[Football] Can we laugh at Leeds yet?

[Ragnarak]

By Alan Nixon
Independent.co.uk
22 January 2004

Leeds United, desperate to raise money to ease their financial crisis, last night received a £5m offer from Tottenham for their goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, and their young prospect James Milner.

Spurs' interest in the England goalkeeper Robinson, whom they have valued at £2m, was already known, but the move for the teenager Milner is more controversial as he is seen as vital to Leeds' future.

Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, thought the time was right for to make a move and that Leeds are resigned to losing Robinson. He hoped Milner might become available if Leeds were forced to sell in the next few days.

Leeds have tried to cut their wage bill for the rest of the season by asking the squad to defer some of their salary, but after initial talks the team seem to favour selling players instead.

Leeds are also trying to cancel the contracts of the on-loan pair Zouma Camara and Didi Domi. The Elland Road chief executive, Trevor Birch. contacted their clubs, Lens and Paris St-Germain, yesterday to ask to end their season-long loans at the halfway point.

Spurs have a rival for Giovanni Trapattoni, who they apparently want as manager next season. Bayern Munich, who may lose Ottmar Hitzfeld in summer, are also interested in the Italian national coach.


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Even if it's bollocks (the sun are saying Robinson and Bakke, not Milner) the Leeds fans must be crying over their cornflakes. This would be really rubbing salt into their wounds, taking what are prolly their best two young players for what a few years ago would have seemed a stupidly insulting offer.

[Deffeh]

Serves them right for paying stupid money.

[MrL_JaKiri]

The players are refusing to take wage deferrals until 'some other means of repaying debt is investigated'.

In other words, the £30k or more pw Batty, Johnson, Viduka and the like want Leeds to sell the £2,000pw Milner, so they get all their money until the rest of the season, at which point leeds are relegated, go bankrupt and all the players leave.

To quote www.football365.com 'Is it possible to want a team to be relegated, but the club to stay up?'

[Deffeh]

Seth johnson was a bad buy at that price in the first place. For that £6 million they wasted on him and the 30k +/- per week they still waste on him, they could have the money to avoid administration

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

Seth johnson was a bad buy at that price in the first place. For that £6 million they wasted on him and the 30k +/- per week they still waste on him, they could have the money to avoid administration

He was on £10k pw at Derby. He wanted £20k pw. He was offered £30k pw, and finally signed on £37k pw.

And isn't very good.

[Hicks]

It would be far funnier if we weren't about to go the same, good old Sam the conman Hamman

[1-X]

Originally Posted by Ragnarak

...he is seen as vital to Leeds' future.

isn't "Leeds' future" an oxymoron?

[Evergreen]

It's actually Paul Robinson and Elrik Bakke not the unproven goblin that is Milner.

[Deffeh]

both reports have been circulated sunday, the bbc said bakke, but Sky reported it as robinson and milner

[JC]

I think we are getting Olembe from Leeds, god knows why :/.

[Stew]

Ceefax said Milner.

They refused anyway so obviously still think its insulting.
Can we laugh at Spurs yet? Bidding for everyone, gettin noone?

[Churchil5]

Re: Can we laugh at Leeds yet?

Yes.

[Ragnarak]

Originally Posted by Stew

Ceefax said Milner.

They refused anyway so obviously still think its insulting.
Can we laugh at Spurs yet? Bidding for everyone, gettin noone?

Kanoute, Postiga, Zamora and Brown aren't "noone"

I think so far the only people we've bid for and not got (yet) are Reid, Dawson, Davids and whoever it was today. Davids is the only one on that list who we defintely haven't got and that's cos he was going to Barca in the summer anyway.

[Stew]

Didnt you bid for Butt?

[lokken]

6-1

been laughing at them for months

[midge5]

Originally Posted by Hicks

It would be far funnier if we weren't about to go the same, good old Sam the conman Hamman

I was quite surprised when I heard we were in that much trouble :/ HTF we meant to be paying for a new stadium if we can't even afford 75k for a player.

I will be gutted if Earnshaw and Gabbiadon leave this year.

[Ragnarak]

Originally Posted by Stew

Didnt you bid for Butt?

Not yet

[Radical Edward]

Originally Posted by Stew

Didnt you bid for Butt?

no, I am not interested in that sort of thing.

[Apothos]

I'd put money on no player leaving Leeds until the end of the season.

Originally Posted by Evergreen

It's actually Paul Robinson and Elrik Bakke not the unproven goblin that is Milner.

And its Eirik, actually.

[lokken]

Originally Posted by Ragnarak

Not yet

I thought the question with Spurs was who they haven't bid for

[Ragnarak]

Originally Posted by lokken

I thought the question with Spurs was who they haven't bid for

I think so far the only people we've bid for and not got (yet) are Reid, Dawson, Davids and whoever it was today. Davids is the only one on that list who we defintely haven't got and that's cos he was going to Barca in the summer anyway.

[Blastoderm]

How about laughing at Spurs for being linked with more players?

[Hicks]

Originally Posted by midge5

I was quite surprised when I heard we were in that much trouble :/ HTF we meant to be paying for a new stadium if we can't even afford 75k for a player.

I will be gutted if Earnshaw and Gabbiadon leave this year.

It was pretty common knowledge that the debt was about 10 million at the end of last season so how the hell we can lose another 14 million in 6 months is beyond me which makes me think that it’s been grossly exaggerated. Apparently Sam doesn't actually put money into the club (He's only worth 40 million) he just guarantees the loans we get from the bank so if anything should happen to him we'd be shafted, as we don't own NP and don’t really have that many assets, Sam is banking that when we get the new stadium it’ll be able to generate lots of cash through the retail areas and he’ll make a mint off the construction. Maybe it is in fact in line with the business plan as David Temme apparently told the Echo last night although I seem to remember Leeds saying the same thing. I think I was just in a bad mood when I labelled him a conman as I could see another slip back down to Division Three playing crap teams like Rushden and Swansea.

On the bright side the £24 million figure was floated on cardiffcity.com a few days ago by an "insider" and the report I read in the Standard was suspiously similar to the post, so weather the bitter green eyed ****ney press picked up on that and decided to make some mischief as they can't get over QPR are still in Division Two is open to speculation. Also I doubt the FA would have granted us academy status if we were in that bad shape but I seem to remember Leeds saying the same thing.

I doubt we'd get anything like the £5 million that seems to be touted around for Earnshaw apparently Smith is available for less and he's proven in the Premiership. Also Gabbidon's value has probably collapsed after his recent skill bypass surgery.

One of the big problems for us is we’re still unable to attract families to the NP (More money) 1) because of the facilities 2) due to all the bad press we seem to get, although some is justified the image the tabloids tend to paint is of Cardiff thugs terrorising innocent Leeds fans, if we measured crowds on 13-50 year old men or atmosphere we’d be top of the table unfortunately it’ll take a good few years of good press until we can attract really big crowds, while this year has been quiet, the only real trouble being away at Forest and Sheffield United these were still given disproportionate coverage and the way the media seem to televise all the games they think may be flash points, both games at home to West Ham and Millwall at home makes me think we won’t be getting any good press for a while, maybe when we get the new stadium, our whole future really hangs on that.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Hicks

I could see another slip back down to Division Three playing crap teams like Rushden and Swansea.

Rushden are in Div 2 .

[Hicks]

Yea but they'll probably go down by the time we get back there

[NEWSBOT3]

donny rovers are going up )

[Deffeh]

rangers are in 68 million debt

justice