Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:42 am  

Gotcha wrote: I see another player we were strongly linked with as today signed for Doncaster. Not that we will ever know if we definately were in for him, but he was in a position we require someone for, and we have been heavily linked for a couple of weeks. Strongly linked with and actually making a bid are completely different and i personally don't see LB as a priority. Statement from Papa Smurf... http://www.leedsunited.com/news/2010060 ... 85_2064597

Gotcha wrote: I see another player we were strongly linked with as today signed for Doncaster. Not that we will ever know if we definately were in for him, but he was in a position we require someone for, and we have been heavily linked for a couple of weeks. Strongly linked with and actually making a bid are completely different and i personally don't see LB as a priority. Statement from Papa Smurf... http://www.leedsunited.com/news/2010060 ... 85_2064597

[Frosties.]

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:44 am  

Gotcha wrote:

I see another player we were strongly linked with as today signed for Doncaster.

Not that we will ever know if we definately were in for him, but he was in a position we require someone for, and we have been heavily linked for a couple of weeks.

Tom Kennedy?

I see that the Paul Connolly deal is all but done, heard that Simeon Jackson is on, but waiting for his agent to arrive back in the country from a holiday.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:46 am  

We are also linked with Ipswich defender David Wright in this mornings Yorkshire Post.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:51 am  

Gotcha wrote:

I see another player we were strongly linked with as today signed for Doncaster.

Not that we will ever know if we definately were in for him, but he was in a position we require someone for, and we have been heavily linked for a couple of weeks.

I hear Jamie Ward has opted for a new contract at Sheff Utd as Leeds felt he wanted too much salary wise.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:58 am  

rhinoms wrote: Strongly linked with and actually making a bid are completely different and i personally don't see LB as a priority. Statement from Papa Smurf... http://www.leedsunited.com/news/2010060 ... 85_2064597 We should try aload of young Brazilians/Argies out. Just fly about 10 of them over and give them a trail.

rhinoms wrote: Strongly linked with and actually making a bid are completely different and i personally don't see LB as a priority. Statement from Papa Smurf... http://www.leedsunited.com/news/2010060 ... 85_2064597 We should try aload of young Brazilians/Argies out. Just fly about 10 of them over and give them a trail.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:03 am  

Puig-Aubert wrote:

I hear Jamie Ward has opted for a new contract at Sheff Utd as Leeds felt he wanted too much salary wise.

To be honest I think that's wise business by Leeds, as in that instance a transfer fee was also been paid, so high wages on top would make the whole deal pricey. Presuming his wage demands were excessive to the market value.

But if your strategy is freebies, should you relly be losing out to Doncaster? presuming we actually wanted the player in reality.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:07 am  

Frosties. wrote:

Tom Kennedy?

I see that the Paul Connolly deal is all but done, heard that Simeon Jackson is on, but waiting for his agent to arrive back in the country from a holiday.

Paul Connolly does look to be nailed on. A reserve full back from a mid table championship side on a free transfer.

Tom Kennedy was widely reported to be a Leeds target, also available on a free. Still, big club like Doncaster was always going to prove too much competition for Leeds.

Simeon Jackson - Had one season in League 1 rest in non-league/League 2. 17 goals in 50 appearances last year.

Still, at least Papa Smurf is going to a conference in Malta and some trialists available on free transfers will be looked at in July eh?

(On a more positive note some Scunny fans seem to think Hooper will come to Leeds, though other reports say Leeds offer is a million short of the valuation and Middlesborough are prepared to meet that valuation, but that Leeds would be Hooper's first choice).

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:38 am  

Im on the 'lets wait and see' side of things here. I think everyone is being a bit to quick to judge considering everything really is just rumors, that we've refused to pay money for X player or Y player demanded to much wages. I wouldn't care if we didn't spend a penny on players along as they can do a decent job for us and help us push on as a club. I think we should reserve judgment until we are told there will be no new signings and were finished in the transfer market.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:04 pm  

I wouldn't disagree with that Sibbs - to a point.

If the signings are made and its just slow to start with then all well and good. What worries me is another year of free transfers and loans - and the freebies to generally be cast offs from lower clubs. The last couple of years the excuse was that we were saving in order to buy back Thorpe Arch or that we just couldn't attract players to drop one or two divisions. Well, we didn't buy Thorpe Arch back and we're now a division higher.

There's some rumours about that Bates is only interested in surviving next year and doing it with as little as possible spent in order to sell the club in 12 months time. That's a concern.

What I'd like to see is the signing of a mix of players. Some youngsters hungry to prove they can make it in the Premier League but see Leeds as a way of proving themselves through week in week out Championship football and going up with Leeds. I'd be happy to see a few gamble freebies from the lower leagues as long shots/investments. I'd also like to see proven players from top Championship clubs or even also ran Premier League clubs.

Look at how Howard Wilkinson recruited for the promotion push - Chris Fairclough, Strachan, Sterland, Hendrie, Chapman, Vinnie Jones - all players with something to prove but still having had careers largely in the top flight. Add on the like of Andy Williams and Mike Whitlow - low league bargains to pad out the squad and grow in value after promotion.

What he didn't do was get players in on season long loans or go for free transfer older players from mid table sides or lower divisions.

I know there's plenty of time left but there's been precious little ambition shown in the transfer market for a couple of years and I'd hoped that after promotion Leeds would make a statement of intent.

Still, Gary Hooper to be the new Chapman and Alan Smith to be the new Strach.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:22 pm  

I'd agree with most of that, I really do hope that any future signings we make are not stop gaps that will only do us two seasons at best, and we as you say get young and eager footballers with a point to prove. I think in the long run, paying larger amounts of money this season, to assemble a squad for promotion and to stay together in the future will obviously work out cheaper than signing cheaper older players that will have to leave if we got promotion. I would like to see a squad that only would require a few additions should we go up, rather than needing to rebuild it from scratch if the squad is filled with average, older championship players. This next season could define where we are going as a club in the future IMO, and I hope Bates doesn't want to do the bare minimum.