The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Friday 6th September) - Cooper off to Bulgaria?

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Friday 6th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Cooper off to Bulgaria

Liam Cooper is in talks with Bulgarian outfit CSKA Bulgaria, after failing to find a club closer to home.

The 33yo left Leeds in the Summer, dissatisfied with the twelve month contract on offer to him. His quest for longer term security saw him linked with Blackburn, Sheffield Wednesday, and more recently Hull City. A move back to the MKM Stadium, (where it all began 22 years ago) looked to be on the cards, but in the end, it never materialised.

He is a free agent; this allows him the freedom to choose a move at his leisure. No doubt he would have preferred to stay in Yorkshire, but his desire to play first team football as long as he can. could take him 1700km out of his comfort zone.





Was Hamer bid just a smokescreen?

Listening to Joe Wainman's live broadcast last, a number of issues regarding our Summer transfer window were bought up, especially that of Gustavo Hamer

Leeds ended up losing 20 first team players this Summer, raking in just short of £130m, plus a substantial investment from Red Bull. This including that of Summerville, Rutter and Gray; the very foundation, and first names on Daniel Farke's team sheet. Replacing such stars was never an option; outside the confounds of the Premier League, clubs must cut their cloth accordingly, but in Leeds case, that's only half the battle!

Mismanagement, terrible decision making and blatant disregard from our previous regime (for which the 49ers must take their fair share of responsibility having had a 44% share in the club since 2021) continue to haunt us. We've seen Roca and Llorente depart for next to nothing, Harrison continue to wind down his contract whilst spending another season on loan (payment free) at Everton and ridiculously low buy out clauses on our two best players.

As Joe pointed out, the club had two weeks to come up with a replacement for Rutter. Hamer's signature would have gone some way to repairing the damage, but if Leeds had been serious about the Dutchman, why would they have tabled a bid for £13m, £2m less than what they had bought him for last year? He's by far their best player, and as such were never going to accept it.

It has been suggested that Leeds had no intentions to splash the cash this Summer, and it was just a smoke screen so they could be looked upon as being busy. Many fans suggested Leeds would leave it late to splash the cash, and although we're thankful for Smidt and Tanaka, they are not the marquee signings any of us were wanting to see!

[weasel]

Was Hamer bid just a smokescreen?

Leeds ended up losing 20 first team players this Summer, raking in just short of £130m, plus a substantial investment from Red Bull. This including that of Summerville, Rutter and Gray; the very foundation, and first names on Daniel Farke's team sheet. Replacing such stars was never an option; outside the confounds of the Premier League, clubs must cut their cloth accordingly, but in Leeds case, that's only half the battle!

It is interesting how people have different perspectives. For me Summerville, Rutter and Gray are the only 3 players that have left that I would have seen as first team starters - rather than 20 first teamers leaving. Kamara was a first teamer last season but I don't think he would have been this season even if we'd not signed anyone (as I think Ampadu and Gruev would have been the starters).

None of those 3 would have been my first names on the teamsheet. Good players, possibly will become greats but for me the likes of Rodon and Ampadu are the first names on the team sheet. But I would have been fine seeing Gnonto in for Summerville, Byram for Gray and trying two strikers as a 9 and 10.

[Jammy 07]

It is interesting how people have different perspectives. For me Summerville, Rutter and Gray are the only 3 players that have left that I would have seen as first team starters - rather than 20 first teamers leaving. Kamara was a first teamer last season but I don't think he would have been this season even if we'd not signed anyone (as I think Ampadu and Gruev would have been the starters).

None of those 3 would have been my first names on the teamsheet. Good players, possibly will become greats but for me the likes of Rodon and Ampadu are the first names on the team sheet. But I would have been fine seeing Gnonto in for Summerville, Byram for Gray and trying two strikers as a 9 and 10.

Refreshing the squad has to be seen as a good thing in my opinion and as we retained the defensive core of the team it's looking good for the season ahead.

[Sean_Nile]

I feel like a fish flopping in a dry desert, gasping while I sizzle in the scorching sun!

We were promised a marquee signing, a midfield maestro, a striker with the footwork of a ballerina and a midfielder with the brute force of a bulldozer, but instead, we got the footballing equivalents of soggy toast unknowns. Doomed I tell you doomed!

It's like waiting for a firey red Ferrari to pull up and being handed a brown rusty broken bicycle with flat tires instead!

My expectations have shriveled faster than a raisin in the sauna— contracted faster than my nut sack in the cold of winter, my excitement evaporating like a piss puddle in a heatwave!

