Cellino outlines lofty ambitions.....

[1964white]

Massimo Cellino has outlined his ambitions for the club and says that he intends to increase the wage bill in order to bring players to Elland Road this summer.
The United chairman, who rejoined the board a month ago following Football League approval, has also spoke for the first time since the appointment of head coach Uwe Rosler.
“People told me Leeds was a sleeping giant, but when I came here, the giant was dead,” he said in an interview with the Daily Mirror.
“So why did I choose Leeds? I bought Leeds because I know they are better than many Premier League clubs.
“I could have bought Premier League clubs for less money than I am spending at Leeds - I want the fans to understand that.
“When we go into the Premier League, we will go into the Premier League to get to the Champions League. We will not go into the Premier League to pay our debts. We will not go into the Premier League to be relegated.”
On the club’s financial situation, he added: “When I first came in, I had to pay £5million just to keep the club going.
“By the end of last season, we had lost £22million. Now the forecast is that we are close to break even.
“We also had big wages last year. Nearly £21m in wages and we had an average age of 29.
"Now we have brought it down to £10.5m, but we have to attract new players, so it will go up to £13m and the average age is now 23.”
Rosler took charge last month after penning a two-year deal at Elland Road, and Mr Cellino says the former Wigan and Brentford boss fits the bill perfectly.
“I wanted someone who is a good, experienced coach in the Championship,” he said.
“Uwe is German, but he knows England and how to get foreign players used to playing here.
“He’s a very well-organised guy. He suits my mentality because I like to have control of everything.
“A coach with good potential can realise his potential if the club is strong to look after him. If you leave him alone too much, it can kill him.
“Why does he have to buy? He should propose [deals to the owner]. That is the big mistake they make in England.
"We have to work together, we share the responsibility. If we choose a player together and we make a mistake, it is our mistake, not his.”

[rich_leeds64]

As we already knew, coach can propose players to the owner and he can say "NO". At least he's upping the wage bill so we should see new faces arriving, just hope they're decent quality and experienced at this level, not Serie B

[Gurj]

As we already knew, coach can propose players to the owner and he can say "NO". At least he's upping the wage bill so we should see new faces arriving, just hope they're decent quality and experienced at this level, not Serie B

He's already been linked to signing some uknown Icelandic player who plays in Serie B You would have thought he would have realised by now that Serie B is like League 2 level here

[lufc1304]

doesn't tell us anything we don't already know or suspect. I'm back, in charge, and you should be grateful as I could have bought a Prem club. Nothing will change re transfers and the 'if you leave him alone, it can kill him' piece suggests he will continue to meddle in team affairs. Rosler hired because he knows England and how to get foreign players to play here. So Cellino has learnt nothing from last season's experiment with foreign imports? 2 or 3 out of how many actually had a positive impact? As you were....

[1964white]

Injected £5m to keep the club going

Had a two year plan

Brought the average age of the squad down to 23yo

Got rid of the deadlegs that were draining LUFC dry

Reduced the majority of the debt

Employed Adam Pearson + recruited other managerial staff

Brought in a experienced manager at this level, German too they have a winning mentality

Given Lewis Cook a more lucrative three year contract + offered renewed contracts to academy players

Not taken the fans for a ride regards renewal of season-tickets, my first payment due in July as oppose to the Bates regime who wanted some of the monies in January when travelling fans were struggling to find monies for away trips let alone the following season's S/T's
Hull City fans are paying around £550 to watch championship football. Prices at Leeds frozen. My season-ticket = £314

Positive actions imo, now all we require is some quality additions in key areas of the first eleven

Personally i'm looking forward to the new season, we'll be better this year believe me !

[Genghers]

He's already been linked to signing some uknown Icelandic player who plays in Serie B You would have thought he would have realised by now that Serie B is like League 2 level here

Known to Rosler who managed him at Viking in his early playing career, an established international and has played in Serie A in his time.

From what I've read about him, he seems a decent replacement for Rudy, or is at least in a similar mould.

[1964white]

Known to Rosler who managed him at Viking in his early playing career, an established international and has played in Serie A in his time.

From what I've read about him, he seems a decent replacement for Rudy, or is at least in a similar mould.

