Cellino vs Byram - This isn't fair.

Keir Taylor takes a look at the current one sided so-called conflict between Massimo Cellino and Sam Byram and discusses if it's really a fair fight.

Well, well, well… Another dispute between owner and player. Where have we heard this before? 

Let’s roll back to McCormack: 

GFH sold the club to Massimo Cellino, he then made promises of new signings and our own ground. We all fell for it, we all thought he was a zillionaire, we all thought he knew what he was doing and most of all, we all trusted him.

McCormack was our star player, and definitely the best player we had in a while – so, in typical Leeds United fashion, he would be sold for pittance. Wrong(ish). Ross was sold to Fulham, but for £11m. However, I’m not interested in the transfer itself, I’m interested in the events before and after. 

Cellino called McCormack a “fridge”. Not only was that weird, but it made sense. What he was getting at, was, how could he sell the best player and then say he’s advancing the squad? I agree, I fully agree. “You can’t aim for promotion then sell your captain”. But, nonetheless, he was sold. We were lied to, yet again. 

Anyway, moving on the Byram.

Cellino was on Sky Sports News yesterday, claiming that he felt a “little hurt inside” when Byram turned down a new deal at Leeds United. However, he did leave out the reasons why. Sign a deal on an unfair wage cut? No chance. You have to remember, this is a job for Sam. 

Let’s say this – you work for Tesco for £7.50 an hour. Despite the manager protesting his love for you, saying you’re a valuable member to the team of employees… he offers you a new wage of £5.00 an hour. But then, Asda offer you a job on £7.60. Would you take it? Of course you would. It’s not about being disloyal, it’s about having what’s fair. Why take a wage cut when you’re being unfairly treated as it is? You have nothing to compensate for someone else’s behaviour.

Not to mention the time Cellino banned Byram’s agent from Elland Road. Cellino claims it “hurts”, yet he bans someone from ER that is extremely important to contract talks. My heart bleeds for you, Massimo. 

As for Luke Murphy taking a wage cut – fair play to him. That type of dedication is what this club needs. However, if you want to compare this to Byram’s contract, you’re wrong before you even explain yourself. Why? Because Murphy was out due to injury a lot, and was poor – but one of the highest paid players at the club. His wage should’ve been cut some time ago. You take what’s fair. The difference with Byram is, he plays every week and he isn’t a bad player. Pay your better players, better wages. It’s that simple.

What you will notice in this Byram confusion, that Byram hasn’t said anything – why? He isn’t allowed to. Simple as that. We know one side of the story, and that one side is milking the sympathy, also throwing all responsibility on to a player that has his mouth padlocked shut. As they say in The X-files, “the truth is out there”.

I’ll just explain what I mean now, instead of giving out examples…

How can WE turn on one of our own? It happened with Lucy Ward and Neil Redfearn, and it looks like it’s going to happen to Byram. How can we do that? We bang on about who is and isn’t ‘Leeds’, but when someone that is Leeds is just singled out, we don’t defend them? I cannot think of anything more disgusting as a way to be disloyal. 

Byram isn’t disloyal, he hasn’t said a word – he’s done nothing but keep his head down and work hard. And the lesser part of the fan base have the nerve to talk about him being a trouble maker or selfish. Get a grip. 

Byram is discussing a future for himself where he feels underpaid, and under-valued. He’s beyond right to think that – it’s nothing to do with greed on Sam’s part, it’s to do with fairness. If you want to look at greed, trouble making, selfish, lying – then look no further at Massimo Cellino. I cannot wait till he leaves this club, its staff and its players alone.

I wasn’t a big fan of Adam Pearson, but at least it was quiet when he was here. Massimo has been back for a week and there’s already been a lot of anger. I pray to every God that there is that the FL ban him, for the long term safety of my club and the players I love to see.

It happened with McCormack, it’s happening to Byram… Next, it could be Mowatt, Cook, Taylor & Phillips. 

These are our players, who know what it’s like to be one of us – don’t let it happen to them. If we all lapped up every bit of nonsense that was given to us, Bates or GFH would probably still be here. 

We’re so much smarter than that. We showed Bates that you can’t mess our club around without a reaction – and through social media, most of us took GFH down through spreading what they were doing to our club. Let’s do the same with Cellino – he cannot poison this club anymore with his lies and utter disregard for anyone except himself. 

Proven liar, convicted criminal, fraudulent, abusive and he owns this club. Get this cancer out, whilst we can. We cannot be United whilst an owner is like this. This needs to stop. 

If you disagree with me, then message me privately on Twitter (@_KeirTaylor), I’m not going to argue with someone in public over their conjecture and gut feeling. If you think this is an opinion, then you’re a lost cause – don’t bother. I’m not being arrogant, I’m being tired of people fighting for a man that is dividing our fan base without people using facts to back him. 

I want my club back.

By Keir Taylor