This season is already a shambles by the looks of it...

[Rook]

This reminds me so much of the last time we went down the club hasn’t learnt anything from the last time.

Last time all the money from the player sales went into paying of debt this time the players are leaving on loan so no money to spend on new players.

So loans and free agents make up the squad.

The 2004 relegation was far worse than this, imo.

Our squad that summer was threadbare and we were completely skint.

I recall Kevin Blackwell saying he didn't even have a full subs bench for the opening game against Derby, until he managed to sign Steve Guppy and Craig Hignett the day before the match.

Proper grim times.

[geronimo]

It does give us something to talk about that's true

I'd hate you lose Joffy as he will be a top player at some stage. A big game player

It must be a nightmare at the club with so much uncertainty and the first fixture looming large on the horizon.

Yeah I rate joffy never been given a chance bamford is finished and Rutter to me don't look the part he is not a 35 million pound player in a month of Sundays we lack real quality in many areas but the spine of the team is the most important goalkeeper centre back striker is where u start and all three positions need sorting out

[mentalcase]

It's not really a complaint though is it? It's an observation! A correct one at that

Don't go all fakkin Weasel on me!!!

Also a concern and rightly so, it will take Farke and his staff time to get things right, better than the previous 3 imbeciles put together.

[Orange Box]

It isn’t a shambles, it’s a rebuild project, and I for one will be patient that we put the right players in the right positions, however long it takes.

After the garbage (players and contracts) the last management team dumped on us I’m all for getting the right deals, not the desperate deals that Orta made and, don’t forget, his boss Kinnear must have sanctioned. That’s the bit that bothers me most, Kinnear either knows nought about football or Orta bullied him. Neither trait is good for the boss of a professional football club.

[Overman]

It isn’t a shambles, it’s a rebuild project, and I for one will be patient that we put the right players in the right positions, however long it takes.

After the garbage (players and contracts) the last management team dumped on us I’m all for getting the right deals, not the desperate deals that Orta made and, don’t forget, his boss Kinnear must have sanctioned. That’s the bit that bothers me most, Kinnear either knows nought about football or Orta bullied him. Neither trait is good for the boss of a professional football club.

Kinnear was Orta's bitch, no two ways about it. Another one that needs getting rid off from the old regime.

[mentalcase]

It isn’t a shambles, it’s a rebuild project, and I for one will be patient that we put the right players in the right positions, however long it takes.

After the garbage (players and contracts) the last management team dumped on us I’m all for getting the right deals, not the desperate deals that Orta made and, don’t forget, his boss Kinnear must have sanctioned. That’s the bit that bothers me most, Kinnear either knows nought about football or Orta bullied him. Neither trait is good for the boss of a professional football club.

Exactly my thoughts, I'm hoping the yanks will see through his past misdemeanours and replace him with a high flier that knows his onions, probably someone who will drive us forward on the whole global brand issue, someone who will tap into the American, African, middle and far east markets.

[Overman]

It does give us something to talk about that's true

I'd hate you lose Joffy as he will be a top player at some stage. A big game player

It must be a nightmare at the club with so much uncertainty and the first fixture looming large on the horizon.

It's popcorn stuff Ian, it's the Leeds way.

[geronimo]

Tbh, all of the players who have left so far, i fully expected them to leave when we were relegated.

What i didn't expect was that they'd all go out on loan and we wouldn't get a transfer fee for them.

I still think we'll lose Sinisterra, Gnonto and Adams too, probably on deadline day.

Yeah sinisterra Adams and gnonto will all definitely go just a case of when where and how much this ain't a bounce back situation it's a total rebuild and they ain't gonna hang around when they will be better offers in the pipeline

[Scoobychief]

Maybe parague will sign Mbappe who knows.

[weasel]

Tbh, all of the players who have left so far, i fully expected them to leave when we were relegated.

What i didn't expect was that they'd all go out on loan and we wouldn't get a transfer fee for them.

I still think we'll lose Sinisterra, Gnonto and Adams too, probably on deadline day.

Same here I expected them to leave but had expected that we'd have sold them and it would have given us a sizeable kitty to bring in a few players. The loan thing is just so spectacularly dumb in that it has made it far harder for us to get promoted and as such far harder to then get the players back and be in a position to sell them. You could understand it on 1 or 2 players if they were real stars, such as if we'd agreed a new contract with Raphinha after his first season here, but to have it in seemingly every new arrival's contract is just lunacy. Even if we'd had a fire sale and sold the players that have gone for far less than their worth we'd have likely had £50m. Even if we'd just spent £20m of that we'd be in a far healthier position, £30m to offset any costs such as if we still had a high wage bill and £20m to spend on new players where needed.

[lufc1304]

This season was always likely to be one of consolidation, there was too much shite to sort on and off the pitch for anything like a promotion push. I'm fine with that as long as I can see progress in terms of what Farke and the Niners want to do. As for this loans business, it's farcical and firmly at the feet of Radz, Orta and Kinnear. That said, those that want to leave, because they either don't have the guts for a scrap or they believe themselves to be better than the championship, show them the door.

[1964white]

Same here I expected them to leave but had expected that we'd have sold them and it would have given us a sizeable kitty to bring in a few players. The loan thing is just so spectacularly dumb in that it has made it far harder for us to get promoted and as such far harder to then get the players back and be in a position to sell them. You could understand it on 1 or 2 players if they were real starts, such as if we'd agreed a new contract with Raphinha after his first season here, but to have it in seemingly every new arrival's contract is just lunacy. Even if we'd had a fire sale and sold the players that have gone for far less than their worth we'd have likely had £50m. Even if we'd just spent £20m of that we'd be in a far healthier position, £30m to offset any costs such as if we still had a high wage bill and £20m to spend on new players where needed.