All the links are pure speculation anyway, hopefully we'll make some crucial signings Tom

[dezzy]

He will take us up

[1964white]

He will take us up

Now that is positivity i like to read Dezzy

Why would he purchase LUFC if he had no ambition of taking our football club forward

[lufc1304]

I don't think his ambition is in doubt, Leon, it's how he operates that causes concern. Even the most ardent anti-Cellino fan would be hard pushed to argue that the apponitments of Pearson and Rosler are bad ones. But we then have the whole Steve Head debacle, do we have a head of recruitment yet? Also, he can't help but meddle, said himself in that interview that he likes to do everything. He's putting some of the right people in place, why can't he just take a step back and let these people do what he's paying them for, and they're good at? His need to be the centre of attention will be our undoing

[andywatson]

I would have hoped that people would have, at the very least, learnt to judge Cellino by his actions rather than his words. Apparently not in some cases.

Injected £5m to keep the club going

This is a very strange one. Yes, Cellino has made us financially stable, but that is more a reflection on our previous owners than himself. Anyone, with sufficient resources, who bought the club would have done so. The debt/losses will have been fully reflected in the purchase price.

Had a two year plan

Yes. And now he has another 2 year plan. Lets hope this one works out a bit better shall we?

Brought the average age of the squad down to 23yo

Got rid of the deadlegs that were draining LUFC dry

These are linked. Bringing down the squad age is a generally good thing, but it can be taken too far- Bamba was rated as much for his experience and leadership as his actual defensive skills. Austin is similar. It is not fair to describe players such as Warnock as "deadlegs". Yes, He was a higher earner, but performed consistently throughout the season for us, and elsewhere. Hunt- who was an unmitigated disaster as a signing for us-scored in his debut for Ipswich. Sometimes it's not all the players fault. Yes, the squad needed overhauling, but many of the replacements have also been found wanting.

Reduced the majority of the debt

Same point as the first. Also didn't buy ER as promised, despite Fulham throwing £11M at him. Latest excuse put forward by those who cheer his every move (twice)- how could he invest when he might be banned? Well he has served his ban, but there seems to be no mention of it in the interview.

Employed Adam Pearson + recruited other managerial staff

Better late than never. He has also employed a DFS salesman as spy/chief video scout. Lets wait and see if he actually gives these staff the space and authority to do their jobs or just sacks them at the drop of a hat.

Brought in a experienced manager at this level, German too they have a winning mentality

4th time lucky? Does this mean we simply forget the fiasco that was Hockaday and Darko, or Redders shameful treatment? Lets ignore the casual racial stereotyping shall we? Or is that the level of straws that you need to clutch to in order to make last year sound like a success.

Given Lewis Cook a more lucrative three year contract + offered renewed contracts to academy players

Of course these are good things, but should be an expectation, not a cause for celebration.

Not taken the fans for a ride regards renewal of season-tickets, my first payment due in July as oppose to the Bates regime who wanted some of the monies in January when travelling fans were struggling to find monies for away trips let alone the following season's S/T's
Hull City fans are paying around £550 to watch championship football. Prices at Leeds frozen. My season-ticket = £314

Once again, I agree. However selective use of data doesn't make us a cheap team to follow. My East stand ticket with my 5 year old will come to more than the price of your ST.

now all we require is some quality additions in key areas of the first eleven

Are you having a laugh? This is what I have been saying all season, and you have been telling me we already have.

we'll be better this year believe me !

Did you copy and paste this from last summer? You are the one who insisted we would- once the players had begun to gel- be ripping the division apart. The mediocre Serie B journeymen went missing (literally in some cases), and we were lucky to have players capable of stepping up to the mark already in the club. Last season we made no progress, as the league position and points total shows. However we might have a better place to build from due to the aforementioned youngsters in midfield.

It's time to stop listening to what Cellino says. He talks a good game, he sells a great vision. After so many years of s**t, financial stability feels like a great thing- but that is simply a measure of how far down our previous owners dragged us.

[MeeTa]

Known to Rosler who managed him at Viking in his early playing career, an established international and has played in Serie A in his time.

From what I've read about him, he seems a decent replacement for Rudy, or is at least in a similar mould.

Cant really remember much about him from hes time in Norway, but i am however very positive about signing icelandic players. They are in general fighters, with good morals and good strength something that is required in the championship.

[Genghers]

Of course these are good things, but should be an expectation, not a cause for celebration.

Some good points, some I don't agree with, but this in particular sticks out.

I'd say it is cause for celebration (or at the very least, to be happy). We've seen so much young talent leave us (for free and fees) over the years, it's encouraging to see an owner sticking with his words and signing them up for longer.

Plenty of teams in this division and above have players lured away, just look at Sterling - I don't think it's an expectation for clubs to be able to keep all their talent...

[andywatson]

Some good points, some I don't agree with, but this in particular sticks out.

I'd say it is cause for celebration (or at the very least, to be happy). We've seen so much young talent leave us (for free and fees) over the years, it's encouraging to see an owner sticking with his words and signing them up for longer.

