14 Jul 2014 09:15:46
To sum up our transfer activity so far -
We have replaced the championships top scorer with Doukara
We have replaced Butland with Silvestri and Ashdown with Taylor
We have replaced Brown & a few other drains on the budget with Bianchi
Last season we finished 15th & Ross got 29 goals yet myself and many others are vilified for being negative and not true fans. I have supported Leeds for 47 years and in our darkest hour I still couldn't imagine supporting anyone else but at the moment our squad is paper thin in quality for what will be an extremely competitive Championship MOT

1.) 14 Jul 2014
Please change your log in name to 'voice of doom'. The club is moving in the right direction, please give them your support.

2.) 14 Jul 2014
Whilst I applaud blind optimism, I must look to evidence for gauging how far forward the Club has moved. Whilst Cellinio appears to be a great drinking buddy and says all the right things to get me excited, it is still just hollow words unless there is evidence of real investment on the pitch and securing the status of the Club into the future.

But the time for all this discussion is nearly over. We can start to support the team on the pitch and see the evidence of how Cellinio's ambitions are going to be realised.

3.) 14 Jul 2014
Totally agree Voiceofreason, although there is still time to sign players and I applaud the decision not to sign players who don't have the correct attitude, we need to face facts that only 4 players have been brought in. 3 of these players have potential however all are not guaranteed to fulfil it therefore you are left with a small squad of players who last season could not cut the mustard. I feel that Cellino has taken the necessary austerity measure to financially improve the club however transfer activity is currently a net profit of circa £10m but the squad is no stronger than last year (so far)

4.) 14 Jul 2014
Yes, the squad is thin on the ground, but for your information the transfer window is actually still open!

Did you expect 20 new signings over night?

Let's judge the squad once it is actually complete and performing on the pitch, I understand the frustrations, but there is still plenty of time for business to be done.

MOT

5.) 14 Jul 2014
We need wingers, wingers and more wingers. 2 25 goal a season strikers, new wing backs and a creative midfleider.

6.) 14 Jul 2014
He is not being a voice of doom and clearly is going to support the team, there is nothing wrong with supporters showing their concern if they believe that the club is not moving quickly enough with regards to our signings so far, that is not being negative and not supporting the team I would say the opposite. We have around 9 million to spend from the transfer which MC says is on top of the existing transfer budget so I think fans just want to see some 'names' being purchased a lot of players have rightfully been released but the squad is very short on the quality needed for the championship we have signed three unknown italians one on loan which I hope are going to be great signings but we need some proven quality and we may need to spend proper money to get them, looking at our funds we seem to be able to afford them so hopefully they will start to come in alongside the new signings. I like others have agreed with MC decisions so far and hope he continues them with the correct signings because everything about a football club feeds off what happens on the pitch I know how big this club is and what support is out there for a successful team.

7.) 14 Jul 2014
MC
Has been at the club what! 12 weeks roughly, he's had numerous DEBTS to pay whilst the club were running at a loss of £1 mill per month. Bank account frozen for weeks, threat of court action was looming and he had to get rid of the garbage on the pitch we had to watch last season. On top of this he was trying to sell calgari and in his spare time scouting players for the future.
Ross wanted out what do you want MC to do hang onto a player who DID NOT want to stay and watch his value diminish as he STOPS kissing his badge? You moaned when previous owners sold Howson-Snoddy-Johnson-Beckford for peanuts
(Any prevous owner would have sold ross for £3-£4 mill) MC got a fantastic price.

You want the club turned around in 12 weeks, these are the failures of the past trying to run before we can walk. IF YOU ARE true leeds fans you won't want to be reminded of our past 15yrs.
For god sake lads give the new owner a chance he's only been at our club a wet day.

8.) 14 Jul 2014
So voiceofreason, let's snap our fingers and everything will be complete. I hate this line but its true 'Rome wasn't built in a day'

9.) 14 Jul 2014
So MC has stated that he is not going to use the money from the sale of Ross to bolster the tranfer kitty. He is planning to use the money to purchase Elland Road. That's a Ken Bates move!
All that means is that he has used the sale of our best player to fund the transfer of a major asset (the Stadium) into the ownership of Massimo Cellino - not into the ownership of Leeds Utd. There is a subtle but very important difference.
Not saying this will happen but, in theory MC could sell LUFC at some point in the future but retain ownership of the stadium, thus placing LUFC back in the situation of not owning the ground (unlikely, but possible).
The McCormack money should have ben invested in the first team squad 100%.

