Strachan to Leeds?

[sainter]

The talk is that Leeds are going to make an official approach in the next few days.

He has done so much to turn us into a very competitive team but despite the state that Leeds find themselves in he still loves the club and may be tempted to return.

I feel very sick.

 

[bulldog pommy]

I wouldn't worry about.

 

[David Votoupal]

Why would he want to leave a well-run, financially stable club which is going places for...

...a rudderless ship which is sinking at a spectacular rate.

 

[Paris75]

Have reason to believe that Strachan and the Soton board aren't exactly on the best of terms. If you cut him open he'd bleed white so a managerial team of Strachan/Gray would be very nice.

 

[GoalsFrom50Out]

Money.

Oh, wait.

Nevermind.

 

[essnickess]

can leeds afford the compensation?

 

[sainter]

Originally posted by bulldog pommy
I wouldn't worry about.

I hope you're right. It couldn't happen to us again could it?

Originally posted by David Votoupal
Why would he want to leave a well-run, financially stable club which is going places for...

...a rudderless ship which is sinking at a spectacular rate.

Good question.

Unfortunately he still has strong feelings for Leeds and that might be just enough to convince him.

Originally posted by Paris75
Have reason to believe that Strachan and the Soton board aren't exactly on the best of terms. If you cut him open he'd bleed white so a managerial team of Strachan/Gray would be very nice.

I don't think it's the fact that they are not on good terms. He is however in the process of renegotiating his contract with the Saints so even if he doesn't return to Leeds financially this has come at a good time for him.

 

[noogie_da_sheep]

It'll never happen

 

[Catman]

Would be a good move. Done wonders with Southampton and it would be good if he could replicate that improvement at Leeds, should he get the chance.

 

[Catman]

Originally posted by essnickess
can leeds afford the compensation?

Yeah we can. We'll just fine the Duke a couple of weeks wages and that should cover it.

 

[moomba]

I would be flabbergasted if wee Gordon would be so silly.

Has gone from 10/1 to 5/2 in the latest odds, so my flabber might be gasted after all.

Moomba

 

[Weaver]

Doesn't matter if Strachan goes. Souness, Jones, Hoddle, Strachan ... we are the business of providing other clubs with managers and we keep on keeping on. Manager is the easiest bloke to replace ... now replacing Beatts on the other hand.

 

[tribey]

Originally posted by Catman
Would be a good move. Done wonders with Southampton and it would be good if he could replicate that improvement at Leeds, should he get the chance.

With what? A bag of magic beans and coupons cut from the Yorkshire Evening Post?

 

[moomba]

According to the Independent. Leeds have made an official approach to Soton, Strachan wants the job, and the two clubs are in disvussions over compensation.

Not a sure thing but getting closer by the looks of things.

Moomba

 

[sainter]

Originally posted by moomba
According to the Independent. Leeds have made an official approach to Soton, Strachan wants the job, and the two clubs are in disvussions over compensation.

Not a sure thing but getting closer by the looks of things.

Moomba

**** you Leeds

They can't just get relegated but they have to take our manager, stuff up his managerial career along the way, and proceed to destroy any progress we have started to make.

Feel free to ignore this message if he stays.

 

[daicos4ever]

Don't worry Southampton, there's always Glenda...

 

[Catman]

That's pretty cruel Daics!

But stories have Mark Hughes lined up as Gordon's replacement.

 

[Shinboners]

Before Leeds fans get too giddy, don't forget that Strachan couldn't save Coventry from a relegation fight.

An article in soccernet makes some very good points on why Strachan shouldn't leave the Saints for the Sheep, but then again, if Strachan can save Leeds, then his managerial reputation will be very much enhanced.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=283558&cc=3436

Strachan to Leeds? Madness!

Dale Johnson

Media speculation is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it may be spurious but without it the game would be far less interesting.

Strachan: No Leeds approach (RossKinnaird/GettyImages)

Sunday brought us one of those very stories, one that leaves you thinking a newspaper was desperate for material.


Leeds may be a club close to Gordon Strachan's heart, but would he really swap the relative comfort of Southampton for the disaster area that is Elland Road?

Strachan joined Leeds in 1989 from Manchester United for a fee of £300,000 and became an instant hero, helping them to return to the top flight as Second Division champions. He then skippered them to the League championship in 1992.

Although he does have a definite affinity with the West Yorkshire outfit, surely those happy memories are way in the past. The chances of Strachan, or anyone for that matter, being able to revive their fortunes are slim at best.

