YES that Mad Bastard Bielsa's brand of football IS good enough for Leeds United

[jackos]

It’s no joke, supporting Leeds is a lifetime of pain and misery. I couldn’t put them through that.

You can't inoculate kids from pain and misery, it comes with life, being a football fan is about belonging, the Bates years were dark but very few clubs have had our success over the years either.

The fan base they’ve seen, and their behaviour made sure they never changed their mind.

So which "nice" club do they support? Watford? They're nice. Guess you're an England fan. You ever travelled with our fans for internationals?

He’s never lasted more than 2 years at club level, in one go, so whilst he may stay one more year (I don’t think he will) that will then be it. The finances of the champ. mean long standing clubs at the level are at an immediate disadvantage.

Agree. I expected him to leave if we don't go up as well. I am starting to believe he will stay whatever happens so I hope he proves me wrong. Promotion from the Championship is difficult. It takes time and work. He has a job to finish whichever league we are in next season so fucking off before he's finished it after all his talk about respect would definitely taint my opinion of him.

Happy that you want the journey to be ‘right’...I’m not bothered. I want them up. The club is sold to wealthy people if they go up this season. People who can make relegation a non issue.

Understand the comment re. Warnock, but the comment on Lamps is low he is a class act in many, many ways.

Don't like Lampard, him or his rapist mate Jody Morris, never liked seeing Wise on our bench and didn't enjoy the 8 years Bates owned out club.

[Mustafaster]

My kids tend to love the corporate opulence that private boxes around various prem league grounds provides. As and when we get invited.

excellent - the shrimp sandwich brigade
no wonder suffering with Leeds is too much for the poor things

or did you intend this to mean something else?

Free entry, free food and drinks, luxury seat, what’s not to like?

If that's what you want, go to the opera.

[welshwhite]

Understand the comment re. Warnock, but the comment on Lamps is low he is a class act in many, many ways.

Lamps took over Derby County when they were in sixth position, he's worked his magic and their now in.............................sixth position.

By the way I enjoy reading your points of view, they raise up some good debate that's for sure.
The sitting around the campfire singing songs together attitute can often get dull

[Blackwhite]

Fat Frank a class act.







You'll have to give me a moment, my arse just fell out from the laughing.

[thestraw]

Agreed Phil, it's become something I enjoy on a Saturday again rather than something I do cos season ticket.

That’s great for you, suspect it’s a minority view.

The fact that you think this shows how detached you actually are.

[thestraw]

It’s no joke, supporting Leeds is a lifetime of pain and misery. I couldn’t put them through that.

So which "nice" club do they support? Watford? They're nice. Guess you're an England fan. You ever travelled with our fans for internationals?

I’m genuinely intrigued as to what nice club they support…

[jackos]

I’m genuinely intrigued as to what nice club they support…

My money is on Chelsea. Lovely lads their lot. Nice London based family club.

[Vampire]

Understand the comment re. Warnock, but the comment on Lamps is low he is a class act in many, many ways.

Lamps took over Derby County when they were in sixth position, he's worked his magic and their now in.............................sixth position.

By the way I enjoy reading your points of view, they raise up some good debate that's for sure.
The sitting around the campfire singing songs together attitute can often get dull

Well said, Rhys.

I enjoy a thought provoking contrarian post, regardless of whether I agree with it or not, far more than cowardly ‘down with the heretic” crap - especially if the pitchfork is being hurled by someone who never posts anything insightful himself.

[thestraw]

I’m genuinely intrigued as to what nice club they support…

My money is on Chelsea. Lovely lads their lot. Nice London based family club.

I'm thinking its Scum, plenty of freebie boxes going for corporate doos.

Lets see..

[Yeboah]

If that's what you want, go to the opera.

No it’s shite and I’d have to pay...

[Yeboah]

I’m genuinely intrigued as to what nice club they support…

My money is on Chelsea. Lovely lads their lot. Nice London based family club.

I'm thinking its Scum, plenty of freebie boxes going for corporate doos.

Lets see..

Red is a colour non grata in our house. There are some rules which will always stay in place.

[Yeboah]

I’m genuinely intrigued as to what nice club they support…

My money is on Chelsea. Lovely lads their lot. Nice London based family club.

Probably best corp. experience at Chels. even in the cheaper bit.

[Yeboah]

Agreed Phil, it's become something I enjoy on a Saturday again rather than something I do cos season ticket.

That’s great for you, suspect it’s a minority view.

The fact that you think this shows how detached you actually are.

Well apart from in here, I’ve never met a fan who doesn’t want to go up....at virtually any price

[Yeboah]

Fat Frank a class act.


You'll have to give me a moment, my arse just fell out from the laughing.

From a commie like you, unsurprising.

I was on about his work for Charity, nordoff robbins etc.

More important than a bag of wind, and he’s more likely than not to be leading his team out at Wembley in a play off final.

Not bad for a rookie....

[Yeboah]

@jackos

Thanks for the post, appreciated...

Agree on pain and misery but It doesn’t have to involve a crap, northern football team does it. They were born and bred in Yorkshire but feel no connection to the county or the city. I’m glad of that, if I’m being honest.

Don’t support a team, really, they like going to London clubs for the ancillary experiences. Their experiences in Leeds watching Leeds fans fighting Leeds fans in large numbers (which even the millwall police said they’d never seen before) was bizarre.

They’ve been lucky to go to some NFL games in the States, where you walk down the road and then sit next to the other teams fans in the stadium with good natured banter and cheering and it is considered normal. The whole drinking culture and tribalism and segregation of uk football is off putting for lots of people.

We’ll see what happens re. Bielsa, if he won’t be backed by the club (as much as he can be) then he’d be foolish to stay imo. Especially as Newells need a head coach.

