Leeds United Thread

[lemonjon]

Originally Posted by Postiga

Breaking News on Sky Sports News:

Dave Bassett leaves Leeds as Technical Director and Gwyn Williams takes charge for tonights game against Southend.

BREAKING: Axed Bassett - No Hard Feelings









Dave Bassett insists there are "no hard feelings" after being relieved of his duties as Leeds United's assistant manager.






By Richard Byram



Exclusive

Dave Bassett insists there are "no hard feelings" after being relieved of his duties as Leeds United's assistant manager.
Bassett and coach John Gannon were informed this morning that their services were no longer required by United Technical Director Gwyn Williams.

The pair were helping prepare the United team at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground for tonight's Coca-Cola League One clash against Southend United – but Williams will now lead the side ahead of former United star Gary McAllister's likely appointment to the United hot seat in the next 24 hours.

Bassett told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Gwyn told us the club is close to making an appointment and both John and myself were being relieved of our duties straightaway.

"He said the club would honour its obligations and they have. Both myself and John understand football and the way it works. We were ready to do the job tonight but that is how it goes."

Bassett revealed he had spoken to Wise in the wake of his shock departure to take up a position as executive director (football) at Newcastle United yesterday and said the former United boss was "sorry" to quit Elland Road.

"Dennis was very sorry to leave the Leeds job. I was surprised when he said he was going, but Newcastle was a job he fancied and it gives him a bit more time with his family.

"At first it was hard for him at Leeds, but he had grown to like the job and had some success this season."

Bassett said he would have fond memories of his time in Elland Road – his third stint in Yorkshire after managing Sheffield United and Barnsley.

"I was only there three months and was only going to stay until the end of the season, but I was enjoying it and would have liked to see it through, but both myself and John know the score. New people coming in want to bring their own team.

"I think that Leeds will go on and get promoted through the play-offs, it is not impossible to still do it, but the points deduction makes it very hard.

"Swansea are the best team and although you can't always tell with the play-offs I think Leeds would have done it."

Bassett he said he believed the whole situation with Wise had only developed in the past seven to ten days since Kevin Keegan's appointment at St James' Park as the pair had brought in players during the transfer window and discussed plans for the final push at promotion.

"I am leaving with no malice at all, I wish the club well for the future and I think they will make it.

"I have enjoyed working with the staff and players at the club and it was a bit sad to just have to say goodbye as they set off on the coach for Southend."

[lemonjon]

Leeds name McAllister as new boss

McAllister scored 46 goals in 295 appearances for Leeds Leeds have appointed former player Gary McAllister as their new manager after Dennis Wise's move to Newcastle. Ex-Scotland midfielder McAllister, 43, who played for Leeds from 1990 to 1996, has joined initially until the summer. He also played for Leicester, Liverpool and Coventry, whom he managed for 18 months before leaving to care for wife Denise, who died of cancer in 2006. McAllister, who won 57 caps, was in the frame for the Scotland job before Alex McLeish was appointed in 2007. 606: DEBATE I'm excited again about our prospects this season. Was beginning to lose heart KKW However, he pulled out of the running to succeed McLeish early on and George Burley got the job earlier this month. Wise left the club on Tuesday after 15 months in charge, while assistant Dave Bassett has also departed. Technical director Gwyn Williams will take charge of the game at Southend. Not sure how I feel about this, there was bound to be alot of more experienced managers about. Did Bates go for the cheapest option? what was his record at coventry ?? what do the leeds fans on here think

[Guy Fawkes]

Originally Posted by lemonjon

I'm happy mate, well as happy as can be expected with these sort of things.

Young(ish - for a manager), keen and the first manager in how long who has a proper bond with the club.

Who for his assistant? Eddie Gray? Gary Speed? Either would do me.

So what can we expect? I think we shoud be prepared to write off promotion THIS season. If we do go up, great, over the moon, but if not we shouldn't be too disappointed and we should aim to win the league by a country mile next season.

[leespam]

I'm a bit sceptical too. Would have preferred a slightly more experienced manager but hey, who cares, I'm behind him more than I was Wise.

Give him the benefit of the doubt and see where we end up at the end of the season. If we end up nowhere, look for something else.

[Cassius Marcellus]

Originally Posted by leespam

I'm a bit sceptical too. Would have preferred a slightly more experienced manager but hey, who cares, I'm behind him more than I was Wise.

