Why? In the name of Don Revie, why? The "no need to hurry" mantra has been repeated even after the Warnock's departure and even as Leeds sink towards the relegation quicksand. No need to hurry? The Board have had four months to source a replacement! Hurry? A snail high on cannabis would move quicker than Patel and Haigh!
Sadly, Leeds United are now beyond a joke. Somebody needs to grab the club by the throat and shake it. The world has moved on since the great days of Revie and the heady interregnum of Wilkinson. Leeds will now miss out on the massive rewards on offer to Prem clubs next season so the gulf will simply widen. And with GFH Capital's ownership diluted, there's another "decision maker" in the already utterly confused mix of what purports to be the Leeds United Board.
So Leeds go in to the remaining fixtures with a rookie manager, a rookie Board and as much sense of direction as a blonde with an upside down map - and with the loose cannon of the Warnock gobbing off from the side-lines.
It is now beyond funny, it is now downright bloody ridiculous. Over the last 12 months, I have grown to care about a club I once loathed, and whilst I have jested, I would never have wished this mess upon what was once a great club. Yes the morons who issue death threats deserve this, yes those who sang in support of Savile deserve this, yes those who aimed foul abuse at Dave Jones deserve this, yes those who hid the assailant of Kirkland deserve this, yes those who arrogantly insist that Leeds are a huge club in the face of all the facts deserve this, but the average decent Leeds fans do not deserve this. Proper Leeds fans deserve a well run club back in the Prem.
Don Revie must be turning in his grave.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)