The hatred of ex Chelsea players goes back to the tribalism mentioned earlier. It’s not right and a bit silly. They are just people trying to do a job as best they can.

The rape charge against Morris was dropped, so be careful calling him a rapist.

In real life, people aren’t always what you hope or expect them to be.

Gary Sprake had a penchant for fast cars and pubs (I knew the guy who supplied his motors) which don’t always mix. He wrote off lots of cars when, maybe the local police took his ‘celebrity’ status into account when ‘tidying’ up.

[Clacton white]

If that's what you want, go to the opera.

No it’s shite and I’d have to pay...

Bloody hell I'm in agreement ... That,ballet , the arts etc . I'm a total philistine, but that said I'm an old punk rocker so no surprises really .

[Blackwhite]

Don't forget Fat Frank's sterling work for the charity shops back in the day when he was continually cheating on his wife, and she kept throwing all her wardrobe in the charity shop and making him replenish the lot. Multiple times IIRC.

Services to the charity shop and fashion industries. Oh, and his fine work for the British amateur video and beer bottle industries

[Yeboah]

Don't forget Fat Frank's sterling work for the charity shops back in the day when he was continually cheating on his wife, and she kept throwing all her wardrobe in the charity shop and making him replenish the lot. Multiple times IIRC.

Services to the charity shop and fashion industries. Oh, and his fine work for the British amateur video and beer bottle industries

Sad, mentality. Maybe just jealousy?

You hate him, but don’t know him.

He’s 1000 times more talented and successful than you could ever be.....even if you were dreaming.

Really bizarre.

[jackos]

Agree on pain and misery but It doesn’t have to involve a crap, northern football team does it. They were born and bred in Yorkshire but feel no connection to the county or the city. I’m glad of that, if I’m being honest.

Don’t support a team, really, they like going to London clubs for the ancillary experiences. Their experiences in Leeds watching Leeds fans fighting Leeds fans in large numbers (which even the millwall police said they’d never seen before) was bizarre.

My kids are all Stockholm born and bred some of their best experiences have been at ER while we were home visiting family. We also have season tickets for AIK Stockholm, the atmosphere at Swedish league games between top clubs is better than most PL games, but the standard of Swedish football is so poor that they would always pick Leeds & England before the Swedish alternatives.

First time my kids went to ER was when they were 4-5, my wife loves a trip to ER and has never experienced anything as bad as she has seen during any of Stockholms derbys. My oldest lad is 10 and he refuses to go to Derbys or games against Gothenburg in Stockholm because the atmosphere scares him. He's never been scared at ER. Not sure when you were last at ER but I haven't experienced any bother after we were relegated to L1. We sing and drink a lot, we love our club with a passion and are proud that everyone knows that and hates us for it, but that's about the end of it these days. Agree that Millwall games can get bad, but that's invariably caused by their lot and Turkey chants in my experience. I wouldn't take the kids to a millwall game, but the bother is mainly caused by gobby slobs mouthing off, its very rarely dangerous.

We’ll see what happens re. Bielsa, if he won’t be backed by the club (as much as he can be) then he’d be foolish to stay imo. Especially as Newells need a head coach.

If he demands a massive transfer kitty it'll be a change from this season so I expect him and the club will come to some agreement if Bielsa wants to stay.

Not sure Radz will stay if we dont go up though, think he's taken us as far as he can in the Championship.

The hatred of ex Chelsea players goes back to the tribalism mentioned earlier. It’s not right and a bit silly. They are just people trying to do a job as best they can.

The rape charge against Morris was dropped, so be careful calling him a rapist.

Key word is "dropped', problem with the forensic evidence as far as remember, he wasn't found innocent and always seemed like the type of guy who would do exactly he was changed with. It was 15 years ago so perhaps he's changed.

Football is about tribalism, belonging as I wrote earlier, it's part of what I love - US fans can be just as bad - but nothing beats the passion a football game can create.

[Terre Harte]

They’ve been lucky to go to some NFL games in the States, where you walk down the road and then sit next to the other teams fans in the stadium with good natured banter and cheering and it is considered normal. The whole drinking culture and tribalism and segregation of uk football is off putting for lots of people.

Yes, here in Ameica, the stadium experience is different. No segregated sections, etc., no “hooliganism”, but let’s not pretend it’s shangri-la either.

The tribalism exists in different ways and the drinking culture definitely is as big a part of it here as it is there. I’ve seen some nasty shit in my day at and outside NFL games. Pop some popcorn and Youtube some NFL fan fights and drunken stupidity.

I also noticed the Lombardi quote earlier in the the thread. As a Wisconsin native and proud Cheesehead, that’s cool to see, but let me toss another one at you.

“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.”

It’s no revelation to point out that Leeds has been knocked down repeatedly.

What makes me proud to be a Leeds fan is that our supporters always “get up” even as the club itself has let them down.

Every single one of us has had a legitimate out to stop supporting this club, whether it’s shambolic ownership, knob coaches and/or players, or just drawn out misery. Me? I have no connection to Leeds at all. Never even been there. I sometimes ask myself why I put myself through it.

It’s the hope that may kill you, but hope is also an undefeated unifying force. The loyalty that our fans have shown to a club that has done little on the field to justify the loyalty inspires me. I’m glad to be a small part of it.

So we’ve all been knocked down. I choose to get up and maintain my hope that it will turn around. Lombardi also said, “Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is”. Knowing everything is cyclical, it *will* turn around for us at some point. I want *us* to win. I don’t want to seek those wins elsewhere by quitting Leeds and supporting another club.

But, if you want to, in Lombardi’s words, “stay knocked down”, and raise your kids to support another club? Have at it. Just understand that your boy Lombardi wouldn’t likely approve and I’m sure he would also detest the geographic potshot about a “crap, northern club” too.