Takeover

[Tom Joad]

If anything I’d say the new regs matched with this new owner will put us in a strong position compared to most clubs. The biggest challenge as ever will be finding a way to stay up when we get up

I agree.  In this division a well-run (!) club of our size should do well on a level playing field.   The playing field will never quite be level because of parachute payments, but we should always be there or thereabouts. 

For many clubs, being a top 6/top 8 club in the Championship may well be far more enjoyable than being whipping boys in the Premier League in its current guise, which Leeds, Burnley, Norwich, Watford etc fans may well agree with.

Let’s not go down the route of being happy to bobble about in the Championship. If that’s the level of ambition any potential owner has, then I’d question what the actual point was. I doubt you will find many Leeds fans happy to be Championship makeweights or any of our local rivals for that matter. I’m not saying you’re suggesting that Prag but it’s a definite NO for me.

No, not “bobble about” in the Championship, but to be always in the mix.  Even becoming a yo-yo club again.  Let’s be honest, the only reason for being in the Premier League in recent years is to secure parachute funding so that we can be one of the big boys in the Championship.  Going up and being whipped week after week has a purpose, and that’s it. 

I know dozens of Leeds fans (they’re everywhere!) and they seem to be enjoying the Championship far more than last season’s Premier League.  Now it’s a bit different for Leeds - from a big city sure no other Premier League team they SHOULD be a much bigger club.  They could get 40-45,000 average gates.  With the best will on the world, can we?

The amount of investment and backing needed to maintain a Premier League squad capable of getting into the Europa League is huge.  Could we sustain that?  One bad season and getting relegated is very likely.  There’s 10 or more clubs every season who are a bad 3 month spell away from getting relegated. 

Utopia would probably be to replicate what we were over most of the last decade.  Go up, enjoy the moment, but be prudent in case of relegation.  Then be financially strong in the Championship. 

The increased regulations to becoming more sustainable may well help us by closing the gap with the bottom half teams in the Premier League.  The new rules will of course protect the big boys, but I doubt that will ever change.

Loved the Yo Yo years....

I only loved the Yo's