The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 24th March)

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 24th March, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


Alioski exit causes infighting amongst Leeds fans

Gjanni Alioski has signed a pre contract with Turkish Champions Galatasaray. As the news filtered through, infighting amongst Leeds fans erupted on social media.

No Leeds fan will forget the sickening scenes at Taksim Square on the eve of the 2000 EUFA Cup Semi final where two Leeds fans (Kevin Speight and Christopher Loftus) were brutally murdered. Over 20 years on, should Alioski be ostracised for wanting to keep his career alive.

He has been a faithful servant to Leeds Utd, never whinging where or when he played, and always gave his best. The 29yo is fully aware that he is slipping down the pecking order, and needs to play first team football.

However, there are hundreds of clubs out there where Alioski could apply his trade. Is he showing disrespect by joining Galatasaray?

please log in to view this image

Leeds target Citeh ace

According to the Manchester Evening News, Leeds have made an enquiry over highly rated Citeh defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

He is currently on loan at Blackburn Rovers where he is gaining rave reviews in the Championship.

Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the Stockport born 19yo, describing him as 'exceptional' last season. The former Barcelona boss must decide shortly whether Harwood-Bellis has a future at the Etihad, or cash in on the youngster.

Brighton, Brentford and several German clubs have also made enquiries for the England youth player. We all know the tight relationship between Pep and Bielsa. Perhaps the Argentine should call in a favour?

please log in to view this image

 

It's Wednesday Ell.

 

Crysencio Summerville has posted a video of himself scoring a worldie of a goal during a session of murder ball. Let's not also forget that Joe Gelhardt scored a hatrick against West Brom's U23's on Monday as well as Sam Greenwood's sublime free kick!

Is it not time that Bielsa gave the youngsters more first team opportunities? Look at what happened with Struijk. Without the injuries to our defenders, Struijk would still be in the reserves!

 

Well spotted.

You win the secret prize...

 

Is this a scam ? don’t open it

 

I'm not falling for that again. Last time I had to rummage in his pockets for the prize and all I could feel were a couple of hairy gobstoppers and a wrinkly cocktail sausage.

 

Klich is down with Covid so self isolating according to Poland head coach. No symptoms

 

Hopefully stays symptom free and gets his feet up for a week or so.

 

At least he won’t get injured

 

He could get carpet burns whilst rug munching as he will have plenty of time on his hands now

 

Morning all,

So I commented yesterday afternoon that I thought the ones who were most angry about Alioski seemed to be the ones who either were not alive or were still in nappies when the tragedy occurred.

As the day went on the arguing exploded even more and others saw what I had seen. The whole thing became very unsavoury with a lot of infighting amongst our own fan base.

It seems a twitter account was set up just to show a photo of one of the painted BT boxes vandalised with graffiti attacking Alioski and tagging him in it. Other accounts were showing photos of either Christopher or Kevin covered on that night after the attack. When these things are happening then all semblance of normal debate has gone out of the window and both sides have lost.

Once again as with any debate amongst our own fans it seemed to turn into the super fan debate. The younger generation telling those of us not wishing ill of Alioski that we clearly were not real fans.

The lunacy of it all being that there were people who were there that night in Instanbul, who lived through the horrifying events suddenly being told they were not real Leeds supporters because some little scrotes Dad had told him he must hate Galatasaray. What must it be like for those guys to have to put up with this ****?

 

I agree, he can go where he likes, also agree with Forza (I think). Now that we’re probably safe we should be playing one of the U23s maybe at LB or at least someone that wants to be here next season.

 

A twat like Kewill who screwed the club over I will never forgive but Alioski is just looking after his own family at the end of his career, with his last big move and last chance to earn a big wage. I hope he enjoys himself and wish him luck. Alioski has never done anything to upset the fans and will always say how much he enjoyed his time here and how much he learned from Bielsa. He has been a good servant and played well over a hundred games in that white shirt. Good luck to him

 

I'd rather Leeds players not go to the Turk club.

I understand his position of wanting probably his best contract at that stage in his career. I get it.

On the other hand he will have been fully aware of the situation. He will know that the fans of the club he currently plays for might be unhappy with him joining them. Knowing that, he has kind of dismissed those fans who have supported him the last few years and done it anyway. That's his choice and he is entitled to it.

Personally I think it's justifiable to retort in kind and just dismiss him from first team duties from now on. Play him with the 23's and we'll go with Davis from now on and see if he can make an impression like Struijk did last season.

I don't really want to see Alioski play for us again as I will never forget the way that the Turk club acted throughout the whole incident. They were a disgrace and never really showed any respect to us as a club and tried to use the incidents for their own gains. That club hasn't changed or tried to change their behaviour or that of its fans since that tie and hopefully cease to exist at some point in the near future.

In short I understand Alioski financial reasons but I don't have to like it. Hopefully he gets ****ed off early.

 

Alioski is from Macedonia and may well not even know of the problems all those years ago. Even if he does he’s going home to end his career. He could throw a stone from where he was born to Istanbul

 

I'm with Leedsoflondon on all his points. One of the U23s or Shackleton could have relieved Klich, who clearly wasn't fit.

 

Here’s what people need to understand. With some noticeable exceptions (usually players who were fans of the club they play for) players don’t give a sh*t about the fans. They think we don’t understand the game (largely true), they think we’re fickle (largely true). ... ...Do we think paddy has forgotten the boo boys? ... and they have agents and advisors reminding them to look after number 1.

They’ll say what they’re expected to say about loving the fans blah blah. On an individual level they may well be kind and considerate and do lots of charity work. But they don’t give a fck what we think. And why should they? That’s rhetorical by the way, spare me the ‘we pay their wages’ stuff.

Don’t shoot the messenger

 

Here’s an open question. The way premier league payments are made, each league position is worth roughly £2m.

While positions are still up for grabs, how many kids would you play, to find out if they have it?

might you answer that question differently if you were:
- owner/board member
- management team (possibly incentivised on league position?

 

Easy for me:
I would pick my strongest team to take 3 points every time
Once I was sure the points were safe I would blood a kid or kids.
If I was battling for a point I would not bring on a kid.
If I was losing and no chance of getting a point I would bring a kid on and rest someone needed for the next game

 

You are bang on here Milky.

We all have romanticised ideas that the players have the same love for the club as we do as supporters. Aside from a few rare exceptions this is not the case anymore.

So much of this comes from the clubs rich history. Our most successful period on history came at a time when players stayed at a club for many years or whole careers. We love these legends because of this and want this from players now. Again aside from the rare exceptions this will unlikely happen.

Alioski is an employee of Leeds United. He may well have a strong affinity for the club, fans and players around him but unless he grew up a die hard Leeds fan there is no reason to think he will feel the same as us regarding the Turkish scum or Manc scum even.

He will make his career/life decisions based on what is best for him and his family. As much as we would like to believe he feels like we do this is not the case.