This time last year, Neil Warnock was pretty much the perfect appointment for Leeds United. Here saw a manager who has a proven record of getting clubs promoted, who is disliked by many a football fan and whose no-nonsense attitude was finally one so stubborn to rival the ultimate, in Ken Bates.
Undoubtedly, there are many factors which have taken the shine off a tenure which we prayed would breed a record-breaking eighth promotion for Warnock but at a time when the season has less life than expelled wind, the initial positivity over his appointment has deflated with it.
When Warnock signed for a club he has shown much disdain for in the past, we knew what we were getting but it was largely over-looked because his out-spoken stubbornness was what we needed from a manager with the most insufferable board working above him. The problem now is we have a manager who will not commit beyond the end of his contract which expires in the summer of 2013 and despite a number of promises over signings, they have failed to materialise.
Time to get on your bike, Neil.
Granted they may not have exclusively been Warnock’s doing, but the fact for the fans is, during the January transfer window, which Warnock asked us to judge him on, we sold one our best players – his goals cannot be denied, and despite the arrival of Steve Morison, Leeds have once again failed to utilise yet another January window to strengthen in the areas crying out for it. So, now we can judge Neil like he asked and hopefully he’ll accept that from our point of view, he and the club have not delivered. More so that we continue in the tradition of selling (usually our better players) and either don’t replace them or do so overwhelmingly.
Warnock’s comments over the sale of Becchio are infuriating but typical of Warnock’s type. Whether Warnock wanted rid before Leeds were touting him around for the best price, he set about making sure Becchio’s credibility was damaged to a greater extent than his. It worked as well, in some ways. There are many who say Becchio wasn’t good enough anyway, which is fair enough but his goals have kept Warnock in a job and Leeds off the lower ebbs of the table. He joked that the sale of Becchio was good because Norwich usually get our best players. he obviously never thought much of his talents.
In the last week or so, Warnock has been asked about his future but says he wishes to concentrate on the now and getting promotion.
New owners, same problems?
Steps are being taken by the new owners to attempt to win back the doubters, most notably a fans forum being held at Elland Road for members where undoubtedly, questions will be asked over how they expect to build the future of the club with a short term plan. The long term intentions of the owners are hardly certain either; with their continued silence, many rumours that they intend to making a quick buck continue to surface and now it seems Adam Pearson, a former Leeds director is interesting in being involved with the club once more; namely through investment in the club.
There is too little being said by the new owners, too much uncertainty and when fans are being ignored, it is too much not to worry over the state of a club which feels like slopping around the dredge of mid-table in seasons to come. We had years of silence, among other things under Bates, it is time for the new owners to do as they said they would. Re-engage.
Three Colours White 
Nice one. Always interesting to get your take. It isn’t just the norwich players but also the likes of Gradel, Kilkenny, Shmeichel. We’ve sold a promotion winning team. You haven’t mentioned Grayson. He was never going to take us up. I believe that had we had Warnock instead of Grayson we’d have gone up. Remember we totally outplayed QPR at Elland Road in the season they went up. We just weren’t consistent under Simon and inevitably lost our best players by not taking our best opportunity to go up when we should have.
I had high hopes, honestly, just the same old, Ken still there and staying, selling the best and getting in poor replacements, gates are tumbling down even faster, loose the next 2 league games watch out . I love Leeds United I just want the best for the best supporters in the land, it does seem very far of the best for me right now. Anyone else thinks the take over is a sham cover up Never under estimate Kenny Boy he is a sharp slippery customer
No surprises though are there. In reality we’ve been a selling club for at least 60 years, just go back to John Charles. What is happening now though is that we are constantly lied to and that hasn’t stopped under the new ownership. However need I be concerned. I’ve supported the club for over 45 years, been a s/t holder for over 20, travel home & away to every game despite living 180 miles from Leeds but I’ve had enough. I can’t stick the travelling only to be bored out of my brain and lied to time and again so at the end of this season I am finished even if (don’t laugh) we somehow get promoted.
i came up from wolverhampton to watch the spurs game the other week and was quite impressed with the way we played but our leauge position is a shambles and the cup games are fun but whould take letting warnock play the b teams in the cups to have a better shot at promotion all day wolves tomorrow will be here as i live here but wont be following them anywhere else unless its in prem
Who owns Elland Road now? …and Thorpe Arch? If not GFH, do GFH intend to buy them back? What are the plans for the playing staff in the summer (barring a miraculous promotion) to give us a proper shot at the top two in 2013/14? Who is the ‘very wealthy individual’ who funded GFH’s takeover of Leeds United?
I was in favour of NW initially as I thought he would take on Bates, and get more of his own way, but he has capitulated quickly and has now created a blame the ref, blame everyone else attitude. His comments about Luce have incensed many fans and that will be his epitaph.