Leeds United: Time for Business

Article by Jeremy Taylor

As always seems to be the case with Leeds United fans, we are split into two distinct groups; the optimists and the pessimists.

The consensus amongst the pessimists is that we are no better off this season than we were last season (barring a marginally better goal difference) and the football we’re playing is still punt and rush, long ball rubbish befitting of League One.

The more die-hard even say that any talk of cash injections is just the familiar pre-window smokescreen aimed at keeping the thousands of white shirt wearing monkeys off the director’s backs, adding that come Jan 31st the same excuses about failed targets and unsuccessful negotiations will be heard.

The optimists instead point out that, crucially, the club is moving forward and everyone within it is looking in the same direction for the first time in years. The squad is happy, they like each other and they are enjoying playing for Leeds United. They also point out that we are no longer a selling club and as such our family jewels are safely locked away, something that has coincided nicely with a manager that clearly has one eye on the young talent coming through the ranks.

Above all else though, the optimists are focusing purely on the grinning elephant in the room that is the David Haigh lead takeover and promise of significant transfer funds for Brian McDermott in the January window.

Two very different pictures both drawn from the same set of circumstances and statements.

It’s rather ironic that our manager is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. Ever.

The only universal truth is that the next eight weeks will determine both the reality that Leeds United now operate in and also the prospects for the rest of this season.

If we limp into February with a smoke and mirrors style takeover dragging on, no new signings (not counting loans or free transfers) and a mixed bag of draws, losses and wins then the pessimists will be louder than they have been for a good while.

Flip that and should David Haigh’s consortium pronounce themselves the new management dream team and start skipping through the corridors of Elland Road sprinkling fifty pound notes like confetti then it could all be different.

In all seriousness though, if the takeover goes through crisply and there’s a string of sudden signings (a la Luke Murphy) then everything will change. Maybe even our formation. We’ll just have to wait and see, but not for long.

The facts behind the truth

Following the narrow defeat at Forest, McDermott came out and yet again managed to blend very sensible comments with subtle undertones that lend themselves to interpretation. Comments such as….

“It was a great strike and that’s the quality they’ve got”…

“They’ve spent a lot of money over the years”…

“Forest are trying to get out of the division and that’s where they’re at”.

Initially these statements sounds like plain as day, obvious as you like, almost footballing clichés. However, what these comments actually say is that Forest won the game because they have shown ambition over the past two seasons and that both the player and the goal symbolise the difference between Forest and Leeds United over the past 2-3 years. Namely, Forest have been investing in good players with a view to a Premiership payday. Leeds United haven’t. The fact that Derbyshire was signed on a free is irrelevant. It’s all the other expensive players they signed that led to him coming off the bench to win the match.

What Brian’s actually highlighting is that while Forest have a net spent of £10.65m across this and last season, Leeds’ figure stands at £300k.

In a simplistic way, that fact is perfectly summarised by the scenes in the last 10 minutes of the match at the City Ground. While our tired legs were battling for a draw, they brought a striker off the bench that would probably walk into our 11 and they took the points.

Brian’s overall point is that in spite of the gulf in resource and ambition between the two clubs, we’re only actually a late strike away from being where they are, which is a remarkable achievement really. He’s quite clear in that we are still a handful of players short of a side that can challenge at the top of the league. He’s also clear in that we are in spitting distance of the leading pack and that it won’t take much for us to join them.

That’s what January in the Championship is all about.

As Billy Davies said after the win…

“this is the time when people avoid relegation, when they get promotion and when they set themselves up for the rest of the season.”

The big question is which one will Leeds United be looking at come February 1st.

Over to you David Haigh.

© e-Football 2013 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football