Becchio's transfer request confirms Leeds United as a second rate selling club

By Andrew Butterwick

The announcement that Becchio has handed in a transfer request didn't all together surprise me. The atmosphere on Planet Leeds in recent weeks has been difficult to say the least. The performances on the pitch have been awful... even the games we've won.

This has been more than reflected in the rapidly falling
attendances both at home and even away from LS11. Ex Leeds player, Kilkenny, expressed his shock at the half empty ground after Bristol City's recent visit. 3 weeks into the transfer window and all we have managed to do is sign Michael Tonge and get Ross Barkley on loan, a loan that prevents him playing in the cup by the way. Alan Tate's tenure has also come to an end as he returned to Swansea but not before he declared he couldn't stay due to "the financial situation at Leeds" The silence from our new owners has been deafening. It pains me to say this but Leeds United are in a mess, a very big mess.

The axis of inactivity, Warnock and Harvey, claim to be doing a great job and working hard behind the scenes respectively but despite their valiant efforts the only thing we see are players leaving the club not coming the other way. The conclusion the majority of fans have reached is that the club is skint and still happy to sell players to the highest bidder to stave off financial ruin. Not a situation that inspires any sort of hope that things will change in the near future I'm afraid. 

So where do we go from here? Optimistically if Becchio is sold the money will be used to supplement the existing transfer budget and bring in a couple of decent players, the team will improve and the play offs will be beckoning... but back to reality. The money will be lost in the same financial black hole that all transfer monies have disappeared to in recent years, Delph, Johnson, Howson, Gradel, Snodgrass et al. No signings will arrive at ER due to the same old reasons... greedy agents, too high wages, Warnock will bemoan the fact he hasn't been able to bring in the couple of signings he needed for promotion and another season will sink into frustrating, tedious anti climax. Accompanying this malaise will be the continued destruction of a once great club by inept and short sighted management of the football club. What price for Sam Byram?

In short Leeds are in turmoil, not for the first time, but this time I fear will be more catastrophic than anything seen before unless our new owners start to get a grip and show some leadership. Where is the engagement with the fans? Where are the resources the club needs to grow? Where is any visibility of what's going on?

Supporting Leeds is always something of a burden but it shouldn't drive you to despair. Currently we are continually on Despair Avenue. Will we escape back to some sort of normality in the near future? Don't hold your breath. Batten down the hatches I fear the season is already over... unless we can seek some solace in the FA Cup against Spurs? It's a long shot but

Can't wait.

MOT

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