Marching On Together

danhirons wrote:Personally I think a lot of people are judging Cellino and his reign at Leeds far too early. Fair play, if at the end of next season we're relegated and in tonnes of financial problems...but at present all he seems to have done is settle debts at the club and agree to get rid of a manager most wanted gone anyway...I think he really deserves time before he is judged - especially given the fact he effectively saved us from financial meltdown during the last season.

I will agree with you - but the WUP is a massive worry for me, with LUFC accounts frozen ATM. Hoping the wily Italian has that covered.

I would have thought so Twiggs.... he is not going to come over here, spend millions buying the club, more millions paying off debts, just to let the club be wound up by a toffee nosed whipping boy chancer.... Or his puppet master Bates..(or whomever).

I would suspect that Massimo has some cards up his sleeve, even if it is to pay up at the final minute...

danhirons wrote:Personally I think a lot of people are judging Cellino and his reign at Leeds far too early. Fair play, if at the end of next season we're relegated and in tonnes of financial problems...but at present all he seems to have done is settle debts at the club and agree to get rid of a manager most wanted gone anyway...I think he really deserves time before he is judged - especially given the fact he effectively saved us from financial meltdown during the last season.

I could use many similar examples for why we should have supported Brian by listing the many good traits he had and made excuses for his shortcomings (lack of background consistency, negligible transfer funds, being treated disgracefully) but to many those comments are just brushed aside with the comment 'tactically inept'.

I'll give Cellino the same treatment and only judge him when results go one way or another. However, I can judge him on what he has said/done up to now.

The one thing I expect from a chairman is a bit of grace and sense. I understand a lot of things he will do will be not be popular, that's perfectly understandable. But I like the philosophy of "Do something, explain after." Sit down with Brian McDermott, release him in a dignified manner and then address the fan base with your comments on why you thought his release was necessary. Fine. Find out how much ER and TA are to buy back, decide it's not financially viable and then address the fan base with your comments on why it's not sustainably achievable. Fine. Coming out with comments about McDermott never being around and not knowing what he is doing, THEN firing him. Not good. Promising to buy back assets without truly understanding the financial costs and implications. Not good.

People had already begun an unfair witch hunt on McDermott and had their minds well made up, Cellino could have poured horse manure over his head in front of a packed out ER crowd before dismissing him and making him crawl out of ER on his hands and knees and many would still chant the mantra that Cellino is doing what is necessary.

While I haven't necessarily disagreed with anything Cellino has done, his drunken rants, empty promises, casual threats, pondering to the fans, mistreatment of the manager, unreasonable demands and his son's announcement of potential signings on Twitter don't paint a good picture of what's to come.

theleedsmango wrote:I could use many similar examples for why we should have supported Brian by listing the many good traits he had and made excuses for his shortcomings (lack of background consistency, negligible transfer funds, being treated disgracefully) but to many those comments are just brushed aside with the comment 'tactically inept'.

I'll give Cellino the same treatment and only judge him when results go one way or another. However, I can judge him on what he has said/done up to now.

The one thing I expect from a chairman is a bit of grace and sense. I understand a lot of things he will do will be not be popular, that's perfectly understandable. But I like the philosophy of "Do something, explain after." Sit down with Brian McDermott, release him in a dignified manner and then address the fan base with your comments on why you thought his release was necessary. Fine. Find out how much ER and TA are to buy back, decide it's not financially viable and then address the fan base with your comments on why it's not sustainably achievable. Fine. Coming out with comments about McDermott never being around and not knowing what he is doing, THEN firing him. Not good. Promising to buy back assets without truly understanding the financial costs and implications. Not good.

People had already begun an unfair witch hunt on McDermott and had their minds well made up, Cellino could have poured horse manure over his head in front of a packed out ER crowd before dismissing him and making him crawl out of ER on his hands and knees and many would still chant the mantra that Cellino is doing what is necessary.

While I haven't necessarily disagreed with anything Cellino has done, his drunken rants, empty promises, casual threats, pondering to the fans, mistreatment of the manager, unreasonable demands and his son's announcement of potential signings on Twitter don't paint a good picture of what's to come.