Plenty of teams in this division and above have players lured away, just look at Sterling - I don't think it's an expectation for clubs to be able to keep all their talent...

I think that's true when you are talking about players of the calibre of Sterling and Champions league football. I don't think any of our academy/youth players are looking at that level. Our best players move on to Norwich, which isn't quite the same draw.

[hibbi86]

He's already been linked to signing some uknown Icelandic player who plays in Serie B You would have thought he would have realised by now that Serie B is like League 2 level here

Uwe Rosler knows this player i read somewhere they had worked together before,

[hibbi86]

I think that's true when you are talking about players of the calibre of Sterling and Champions league football. I don't think any of our academy/youth players are looking at that level. Our best players move on to Norwich, which isn't quite the same draw.

Its ok using a comparison to the premiership, but we must always remember we are not in the premiership or the champions league we need to remember how much these players mean to us.

They might not be champions league quality, but they are upper end quality in the championship and losing a player of that quality would be a huge set back to us.

[danhirons]

would love to know where all the ross mccormack money went?

[andywatson]

Its ok using a comparison to the premiership, but we must always remember we are not in the premiership or the champions league we need to remember how much these players mean to us.

They might not be champions league quality, but they are upper end quality in the championship and losing a player of that quality would be a huge set back to us.

I did say the contracts were "good things"! Despite my many reservations about Cellino I do try be fair about his conduct.

[1964white]

I would have hoped that people would have, at the very least, learnt to judge Cellino by his actions rather than his words. Apparently not in some cases.



This is a very strange one. Yes, Cellino has made us financially stable, but that is more a reflection on our previous owners than himself. Anyone, with sufficient resources, who bought the club would have done so. The debt/losses will have been fully reflected in the purchase price.


Yes. And now he has another 2 year plan. Lets hope this one works out a bit better shall we?


These are linked. Bringing down the squad age is a generally good thing, but it can be taken too far- Bamba was rated as much for his experience and leadership as his actual defensive skills. Austin is similar. It is not fair to describe players such as Warnock as "deadlegs". Yes, He was a higher earner, but performed consistently throughout the season for us, and elsewhere. Hunt- who was an unmitigated disaster as a signing for us-scored in his debut for Ipswich. Sometimes it's not all the players fault. Yes, the squad needed overhauling, but many of the replacements have also been found wanting.


Same point as the first. Also didn't buy ER as promised, despite Fulham throwing £11M at him. Latest excuse put forward by those who cheer his every move (twice)- how could he invest when he might be banned? Well he has served his ban, but there seems to be no mention of it in the interview.


Better late than never. He has also employed a DFS salesman as spy/chief video scout. Lets wait and see if he actually gives these staff the space and authority to do their jobs or just sacks them at the drop of a hat.


4th time lucky? Does this mean we simply forget the fiasco that was Hockaday and Darko, or Redders shameful treatment? Lets ignore the casual racial stereotyping shall we? Or is that the level of straws that you need to clutch to in order to make last year sound like a success.


Of course these are good things, but should be an expectation, not a cause for celebration.


Once again, I agree. However selective use of data doesn't make us a cheap team to follow. My East stand ticket with my 5 year old will come to more than the price of your ST.


Are you having a laugh? This is what I have been saying all season, and you have been telling me we already have.


Did you copy and paste this from last summer? You are the one who insisted we would- once the players had begun to gel- be ripping the division apart. The mediocre Serie B journeymen went missing (literally in some cases), and we were lucky to have players capable of stepping up to the mark already in the club. Last season we made no progress, as the league position and points total shows. However we might have a better place to build from due to the aforementioned youngsters in midfield.

It's time to stop listening to what Cellino says. He talks a good game, he sells a great vision. After so many years of s**t, financial stability feels like a great thing- but that is simply a measure of how far down our previous owners dragged us.

Well that ripped my post to threads.....made me laugh though

[1964white]

I don't think his ambition is in doubt, Leon, it's how he operates that causes concern. Even the most ardent anti-Cellino fan would be hard pushed to argue that the apponitments of Pearson and Rosler are bad ones. But we then have the whole Steve Head debacle, do we have a head of recruitment yet? Also, he can't help but meddle, said himself in that interview that he likes to do everything. He's putting some of the right people in place, why can't he just take a step back and let these people do what he's paying them for, and they're good at? His need to be the centre of attention will be our undoing

Unfortunately that's the way he goes about his business Nick, he likes to be hands on & tbh i don't think it's in his nature to take a step back.