Leeds Banter Archive November 10 2011

10 Nov 2011 22:04:41
How can bates sit there and complain about the position. If he had invested in the right positions we may have been higher up. It's all fun gloating about leicester doing rubbish after spending loads. I don't mean spend like that. I mean spend on one or two players that don't break the bank to improve the side. Not free transfers on a player who never plays ie Michael brown

Its not KB's job to sign players thats SGs dont blame KB for the signing of a 36 yo geriatric and other poor signings

It is KB's job though, to provide SG with adequate funds to buy players, pay wages etc. that will enable us to climb the table.

Here's a thought .......

A backer/share holder puts money into an enterprise which has many departments ,,,, product operations, retail sales, accounts, asset management etc.

Each department manager has to "bid" for their budget to run their department effectively.


It is unlikely that whilst the backer/shareholders will set out targets & objectives on an annual/period basis they will NOT manage that on a daily basis.

They would however entrust that to a Managing Director/Chief Executive.


So KB HAS put money into the club.
SG HAS succeeded with his limited departments budget.

Shaun Harvey - ????

Lets be right about it, no one ( including you and me) knows if bates has given grayson money or not, so how can anyone blame bates, blame grayson... Whoever... Because unless you are in the club behind the scenes and know whats going on, you simply do not know. Just get behind the team and the manager and the owner and hope we can push for the premier league.

Bates and Grayson both say that money is available. It seems the wage structure is the stumbling block, but without a proper wage structure, we could very well end up back in the mire.

It seems to me that the club is ticking over very well indeed with the current financial structure. We're improving our league position year on year, our team is settling and improving too.

obviously the fans aren't happy - we're not improving at the rate we'd like to see, and now it appears that the squad isn't improving how Bates would like. It will be interesting to see how he addresses this, but dont expect ridiculous investment, or for the wage structure to be adjusted to bring in a money grabber.

We're a club learning to live within our means, and doing a good job of it. In the future, we could well be cited as a model of how these things SHOULD be done.

Ten out of ten for the last two posts! Well said!

This seems to me to be a sensible and healthy debate. I'm pleased Bates is dissatisfied. It shows ambition. Of course he wants to achieve success without breaking the bank. Could he invest more? Probably.

However, SGs record on spending money wisely isn't brilliant. But at least he's stabilised the club and made progress. So far we have to describe his effort as good but not exceptional. If he can work out how to get the best of of his CBs and Jonny we could start to get consistent, especially when Lonners gets back.

Good luck to all who actually have the same aim...of getting us where we want to be.

Look at The Scratching Shed's mathematical analysis of the cost per point ratio - his record is twice as good as the next best manager in the championship when looked at in that light. I'd say that was a pretty telling statistic and that his record is absolutely exceptional.

Getting really bored of hearing people keep going in about Bates not giving Grayson any money for transfers when they have absolutely no evidence that is the case, Bates clearly stated before the transfer window closed (think it was before the hull game and when interviewed in the radio) that funds were there for Grayson and it was 100% upto Grayson if he spent it and in who

Maybe the blame should be pointed elsewhere (the fact that we had a deal sorted (albeit for him to backtrack) for Jason puncheon proves budget was there, also the deal for Danny Pugh will go permanent in January, we simply left it too late in the summer (in fairness probably not helped by gradels transfer being last minute though)

Bates is absolutely right,the number of points we have lost over the past 2 seasons is alarming,very few teams beat us,we beat ourselves,look at the last two performances against Blackpool and Leicester,they highlight Leeds inconsistency,something weve suffered from for ages,we shoot ourselves in the foot on a regular basis,losing games we should have won,we know that money is available,time we spent some.thats down to SG,were very close to challenging for promotion,lets not blow it again.

I think that Grayson has done a great job in the time that he has been here and also Bates has stabalised a sinking ship and given a sound and sensible base to build a future upon. With regards to not being as high in the table as he would like, then surely it is the platers on the pitch who need to take a look at themselves. How many times have we turned wins into draws and even defeats by not being able to pass the ball among ourselves and see the game out? One thing that does puzzle me with Grayson, though is when we have a slender lead and defending it well he insists on bringing a sub or two on and this has turned a win into a draw on more than one occasion.

10 Nov 2011 18:55:04
Slightly concerned about Bates saying joint 5th isnt good enough and that SG might get the sack. We need new coaches for fresh ideas and hopefully Bates will cough uo a bit in Jan and help SG out

10 Nov 2011 13:49:02
yep, seems like time's running out for Mr Inconsistent, although Bates can take a share of the blame the tight arse. No doubt he will draft another ex chelsea boy... I doubt anyone else would work with him!

Sick of hearing a bout Grayson out. Yes i know he's not being doing well, but i think if he was given a experienced mentor (much like Walter Smith grooming McCoist for the job) like say Wilkinson or Graham just to help him get a different perspective and some tricks of the trade at training, tactics and man management he would be a good manager. It's like having a 16 year old wonder kid, you have to give him time and experience to grow. Plus it would be a cheaper fix for Bates as new manager = compensation for Grayson (and new managers previous club if he has one)- new staff - new players and lots of deadwood in the eyes of the new manager clogging the wage budget.

Grayson has done well. Promotion first full season - 7th first season back with no funds. Still 7th. Good enough for me. If he'd been given Leicester money then I think we'd have a right to expect more, but he should be measured on what he's achieved relative to the resources he's been allocated not by some delusion 'we're a big club and deserve better' attitude. Sorry guys - we're NOT a big club any more - attendances not great, no money for players and wages etc. Those calling for Grayson's head are pretty clearly living in the past or just plain stupid.

And as for the 'Bates Out' brigade, get real. Bates owns the business - end of. I own a company and I'll tell anyone who tries to tell me how to run it exactly where they can stick their opinions. I don't much care for Bates but until someone comes up with the cash to buy the club from him then we're stuck with him. Unlike Liverpool, the banks can't force him out because the club isn't highly leveraged. If you've got the cash to buy out Bates, put your money where your mouth is. If not, it's out of your control, and none of your business so just shut the f**k up and get behind the team.

Or go become a 'glory supporter' somewhere else.

People who want SG to go are pathetic. He spends nothing on a mediocre wage structure yet consistently produces a decent promotion chasing team. I think you lot are deluded to how hard this league is and are living in the past about who we are. It hurts me when we lose and sometimes i knee jerkingly blame the manager but the truth is we are very lucky to have him.