Leeds, as has been well documented, are a club in turmoil. They are staring at the abyss and no manager with any real pedigree would touch the job with a barge pole.

At the moment the wee Scotsman pretty much has it all and there can be few jobs in the Premiership which offer such security and comfort. Granted, his contract with the Saints runs out at the end of the season but talks are already underway over a new deal.

After guiding the club to a top half finish, the FA Cup final and European football he must feel that there is scope to push on further.

The fiery little character has already tasted life down at the bottom with Coventry City, a battle he eventually lost in 2001 when the Sky Blues were relegated.

He has spoken in the past of the pressure such a job brings, so would he really want to give up all he's achieved for the mess at Elland Road?

The 46-year-old once explained how he went for a walk to think about the problems at Highfield Road, and the next thing he knew he had walked 18 miles. That level of pressure cannot be good for anyone.

There are times when managers will ditch a seemingly better position for a job that, on the face of it at least, is less appealing. Glenn Hoddle swapping Southampton for Tottenham is a perfect example.

But this is Leeds we are talking about so, after spending so much time and effort rebuilding his career after being sacked by Coventry, would he really want to put all that on the line?

If Leeds were to be relegated he could well find himself out of a job again, such is the club's cash crisis. It would be a move of madness.


“ Why would Gordon Strachan want to leave a club that is ninth in the table and solvent for an insolvent club at the bottom? ”
— Saints chairman Rupert Lowe

Leeds and Southampton are a collision of opposites with the Saints being everything that Leeds are not.

One of the major problems at Leeds, as highlighted by new chief executive Trevor Birch, is Elland Road. They have exhausted the potential of the old stadium and as such must move on to reap the benefits in today's climate of executive boxes and business lunches.

But it takes time and money to build a new stadium - both of which Leeds do not have. Southampton, on the other hand, have already settled into their new home after leaving The Dell and enjoy the added financial perks that go with it.

Southampton not only have the arena but the infrastructure as well. There were some cautious noises on the south coast when Rupert Lowe took over as chairman, but he has proved himself to be an astute businessman and an excellent figurehead.

Again, where at St Mary's there is order, at Leeds we find disarray. The top job has been on rotation since Publicity Pete finally bit the bullet in March and made way for the Prof, John McKenzie.

While the rather odd looking man attempted to make the right noises he never really pulled it off. Step forward, Mr Birch, now it's your turn to steer the sinking ship.

Lessons will have been learned from the sheer madness of the lease agreements, but the carnage that has created will take years to simply wrestle back under control.

Leeds are £80million in debt, while Southampton have little fears over their bank balance. They have kept within a strict wage bracket - Kevin Phillips had to take a £15,000-a-week dip to sign - which enables them to function as a company and a club.


Professor John McKenzie did his best to try and steady the ship (HarryHow/GettyImages)


But Leeds threw money at players - Seth Johnson, for instance, is reputed to be on a crazy £37,500-a-week.

There has been talk of a mysterious, Leeds-mad Sheikh waiting in the wings to save the day and wipe out the crippling £80million debt. This sounds a little fanciful and has probably got as much legs as the Venezuelan to Villa story.

Where exactly are Leeds going to get the cash from to pay Southampton - or any club for that matter - compensation? Arabian Sheikh Abdul Mubarrak Al-Khalifa is said to be Leeds' very own Roman Abramovich - clutching at straws seems to be almost all Leeds have left.

Leeds would kill for a team that matches the effort and commitment of their fans. They earned the plaudits for their wholehearted support in the 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Arsenal - clearly the team could not respond.

With most of their star players sold off and the last of the 'crown jewels' on the verge of going the same way to facilitate the debt, there is little on the pitch to tempt Strachan.

Mark Viduka, seemingly the only striker capable of scoring goals on a regular basis, will surely find himself an escape route in January - leaving a huge void to be filled with nothing in the way of finances.

Leeds would love to have the likes of James Beattie, Phillips, Michael Svensson and Anders Svensson within their ranks. Instead they have a mix of players who are either overpaid, inexperienced or just plain overrated.

Lowe, of course, has already had to battle with Tottenham Hotspur for the services of Glenn Hoddle, and he will no doubt point to the gentlemen's agreement which prevents Premiership clubs from poaching managers from other top-flight clubs mid-season.

He summed the situation up perfectly: 'Why would Gordon Strachan want to leave a club that is ninth in the table and solvent for an insolvent club at the bottom?'

For now Leeds will have to stick with stand-in Eddie Gray. There will be some mug willing to take on the poisoned chalice, but it won't be Strachan.