10.) 14 Jul 2014
Voice of Reason, Reality and Notts, this is exactly how I feel myself although it seems to be portrayed by others that instead of showing caution we are actually being negative or ‘not real supporters’, some are even saying we need reminded about the last 15 years history, I for one don’t need reminded, its these memories that make me cautious, maybe its them that need to recall in their minds when GFH took over and the euphoria of having rich Foreigners on our side, does anyone need me to remind them of how that piece of history turned out. So it seems that there are 2 sets of opinions, one is cautious and showing concern for the future and being criticised for it and the other is happy to accept anything the new owner/manager tells them or does. Who will ultimately be right in the end? So some say ‘give cellino a chance’ well we don’t have any say do we, accept it or go somewhere else, and what happens if he turns into another bates or GFH? Do we just ask him to leave? Its that simple right. I ll probably get hammered for this post but I m not a real supporter, right.

11.) 14 Jul 2014
Rome wasn't built in a day but the season starts in 4 weeks and were nowhere near ready. I'm very positive atm regarding Cellino however I'm am also realistic. Milwall is fast approaching

12.) 14 Jul 2014
I believe that Do Cellino is a wealthy businessman with his own money and a successful track record in football club ownership. He is not comparable to GFH who had no money per their financial statements and no record of ever being involved in football. It is easy to be negative but let's give the man a chance.

13.) 14 Jul 2014
14 Jul 2014 14:33:30
Lol, McCormack had one good goalscoring season and all of a sudden he's a guaranteed 25 goal a season player. He will flop big time this season, which is why I'm delighted we got so much. Anyone still claiming without McCormack we can't possibly challenge, which teams have gone up with McCormack in their side? 0. We look a better team than last year and still have signings to make. Why not go and support Fulham if you think McCormack is so great? I remember last year and most fans wanted him to go to Middlesbore, now he's the best thing since sliced bread.

14.) 14 Jul 2014
Great post voiceofreason, football is all about opinions & some people think that if yours isn't the same as theirs then you are wrong, if we were all of the same opinion we wouldn't be using sites such as this. MOT

15.) 14 Jul 2014
I do not prescribe to the view that those who do not conform with the opinion as those who have blind faith are not true supporters and therefore their opinion is not valid. As Leeds fans we need to accept that we all have a common goal but perhaps disagree with the best way to achieve it. My opinion is based upon facts or what I believe to be true. Currently I do not feel that the squad is any stronger than it was last season, we have less numbers and similar quality, although my opinion could be changed through seeing the new signings play. I would dare to suggest that if GFH or Bates had sold our top goalscorer (albeit for a smaller fee) and signed a freebie, a loanee and two players for less than 1 million there would be a revolt. There is still time to improve the quality of the squad and the players with potential could realise that potential, but at this exact moment I feel that more needs to be done

16.) 14 Jul 2014
Give the club time we have debts that needed paying and all the other mess which our great club was in. We are now hopefully in a good position and can move forward I will be happy to finish mid table and next season fight for promotion let's stable the ship first .

17.) 14 Jul 2014
Guys it is not your right we are wrong sort of argument. What would be nice to see instead of doom and gloom/cautious, would be to recognise what MC has done in the 12 weeks he has been here. We all understand that we need more signings. We should all understand that the chances of a top, expensive player is not going to happen he doesn't work that way. So let's look at what he has done

1 Bought the club out of his own pocket
2 got rid of some of the dead wood
3 paid at least 5 million in debts
4 cost cutting and getting us back to a profitable club
5 got way way way more for mcormac than anyone ever dreamed of.
6 stated club now has 20 million in working capital + 11 million
7 sorted out a can of worms with the DH and GFH plus uncovering irregularities and video cameras and all that stuff
8 tells the fans far more than any previous owner in 15yrs
9 wants to keep our best players
10 wants players who are committed to LUFC not the pound.
11 brought in 4 players atm
12 stated yet again he is buying back ER
13 managed a 16-0 win in pre-season

Ill stop there. I know you can put a negative slant on some of these but you can also put positive on them too. those ones time will tell but no point getting upset about them.