Agree with all of this, totally.

I am not being funny but there aren't many rich chairman with grace and sense. They seem to be all the same lol

theleedsmango wrote:
I could use many similar examples for why we should have supported Brian by listing the many good traits he had and made excuses for his shortcomings (lack of background consistency, negligible transfer funds, being treated disgracefully) but to many those comments are just brushed aside with the comment 'tactically inept'.

I'll give Cellino the same treatment and only judge him when results go one way or another. However, I can judge him on what he has said/done up to now.

The one thing I expect from a chairman is a bit of grace and sense. I understand a lot of things he will do will be not be popular, that's perfectly understandable. But I like the philosophy of "Do something, explain after." Sit down with Brian McDermott, release him in a dignified manner and then address the fan base with your comments on why you thought his release was necessary. Fine. Find out how much ER and TA are to buy back, decide it's not financially viable and then address the fan base with your comments on why it's not sustainably achievable. Fine. Coming out with comments about McDermott never being around and not knowing what he is doing, THEN firing him. Not good. Promising to buy back assets without truly understanding the financial costs and implications. Not good.

People had already begun an unfair witch hunt on McDermott and had their minds well made up, Cellino could have poured horse manure over his head in front of a packed out ER crowd before dismissing him and making him crawl out of ER on his hands and knees and many would still chant the mantra that Cellino is doing what is necessary.

While I haven't necessarily disagreed with anything Cellino has done, his drunken rants, empty promises, casual threats, pondering to the fans, mistreatment of the manager, unreasonable demands and his son's announcement of potential signings on Twitter don't paint a good picture of what's to come.

Yes very true, agree with most of this. Think though we all just have to accept that he (Cellino) is a man who seems to wear his heart on his sleeve and says a lot of things which he wants but may not be financially viable. Fair, it's not a great trait, but one we'll just have to get used to I guess and not take his word as set in stone.

I completely agree he's not ideal and a perfect chairman...but then again who is?! As for now, I'm just grateful he has (kind of) saved the club for the time being, and seems to want to sort out the mess left behind. I personally feel it's too early to judge him, but that's just my opinion.

By the way, as for lack of funds etc. with McDermott, I'm not sure whether it's directly his fault or not, but the money spent to buy Murphy and then the wages some players were given....surely should have justified better performances?

ldsutd wrote:I am not being funny but there aren't many rich chairman with grace and sense. They seem to be all the same lol

So true

Too many of our fans getting their knickers in a twist mate

There is no point in wishing that Cellino was any different he is what he is. Put bluntly he is a playboy millionaire who enjoys his life and like most of us likes a pint and likes to watch footy. He is rock n roll. He has bought Leeds Utd and he wants to be entertained, he wants to see the stadium full of fans watching exciting football and winning trophies. It sounds like the Italian authorities drained the life out of him while at Cagliari in blocking his stadium attempts. To take Cagliari further they needed a bigger stadium full every week bringing in more money. As such he took them as far as he could but kept coming up against a brick wall.

So now he is at Leeds. An ideal club for him. A club with passionate fans, of which I have no doubt he will become as passionate as us all, a club with the potential to fill a 40,000 stadium which already exists, a club that has the potential to fill a bigger stadium and a club that has a worldwide profile that is for the most part lying dormant. Get things right on the pitch and his enormous ego will be satisfied, he has every reason to want to succeed and no reasons to want to fail.

We have had an exuberant chairman before. A chairman who was a fan, a chairman who wanted to be adored by the fans, a chairman that wanted to spend, spend, spend to make us great. Where Cellino and Ridsdale differ though is that Cellino has the money.

Good post weasel

weasel wrote:he has every reason to want to succeed and no reasons to want to fail.

Agree with most of what you say Weasel, but no chairman or manager or player ever wants to fail, mostly for personal pride and gain. GFH didn't want to fail, they just couldn't resource the club correctly to maximise the possibility to line their clubs. Bates didn't want to fail, a premiership return would have been a gold mine for him to bleed.

