How does that saying go; ‘God loves a trier’? Well Leeds fans certainly love a trier, players like Andy Hughes will be remembered much more fondly than any Fancy Dan who didn’t put the effort in. Much the same way that people liked Alan Smith, before he was excommunicated for going to the dark side anyway, it wasn’t that he was a great player, he just tried hard, chased for every ball. Vinnie Jones was the same, not blessed with talent in abundance but you could guarantee that he wouldn’t step on that pitch and give any less than 100% and he is loved and remembered for it despite only playing for the club 46 times.

Leeds fans don’t like players who look like they need to take muscle gain supplements to stop them getting knocked off the ball easily. They like committed players, tough players who don’t shirk challenges and don’t dive around like a primadonna. When a player makes their debut for LUFC and puts in that first crunching challenge there is an instant respect from the crowd. But the favourites, those cherished most by the Elland Road faithful are those that have substance and style.

This affection for players strong and skilful goes back a long way. Player such as John Charles, ‘Il Gigante Buono’, in the words of Jack Charlton "They may have called him the Gentle Giant, but when it came to the tricks of the trade, John was right up there with the best of them!". John Charles was a wonderful sight on the football field; quick, agile and played with delicacy and had great ball control. At 6f2 2in and 15 stone he was not to be messed with though, never dirty, but he could out jump and out muscle most on the pitch. Arguably both Leeds United’s best striker and central defender, he was humble and generous which makes him a firm fans favourite to this day.

The great Revie team was blessed with such players, perhaps the most underrated in the ‘style’ department was Norman ‘Bites Yer Legs’ Hunter. There is no doubting Hunter was a hard player, he took no prisoners, well not in one piece anyway, but he was also an extremely skilful footballer. He had quick feet had great ball control and made some turns and feints Cruyff would have been proud of. His mazy runs and deft one twos set up many a goal for Leeds.

The ultimate from that era was probably the great Johnny Giles. Partnered in midfield with Billy Bremner they were a force to be reckoned with. An almost telepathic link between them Giles was the skilful creative outlet and Bremner the committed ball winner, in reality they were both extremely tough and skilful players. They had to fight for the right to play and once they had earned that right, play they did, often embarrassing the opposition in the process. Some of the football that team played is a joy to watch, skilful but absolutely ruthless.

In the 90s we had the great combination of Strachan, McAllister, Speed and Batty. Perhaps not individually blessed with the toughness and skilfulness that both Giles and Bremner possessed as a unit they were magnificent. Strachan was feisty, Batty tenacious, Speed worked tirelessly and McAllister provided the flair. In Battys second spell at the club he was joined by Olivier Dacourt, a player very much in the mould of Johnny Giles. He was strong and uncompromising in tackles but also an extremely skilful footballer. He passing was also superb and he was a key part of our Champions League team. Why Venables dropped him in favour of Paul Okon I will never understand.

More Reading
Leeds United FC History: John Charles | Norman Hunter | Johnny Giles | Billy Bremner | Gordon Strachan | Gary McAllister | Gary Speed | David Batty | Olivier Dacourt

Bet you thought Leeds United was a football club didn’t you? Well it turns out it’s actually a “value play”, at least in the words of new investors Bahrain based International Investment Banks. IIB has made a “capital injection” of £2.5million and are “taking the approach to hold the 10% investment in its portfolio, with a consideration to offer it once the club’s financial position is solidified.” Being a Leeds united fan over the past ten years you’ve needed a lexicon of financial terms to know what’s going on. First we had administration and company voluntary agreement, then we had due diligence and exclusivity period and now we have bounce and value play.

Ever since GFH completed the deal to take over Leeds United there were rumours that they were going to “bounce” the club. Bouncing is the process of selling on an investment quickly for a higher price. David Haigh and Salem Patel have tried to ensure the fans and press that this is not their intention, that they have a long term plan for the promotion to the Premiership. This long-term plan includes reducing their risk by selling off stakes in the club to potential investors such as IIB, with the rewards coming from with a “high return potential should LUFC get promoted to Premier League.”

Statements to the financial markets have been less clear however and indicate GFH may be looking for a quick exit. In GFH’s quarterly financial acting chief executive and Leeds United director Hisham Alrayes said “The Bank and its subsidiaries focused on maximising the value of existing investments. Importantly, GFH Capital undertook due diligence on a number of potential strategic investors for Leeds United FC. Today, GFH is a bank firmly focused on maximizing the potential of our current portfolio of investments and working on early exits from our projects." That last statement suggests that they are still looking for a quick exit by “bouncing” the club.

Whether a “bounce” or a “value play” it’s clear that this is a firm financial investment and whatever the length of the investment they are looking for big rewards. Is that good for the football club? I don’t know. Will Middle Eastern investment banks pour money into the club in the short term in the hope of Premiership football and big rewards for them? Or will it be more of the same prudency we have experienced in recent years with investors hoping to make a quick buck when the clubs “financial position is solidified”?

Well I suppose we will find out this summer. Time for the new investors to put their money where their mouth is and back the new manager for that push to promotion.

Read More
Viduka's Quartet: IIB reveal Equity Injection into LUFC
Evening Post: Bahraini’s view investment in Whites as a ‘value play’