I think the man has done just about all he was expected to do in 12 weeks. Certainly more than any previous owner. Remember he is a football man he knows how to run a football club. He wants LUFC to succeed more than any of us do because it is his money and he understands getting back to the PL makes him more money than getting relegated does.

just to be fair I will put some of his questionable decisions down

1 4 players we have not herd of
2 coach we have not herd of
3 possibly messed up a friendly
4 win in pre season was against a carp team.
is that it? really is that it?

you cautious people make your own minds up has he done enough in 12 weeks or do you think he is ken bates again?

for me he has done enough for me to be optimistic, more so than many years in the past.

18.) 14 Jul 2014
14 Jul 2014 16:46:01
Yes time, it is going to take time.

I remember transfer windows where we bought NO ONE, sold our best and grabbed a few Freebies. and all the money ( and no doubt the ER rent) went into Papa Smurfs back pocket.

Why not give MC a chance, support the team loudly and if we are in the bottom 3 come october you can all slate the rest of us for being blinkered optimists who are sick of all the "reasonable Realism"

MOT

19.) 14 Jul 2014
Spain, I ll just add a little to your 'positives'
1 Bought the club with his own money? How do you know he bought it with HIS own money, yes his family is worth a lot of money but how do you know he used it to buy the club? Because he said so? How do you know it wasn t borrowed meaning it needs to be paid back.
2 Wants to keep our best players? He s just sold our best player, who are all these other best players? Byram and mowatt? Is that it, is that really it?
3 Has 20 m in working capital + 11 m? Is the 11 m from mc c sale? We got closer to half that when cardiff get their share, we do get more if fulham get promoted, but that's if.
4 let's not even talk about the 'fallguy' hockaday or these unknown players who will get a wakeup call when the championship begins.
I guess we agree we are Leeds fans but disagree in the way forward

20.) 14 Jul 2014
Too many people are obsessed with buying a "name". These are exactly the type of players who move for money (RMc). When they have a bit of personal glory they are on their way again. I don't claim to know anything about MC but it is clear this is not the way he works - and he's not likely to change now. Totally agree with Andy & Spain - look at what he has had to contend with and then compare it to anything over the last 15 years in terms of getting to grips with it. We may not rip up trees this year, but we will be far better placed to move forward as a club - that at the very least is worth being positive about!

21.) 14 Jul 2014
14 Jul 2014 20:00:21
Well at least my post induced some lively debate I was beginning to think this site had been deserted by everyone. For what its worth I like MC and love his passion. I just worry that he sees the championship as the equivalent of serie B whilst personally I feel very few serie B sides would cope with life in the championship. There are still 4 weeks to kick off but MC works far too hard and tries to do too many jobs. The result is mistakes are made and as our season starts with some of the teams we need to beat and currently we lack the players to do it. Whatever happens it won't be dull and I will always be Leeds 4 life MOT

22.) 14 Jul 2014
14 Jul 2014 21:11:20
What the whingers also fail to see is that we had an embargo and our accounts frozen, so we're playing catch up on that front too. I don't think you can really criticise Serie B, when the Championship isn't that great either. Serie B is a lot better technically for a start.

23.) 14 Jul 2014
The embargo was irrelevant, although signings could not made it did not stop the club speaking to players. The delay in getting Salerno was more likely the cause for us playing catch up.

24.) 15 Jul 2014
Salerno was contracted to Calagari until the 1/7

and while I am posting ill reply to irish

1 you also don't know if he bought LUFC
with a loan your making that up
2 yes sold mc but for 11 million and didn't want to play for us, you would have kept him?
3 hair splitting on the 11 million I should ha ve said 20 million plus mc fee. BTW not much to say about the 20 million working capital?
4 no point being negative atm just because your football knowledge is not as good as Salerno's with the 4 new additions.

so really all you are whining about is an unknown coach? can you not see any positives to anything MC has done? Really? and buddy I do mean REALLY?

25.) 15 Jul 2014
SPAIN
Some people say cautious and I can see why they would be having these thoughts been sold down the river in the past.
After reading the above comments I can see both parties points of view but I think some people are bordering from cautious to negativity, whilst others are optimistic bordering cautious (if that makes sense)
Some people WILL NEVER be satisfied with whom we sign or spend, you can spend £50 mill tomorow it don't mean success will follow.