Give him the benefit of the doubt and see where we end up at the end of the season. If we end up nowhere, look for something else.

What, like an Arsenal season ticket?

[Guy Fawkes]

McAllister signs two more

Thursday Jan 31 2008 17:40 Leeds United manager Gary McAllister has made his second and third signings of the day after capturing Leicester City defender Alan Sheehan on loan and Lubo Michalik from Bolton on a permanent deal.Slovakia international Michalik has penned a three-and-a-half year contract with Leeds after making eight appearances for the club during a loan spell at Elland Road last season. Of Sheehan, who has moved to United until the end of the campaign, McAllister told the club's official website: "I've seen Alan play quite a few times. "We have Ben Parker at left-back, but this will give us more competition in a vital area." McAllister sealed the permanent transfer of Darren Kenton earlier in the day.

[Guy Fawkes]

I like Michalik, he has had a decent run in the trotters first team but thats 5 centre halfs we have now - Michalik, Marques, Huntington, Kenton and Heath.

What the fook are we goign to do with 5?! Marques could move to fullback but even still.

[lemonjon]

Sammy lee as assistant manager

according to paper gossip

Sammy Lee is set to be named new Leeds boss Gary McAllister's number two. (Various)

[devil tish]

one word:

SHITE

got a nice double up though with tranmere and harlepool lol, oh and my season ticket renewal form came this morning

if i wasn't laughing i'd be crying

ah well, off t'pub to get hammered

glad i never went by the sounds of it off our kid tho

[Guy Fawkes]

Not quite sure what to make of it at the moment tbh, with anther good run we could easily sneak 2nd place, but if this continues much longer we'll be lucky to scrape a playoff place.

We definiely have the players to go up, Just wonder whether the snew tructure is able to gel quickly enough.

[meatman]

Originally Posted by Guy Fawkes

Not quite sure what to make of it at the moment tbh, with anther good run we could easily sneak 2nd place, but if this continues much longer we'll be lucky to scrape a playoff place.

We definiely have the players to go up, Just wonder whether the snew tructure is able to gel quickly enough.

yeh thats spot on mate

just ain't happening at the moment and things need to turn around quickly

[lemonjon]

Striker Dalglish has Leeds trial

Paul Dalglish is aiming to impress at Leeds Leeds United are giving a trial to striker Paul Dalglish. The 30-year-old spent last season with Major League side Houston Dynamo after leaving Hibernian. He played for the reserves on Wednesday in their 3-0 victory against Rotherham. Dalglish began his career at Celtic before moving to Liverpool, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Blackpool, Linfield, Modena and Livingston. He also had loan spells with Bury, Wigan Athletic and Scunthorpe United. Dalglish is the son of former Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland striker Kenny.

[Paul Ross]

Just come back from Elland Road and I have to say, we were absolutely awful!

Crewe outplayed us and we didn't deserve anything, but got lucky with a late equaliser.

As for Tore Flo, he's utter shite.

[devil tish]

i agree mate, what a load of crap. the coppers have banned the sale of booze in the south stand as well so there was plenty of disgruntled punters about

[Paul Ross]

I was chatting to my dad when I was up in Leeds and there is some serious optimism that Leeds could get around 10pts back from their deduction.

The main reason is that they have been deducted a total of 25pts for effectively the same reason, when the maximum is 15pts.

The football league refused to go into arbiritation for 6 months and now as soon as we have a date with an appeals court, they suddenly want to go into arbitration.

I'm not entirely sure what arbitration means in this context, but clearly the FL are on the back foot a bit.

