The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 6th December) Last gasp Bamford strike saves Leeds

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Monday 6th December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Last gasp Bamford strike saves Leeds

A predatory strike from Patrick Bamford, deep into injury time spared Leeds blushes, and created a six point buffer between themselves and the drop zone. With seconds left on the clock, Raphinha's in-swinging corner was flicked on by Ayling, and Bamford was at the back post to stab the ball home from close range, sending a packed out Elland Road into jubilation.

The Whites took the lead on 27 minutes. Raphinha's teasing ball from the left was met by Tyler Roberts. His outstretched leg guided the ball past the despairing dive of Spanish shot stopper Álvaro Fernández, and over the line. Unfortunately, as with so many occasions this season, their lead would not last. Baptiste's strike from the edge of the box (54 mins), followed five minutes later by a thunderbolt from closes range, courtesy of Canos, turned the game on its head.

In truth, Leeds were good value for their draw, and with a little more creativity, could have grabbed all three points. They dominated the statistics too, but were unable to conjure up the kind of magic needed to unlock defences. Hopefully with Bamford back, dominance can turn into goals!





Leeds win race for Mateo Joseph Fernandez

Leeds have won the race to sign Espanyol's youth sensation Mateo Joseph Fernandez according to the Daily Mail. The 18yo forward had already caught the eye of Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City, but Victor Orta's influence paid dividends for the Whites. A fee of £420,000 is believed to be agreed between both parties (plus add ons), a far cry from the player's true worth. With only months left on his contract, and a rift developing between club and player, Espanyol have decided to cash in on their academy star.





Do the ref's have it in for Leeds

It's very easy to blame the man (on woman) in black when things go wrong on the field. We've seen some crazy decisions in the past, with Leeds normally at the wrong end of a decision, but in this day of age, do referee's have it in for Leeds?

Below are the official referee's stats, judging every Leeds game this season (and their opponents). According to the statistics, Leeds are the most aggressive top flight club this season, having been branded 41 yellow cards this term so far, followed by Newcastle and Brighton with 36.

[The Subhuman]

Fernandez looks exciting .... reminds me a bit of CR.

[WhiteRose]

Also reports today that 49ers have an option to buy majority stake for 400 million by jan 2024 - not sure they will be the best custodians to be honest, they own 44% now would love to know how much they have actually put in to football operations.

[Ellandback1]

[Leeds1000]

Leeds win race for Mateo Joseph Fernandez.

Is it just me but when teams like Barcelona are after a kid and then its reported he chooses Leeds knowing how much game time he is likely to get, alarm bells start to ring.

I think this could well be Orta's last season here. There's passion and then there's lunacy he was caught somewhere in-between. What does Orta do at the club when the transfer window is shut?

[Ellandback1]

Ornstein: 49ers have option to buy Leeds until 2024, Newcastle’s Botman interest, Balogun set for loan

David Ornstein

The investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers has a deal in place to buy Leeds United for more than £400 million, The Athletic can reveal. It is understood that there is an option for 100 per cent control of Leeds to pass to 49ers Enterprises by January 2024 — including ownership of the club’s Elland Road stadium.

Leeds’ market value has rocketed since Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani bought them for £45 million in 2017 but 49ers Enterprises — a fund controlled by the NFL franchise — is set to secure a full buy-out within the next two years. Radrizzani sold an initial 10 per cent of Leeds to 49ers Enterprises in 2018 and that minority shareholding has since risen to 44 per cent, with the most recent increase of seven per cent coming last month.

A fixed purchase of more than £400 million was struck during negotiations that saw 49ers Enterprises hike its stake up to 37 per cent in January. Some sources have told The Athletic that the deal could be worth £475 million. The overall cost of acquiring 100 per cent of shares includes the money already paid for 49ers Enterprises’ existing stake, leaving more than £200 million to pay.

Completion of a takeover would create another US-ownership model in the Premier League, adding 49ers Enterprises to a growing list of American-run clubs in England. January 2024 has been set as the deadline for the transition but sources have told The Athletic that a buy-out is likely to come sooner. Radrizzani may retain a small minority stake when control of the club changes hands.

The inclusion of Elland Road in the agreement between Radrizzani and 49ers Enterprises will be seen as crucial by Leeds’ supporters, who watched their team fight back to draw 2-2 there with Brentford yesterday.

Radrizzani has controlled the ground since 2018 when he activated a buy-back clause put in place when Leeds sold their stadium and training ground to a private landlord in 2004. The cost to him is believed to have been roughly £20 million.

Although activating the clause technically brought Elland Road under Leeds’ control again, the stadium was officially acquired by Greenfield Investment Pte Ltd, a company owned by Radrizzani and based in Singapore. Elland Road would be part of 49ers Enterprises’ full buy-out.

It has been suggested to The Athletic that if Radrizzani’s company Aser was to buy another club anywhere in the world in the meantime (before January 2024), the deal with 49ers Enterprises would be voided.

[Byebyegeegee]

I’m relieved under the circumstances but still underwhelmed by a draw at home against Brentford, But for a chaotic 15 minutes or so around Phillips’ injury where our players just seemed to switch off, it could and should have been a victory.

Spending money on 18 year old players is always a bit of a risk no matter how well thought of they are, there’s a long way to go before, hopefully, they fully develop into Premier League standard footballers. I hope he makes it.

Do Refs have it in for Leeds? By and large of course they do, it’s been the same since the Revie era and doesn’t look as though that is going to change anytime soon!

[mentalcase]

Just hope we don't become another toy project for the owners.
Investment is crucial for the club as a whole.
Refs and the press have had it in for us since Dons days, like said above, it won't change anytime soon either, its actually got to an embarrassing stage.

[rab_rant]

Bamford goal from all angles. Enjoy

[John in Louisiana]

My son's a bit of a wag.

He says what this 49ers thing means is the new ownership will press Leeds city government for money to build a new stadium and then move the club to Harrogate when they don't get it, all the while still referring to the team as Leeds United.

Explanation for those who need it: When the city of San Francisco refused to cough up taxpayer dollars to build the 49ers a new stadium, the owners moved the team to a new stadium in Santa Clara, some 45 miles away, yet still refer to the team as the San Francisco 49ers.

[The Subhuman]

My son's a bit of a wag.

He says what this 49ers thing means is the new ownership will press Leeds city government for money to build a new stadium and then move the club to Harrogate when they don't get it, all the while still referring to the team as Leeds United.

Explanation for those who need it: When the city of San Francisco refused to cough up taxpayer dollars to build the 49ers a new stadium, the owners moved the team to a new stadium in Santa Clara, some 45 miles away, yet still refer to the team as the San Francisco 49ers.

And the Jets and Giants don't even play in state

[John in Louisiana]

And the Jets and Giants don't even play in state

But they're still closer to New York City than the 49ers are to San Francisco.

[The Subhuman]

But your point was the Niners still call themselves SF even though they play in Santa Clara. The Giants and Jets should be called New Jersey Giants and Jets

It's less than an hours drive from SF to SC according to google maps so it's with reach imo... Must take an hour to get from Queens or Brooklyn to Meadowlands also?

[The Subhuman]

Buffalo the only football team in NY State and they're 6 hours away