Cellino has passion. Determination. Money. Maybe lacking experience in the English market. Maybe doesn't think ahead. Easily better traits than the previous owners. Albeit looking with hindsight, mind. But no one knows if it's the recipe for success. I'm not going to call for his head, ain't got the need to drive anyone out of the club... just sit back and enjoy the ride eh?

Quite right, I will change it to 'He has every reason to want to succeed and no reasons to have the club simply stand still and bring him an income.'

Have to echo theleedsmango's post - Whilst I'll gladly welcome the removal of Bates and GFH (hopefully) from the club I have concerns over Cellino's outbursts and fear that his love for the playboy lifestyle and notoriety of media coverage only undermines his position.

The guy has wealth supposedly - but as yet we've read about 'clearing up debts' but haven't seen any significant/firm indications as to what his plans are for the squad or any level of investment in it.... other than rumours again that he's going to bring in players from Cagliari.

The current facts are the things that fans really can see investment in haven't been touched (i.e. ER, Thorp Arch or the Squad). And any indication he's made as to purchase these or signing new players haven't materialized as yet.

In fact as yet the frozen season ticket price and the £69 under eleven offer is the only real 'fan' focused scheme or offering that has engaged his 'customer' base.

He has however publically bemoaned and slated the squad, sacked a manager on the pretext that they're all overpaid, clueless and lacking only to release statements today stating that in fact the squad are of a strong/good level and he's happy with them (so it was all BMcD's fault then?).

On the manager/coach front he's 'paid' off BMcD - who compared to some of the names currently been banded around was a much more 'proven' manager (Festa, Hockaday ).

So on the current status quo - we'll see the same players next season that many bemoaned last season, with potentially a coach with lesser experience in a rented ground and potentially a squad training on the wasteland/car park

But yet Cellino wants a full ground with fans handing over their hard earned cash to watch what exactly? And I've lost count of the number of tweets made by LUFCCommercial as they try to entice people into investing in a Season ticket.

I'm sure Cellino's tenure will be a rollercoaster and he's got a plan, I just hope that he's the football man he claims to be, has deep enough pockets (and is willing to put his hand in them) and that he learns to execute his plan without having random conversations with strangers/media where he overstates the things he's doing, makes promises or statements that as yet he has proven he can't fulfil in the time frames he has given.

With all this in mind we've got what we've got - BMcD just didn't figure in the structure he has in mind. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours and would thank him for maintaining his dignified stance and professionalism given the off field position he was undermined with and handled. I'm sure that given the right club with the right backing McD will be a successful manager.

1964white wrote:
So how is that action gonna help LUFC

What has LUFC done to help me except lie for the past ten years I don't owe them tthey owe me and others like you have stated on many occasions if you got bad service you would not return to where you received well we are now doing that.

eastyorkshirewhite wrote: What has LUFC done to help me except lie for the past ten years I don't owe them tthey owe me and others like you have stated on many occasions if you got bad service you would not return to where you received well we are now doing that.

But this could be the start of a new dawn without Cellino we were doomed !

1964white wrote:
But this could be the start of a new dawn without Cellino we were doomed !

What makes you think we're not doomed with him?

Armleywhite wrote: What makes you think we're not doomed with him?

Time will tell.

Armleywhite wrote: What makes you think we're not doomed with him?

He saved us from going bust...at least he is mega-rich & seems to have a business brain which gives us half a chance

Who knows what may happen in the future

Who the fudge is David Hockaday?!

Sherwood would be fine by me.

SUPERLEEDSUNITED wrote:Who the fudge is David Hockaday?!

Sherwood would be fine by me.

Dave Hockaday is the ex manager of Forest Green Rovers. Crap coach (had the highest transfer and wage budget in the conference and still finished mid table) also speaks indecipherable rubbish (eg moments and magic, circling the wagons)
I have a friend at University whose a Forest Green fan and has nothing but bad words to say about him. Would be a huge step backwards even from the Eggs inept tactics and bizzare substitutions

Cozy wrote: The guy has wealth supposedly - but as yet we've read about 'clearing up debts' but haven't seen any significant/firm indications as to what his plans are for the squad or any level of investment in it.... other than rumours again that he's going to bring in players from Cagliari.
.

You've got to build the table before you can lay out the silverware.