And some folk trusted Radz, Orta & Kinnear.

Never took to any of them, personally.

[weasel]

This season was always likely to be one of consolidation, there was too much shite to sort on and off the pitch for anything like a promotion push. I'm fine with that as long as I can see progress in terms of what Farke and the Niners want to do. As for this loans business, it's farcical and firmly at the feet of Radz, Orta and Kinnear. That said, those that want to leave, because they either don't have the guts for a scrap or they believe themselves to be better than the championship, show them the door.

I don't think it is that black and white. If they stay they are on 50% of their wages. If they go then they are going to a club that will pay 100% of their wages. I think some might have stayed if they had been on the same wages but no one is going to stay for the fight if it costs them 50% of their salary to do it. I think the only ones who have it in their contracts but will stay wil be the ones that no club would want to take and pay full wages - Bamford for instance may have it in his contract but would a club want to take him for a year on his full wages given his recent injuries (although who knows what would happen if he does have a loan clause and did really well would he then go in January when a club came in for him on loan?)

[lufc1304]

I don't think it is that black and white. If they stay they are on 50% of their wages. If they go then they are going to a club that will pay 100% of their wages. I think some might have stayed if they had been on the same wages but no one is going to stay for the fight if it costs them 50% of their salary to do it. I think the only ones who have it in their contracts but will stay wil be the ones that no club would want to take and pay full wages - Bamford for instance may have it in his contract but would a club want to take him for a year on his full wages given his recent injuries (although who knows what would happen if he does have a loan clause and did really well would he then go in January when a club came in for him on loan?)

I do get that, weasel, but how many would merit 100% of their wages based on their performances last season? Yes, we had a succession of s**t managers, but the players are complicit in where the club finds itself. That 50% reduction should have acted as an incentive to bust a gut for the club, but too many went missing. From a player's perspective I get it, but as a fan (and I know we are the only ones who really care about the club) it leaves a bad taste. From a business perspective, jesus wept!!!

[1964white]

It isn’t a shambles, it’s a rebuild project, and I for one will be patient that we put the right players in the right positions, however long it takes.

After the garbage (players and contracts) the last management team dumped on us I’m all for getting the right deals, not the desperate deals that Orta made and, don’t forget, his boss Kinnear must have sanctioned. That’s the bit that bothers me most, Kinnear either knows nought about football or Orta bullied him. Neither trait is good for the boss of a professional football club.

I'm with you on this one OB.

The niners haven't spent £170 million on our club to run it into the ground.

As you say, a rebuild......they are in the initial stages of building a far bigger posh house.

[whiteswan]

I feel your pain victor, I really do, the club has to start again, very unfortunate the take over was interspersed with the relegation and no manager.
We really are in a mess, we now have new owners and a manager, it dosen't help that the manager has very little time to see who still has LU passion about them, the whole sorry mess was down to orta and radz also to a large degree kinnear who's still here !!
I don't expect too much this season as it's probably asking a lot than is acceptable from farke and his team, but, they have my full backing, stay with it brother .

Great post mc

[1964white]

The 2004 relegation was far worse than this, imo.

Our squad that summer was threadbare and we were completely skint.

I recall Kevin Blackwell saying he didn't even have a full subs bench for the opening game against Derby, until he managed to sign Steve Guppy and Craig Hignett the day before the match.

Proper grim times.

Indeed Rook, we are nowhere near the 2004 scenario.

[whiteswan]

It isn’t a shambles, it’s a rebuild project, and I for one will be patient that we put the right players in the right positions, however long it takes.

After the garbage (players and contracts) the last management team dumped on us I’m all for getting the right deals, not the desperate deals that Orta made and, don’t forget, his boss Kinnear must have sanctioned. That’s the bit that bothers me most, Kinnear either knows nought about football or Orta bullied him. Neither trait is good for the boss of a professional football club.

....so is this

[1964white]

Yeah sinisterra Adams and gnonto will all definitely go just a case of when where and how much this ain't a bounce back situation it's a total rebuild and they ain't gonna hang around when they will be better offers in the pipeline

And we will bring in replacement signings who want to play for Leeds to compete in the championship.

[weasel]

The 2004 relegation was far worse than this, imo.

Our squad that summer was threadbare and we were completely skint.

I recall Kevin Blackwell saying he didn't even have a full subs bench for the opening game against Derby, until he managed to sign Steve Guppy and Craig Hignett the day before the match.

Proper grim times.

Indeed. Or even just back a few seasons when Bielsa came in and we were playing friendlies just a couple of weeks before the season started and we had to have Klich playing as centreback because we didn't have enough fit centrebacks.

Without a doubt we are ina bit of turmoil, Farke is having to plan whilst knowing that he could lose players that he wants to keep. However there is a base of a side and there will be some good players still at the club when the transfer window shuts. The one signing so far looks to be a good one and it is hopeful that Farke has a far better eye for what we need than Orta did. The fact we have spent £7m on Ampadu I think is a good sign, if our budget was only £7m then likely we would have been looking to bring in 3 or 4 players at £2m each. Instead we have spent £7m on one player so that would suggest we have decent money avaialble, not loads but enough to hopefully give Farke the funds for what he needs. It may be that Farke has to prioritise and buy according to the greatest need. We lost Roca, Klich, McKennie and Forshaw from the midfield and with Adams out for a while then our greatest need was a midfielder. For other positions the need is not as strong. Even though we'd like a left back it isn't a priority whilst Firpo is here, same with the keeper situation. Until Firpo and Messlier go then their positions are not vital for us to sign a player there. I think it is simply a case that we have limited funds at present and have to spend it wisely and then if players do leave, and we get some money for them, we address the problem then and hopefully have a target lined up that probably fits into Farke's plans better than the player who left.