Leeds chairman Ken Bates has revealed the club have been invited to arbitration by the Football League as they look to overturn their 15-point deficit.
The 15-point penalty was imposed on the Yorkshire club in August by the League who claimed they had not properly followed insolvency policy.
It followed the deduction of 10 points after the club went into administration following relegation to League One in May last year.
The club - now five points off the play-offs - served a High Court writ on the League earlier this month challenging the 15-point deduction and Bates revealed the League made their offer of arbitration on the day their deadline to respond was due to expire.
He told the Yorkshire Post: "The letter arrived from the League's solicitors suggesting that this should go to arbitration with a Court of Appeal judge.
"To quote their words 'impartiality and independence will be guaranteed and the competence of the tribunal will be par excellence'.
"Impartiality and independence is what we have been asking for all along.
"What makes me laugh is that it has taken six months to get to this position, six months in which the League have refused to discuss the matter with us.
"Only now, with the writ having been issued, do they instruct their lawyers to come back to us.
"It is a long overdue development and the pleasing thing from our point of view is that a Court of Appeal judge will hear it.
"After a law lord they are the highest in the land.
"The decision to deduct us 15 points was purely one borne of self-interest on behalf of the other clubs."
The arbitration panel would consist of a neutral Court of Appeal judge plus one representative apiece nominated by Leeds and the League.
Asked if Leeds would accept the offer of arbitration, Bates replied: "We will have to discuss what our next move is."
The League are making no comment on the legal action but chairman Lord Mawhinney promised last week, in a letter circulated to all member clubs, to fight the writ 'robustly'.

[garyfinny]

Just thought I would post this here:

SkyBet are doing a 'points back' Special on how many points Leeds will get back:

Leeds Points Back - Win Specials (Sunday April 13th, 12:00)

Note: How many points will Leeds Utd get back after the Arbitration meeting on April 14th 2008?
12:00	0 Points 4/1
	1-5 Points 11/4
	6-10 Points 15/8
	11-15 Points 15/8

Personally, I am at odds here. Is this a case of all or nothing?

Bates has claimed to have done nothing wrong, so surely a partial points deduction would still infer something was wrong?

I think the FA are bound under the appeals process to offer arbitration, and in some way I think they would prefer not to have to make these decisions - look at the West Ham case, so they can absolve themselves of any blame in the fall-out.

Arbitration offered no benefits to Sheffield United despite the unanswered questions. I have read there is a three-man panel, 1 appointed by Leeds, 1 appointed by the League and 1 'neutral'.

Clear to know what two opinions are, but for the third? Who knows. If Leeds get a 'Trevor Brooking', then things could be in their favour, if not - the FA and the HMRC could wield their influence.

I think there is some value on the 4/1 of nothing happening.

Going on Leeds form, it may well be the case that while they may be in the play-off positions by April 14, 15 points will not be enough to get into the automatics.

Bates has said they wouldn't challenge the decision. So, doing nothing draws a line under the affair, giving points back has the potential to open up a whole nasty load of cases from everyone else who might miss out in the playoffs.

[leespam]

It's an interesting one isn't it? I've just had a heated discussion in the office (because everyone else hates leeds ) and my main points of argument are:

1.) To me anyway - and this is on a generally-speaking level - we've been charged twice for the same offence of going into administration during the league season. If the FA or Football League have not closed the loophole, that's their problem and they've now closed it since our case came up.

2.) The whole decision making process stinks. It should have been an independent panel in the first place who decided whether or not we were guilty of an offence which would affect something as important as league points. You cannot ask the 91 (???) other League Clubs to vote between them as straight away the 23 other League One clubs are going to vote against you. You've no real chance of getting a fair hearing. Why can't they have some form of independent body making these decisions in the first place?

The guys in the office also think the 4/1's a cracking price as well but I'm still gonna hold out hope we get some of the points back.

Sorry if that sounded a bit heated . I'm sure most people wouldn't agree with the above points but as an average Leeds fan it's just how I'm feeling at the moment...

[kevshat]

Originally Posted by leespam

It's an interesting one isn't it? I've just had a heated discussion in the office (because everyone else hates leeds ) and my main points of argument are:

1.) To me anyway - and this is on a generally-speaking level - we've been charged twice for the same offence of going into administration during the league season. If the FA or Football League have not closed the loophole, that's their problem and they've now closed it since our case came up.

You've not been charged for the same offence. The 10pt deduction was for going into adminstration, the 15pt deduction was for getting your golden share (membership of the league) back without a CVA. For the 1st time in a long while I'll actually be cheering for Leeds here because if you get your 15pts back we'll avoid a 15pt deduction ourselves

[Valiant23]

Two NILLLL and you fcuked it up,
Two NILLLL and you fcuked it up,
Two NILLLL and you fcuked it up,
Two NILLLL and you fcuked it up,

[devil tish]

dont post in here anymore, cos it winds me up too much. but

get in there leeds

wemberlee, wemberlee.

we the famous leeds united and we're off to wemberlee!!!

get the fook in