What did I do to deserve this dreadful deluge of despair? We’ve been hoodwinked, bamboozled, and left with a bargain bin benchwarmers!

Sebastian Windsock, Disgruntled of Maidstone Kent.

[Chilli D]

I wonder if Liam regrets the one year contract offer from Leeds now?
I'm really surprised that neither a lesser championship club or League 1 club didn't come in for him. Perhaps his wages were an issue?
Sad that the only offer seems to be coming from a piss poor Bulgarian league although CSKA are probably their best and most well known team.

[ruttermania]

To say that 20 first teamers have left is such a blatant misrepresentation of reality that it undermines totally any credibility to the way this issue is being presented . Apart from Gray , Summerville , Rutter and Kamara none of the players who left featured regularly in the first team. A small number were people who populated the bench and were used occasionally but a lot were never going to challenge for regular first team spots . People may wish to devote their time to constructing quasi conspiracy theories out the smoke and mirrors of transfer market stories amplified by the internet but the real proof will be on the pitch not in the speculations of 'journalists'. The presence or absence of a 'Marquee Signing' will not be the Guarantee or otherwise of Promotion and given that we haven't had a 'classic' 10 since Pablo ( who wasn't signed as such) I believe that DF will find more than adequate 'solutions' with the talent he already has on board.

[Jammy 07]

We desperately needed to move on from the Cooper era and we've finally done so.

Will rightly be remembered as a legend of the club and it's a shame he didn't accept the final year offered and then retire gracefully from the game.

[Sean_Nile]

We desperately needed to move on from the Cooper era and we've finally done so.

Will rightly be remembered as a legend of the club and it's a shame he didn't accept the final year offered and then retire gracefully from the game.

Didn't even get a testimonial for all his years of service, just a 10 minute cameo at the end of last season, then just slips over the blue event horizon into oblivion.

[GreennWhite]

Why do we seem to have this thing about " we must have a marquee signing " are we saying that no other signing will be good enough to give us what we need ?

[DDB220]

I wonder if Liam regrets the one year contract offer from Leeds now?
I'm really surprised that neither a lesser championship club or League 1 club didn't come in for him. Perhaps his wages were an issue?
Sad that the only offer seems to be coming from a piss poor Bulgarian league although CSKA are probably their best and most well known team.

If he has any regrets it will be turning down the Saudi contract last year if that was true.

Assuming it was - no idea what contract he was offered, but it will have been significantly more than what he earned last season.

[Sean_Nile]

If he has any regrets it will be turning down the Saudi contract last year if that was true.

Assuming it was - no idea what contract he was offered, but it will have been significantly more than what he earned last season.

If you are going to make a sacrifice make sure it's the right one

[DDB220]

Why do we seem to have this thing about " we must have a marquee signing " are we saying that no other signing will be good enough to give us what we need ?

It is an often quoted term that has no real substance as it is generally associated to the amount paid and the suggested calibre of the player. Piroe was seen as a marquee signing last year. Even though I believe he will be a big player this season, thus far he hasn’t matched the level of expectation that was attached to his signing.

Despite the fees paid - Tanaka could turn out to be a Marquee signing, as could the kid from Spain. Possibly even Schmidt.

Joseph might be considered a marquee player in a couple of months if he adds to his growing reputation and starts scoring goals for fun.

People get hung up on the term.

[1964white]

Why do we seem to have this thing about " we must have a marquee signing " are we saying that no other signing will be good enough to give us what we need ?

Maybe we have made a marquee signing with one of the new boys in at ER this summer, or as DDB posted, Joseph could be our marquee star of the season.

[Tyzy]

We don't do marquee signings we are in the business of selling them not buying

[andrewjohnsmith]

I wonder if Liam regrets the one year contract offer from Leeds now?
I'm really surprised that neither a lesser championship club or League 1 club didn't come in for him. Perhaps his wages were an issue?
Sad that the only offer seems to be coming from a piss poor Bulgarian league although CSKA are probably their best and most well known team.

I think the offer from Leeds has always been there. In reality, though, he knew he wouldn't get much football here.

[andrewjohnsmith]

Maybe we have made a marquee signing with one of the new boys in at ER this summer, or as DDB posted, Joseph could be our marquee star of the season.

I've never heard of Marquee. Sounds French or Brazilian. I think we should have signed him. Sounds like he would have been a good signing.

[The Subhuman]

At 10M Ramazani is as about as close to Marquee as you're going to get. Very difficult to spend 20M in this division. I think our top 3 buys aall time at this level are at Leeds today. Piroe 12, Rodon 10 and Ramazani 10 (two currently on the bench it seems) are expensive buys.