Deadpool, and I don’t mean the occasionally humorous comic book hero film starring the Wrexham owner. That Deadpool film, which was a far better film than the earlier Mr Reynolds’, Green Lantern was much less entertaining than this one.
This is the last of the great Dirty Harry films from Clint Eastwood. The Deadpool storyline was that our hero, Harry somehow found himself on a list of celebrities which was part of a twisted gambling game to see which one was going to get knocked off next.
Not that I am saying that there is anything like that going on at Leeds United… but watch out Jack Harrison…
Regular readers will know, I am only joking, the ones with the red crosses on them have not been bumped off, some have genuinely left for good reasons (like warming a bench for £150k a week), but they are no longer with the club. The Bielsa Legacy has been systematically dismantled since our new manages arrival. Yes, I know, every manager will want to get their own players in, blah, blah, blah but who is left from the original Bielsa team? Meslier, Coops, Ayling, Dallas (if he ever gets back from injury), Llorente, Koch, Pascal, Bamford (if he ever gets free from injury), Harrison, Forshaw, Rodrigo and Joffy.
Remember this from the Leeds United official website?
How many are left from that team? I know, Pablo got old, Ben White was technically only on loan (and then went for big money to Arsenal). But not many, eh? Shacks, Gotts once touted as the new young guns, Dan James, Tyler all shipped out. Even the youth (u23 and 21s) like Cresswell, Leif Davis and their boss, Mark Tinkler have gone their merry ways.
Anyway, you all know that I am not a big fan of the manager. You all know that the whole “performance was more important than the points” thing really p*ssed me off. You all know how I hated this
So, it hasn’t taken much to rile me of late.
4 wins all season. Chelski and Livarpool, our two 2 “massive wins”. Forest and Brentford obviously took note of our game plan! Or maybe Livarpool and Chelski were missing their yet to be replaced leading lights, Mane and Rudiger? Wolves and Bournemouth are the other two. Massive failure to beat Wolves in the League Cup, despite Wolves being in a worse position than us and playing players with squad of numbers 71 and 88.
But Wednesday night, that took the biscuit.
Many of you had already left at the final whistle. It was midweek and a school night, most of you had work the next day or kids to take home. I don’t begrudge the ones who leave dead on the final whistle. Me, I like to stay for a while. I am glad I did.
At least I got to see Klichy leave the pitch for the final time in Leeds colours. That meant a lot. I was wondering what the heck was going on as it seemed a long final lap. Then I saw something on the big screen but couldn’t quite hear what Pablo was saying. Then I saw the T shirts and the guard of honour, and then the tears.
I had known for some time that Klich was going. He wasn’t getting a start and even though he made a massive impact when he came on, it was clear that our manager was never going to seriously play him. Klichy didn’t get into the Poland squad because he wasn’t getting enough game time. Which was correct. Why would you pick someone to play in the World Cup if they hadn’t actually been regularly playing for their league team? Unless you are Gareth Southgate of course. If Southgate was the Polish national manager it wouldn’t have mattered how much he had played, cos he would have just picked him anyway. Kalv.
So the writing (like the graffiti on the gates at the NE corner) was on the wall for Klichy anyway. He was never going to get picked over the perfect passing, silky skills and tubthumping tackles of Roca, Aaronson and Adams.
But to not bother telling Leeds fans that this was his last game, even though the guys who printed those T shirts and the ones who put together the video montage knew it was, that was despicable.
Leeds United have done a lot of bad things in the last few years, but this was p*ss poor. Granted not as bad as sacking Bielsa, as that was unforgivable, but this ranks not far behind.
Surely the fans that Leeds United regularly communicate with would have told the people running the Club that Klich’s eventual departure would be something that really mattered to us. The fans that Leeds United engage with MUST have been aware how much Klich meant to all of us. The people that Leeds United talk to MUST have spelt out the disappointment of being deprived of seeing us win the league and the promised open top bus ride with the Championship trophy. The hurt of not giving Pablo and Beradi a decent send off, etc. etc. need I go on?
Leeds United must have known that Klich had a massive place in the hearts of all Leeds fans. Who else has had such a decent song in the last few years? Pablo and Kiko Casilla. Beradi. Pontus, and Klichy. So why weren’t we told? And why did he leave on Weds? The MLS league doesn’t start til later in the year? What was the rush?
Add this to the introduction of season tickets on people’s phones, the removal of the Pavilion facilities for normal match going fans, the push for cashless matchday refreshments and, not forgetting the “new crest”. Remember how they told us that the night we got promoted there would definitely NOT be any presentation of the trophy or any sort of celebration? Even though people had gone down early and seen an open top bus sat there ready for something that we had been assured would not happen? The debacle that is the lack of engagement and dialogue with ordinary matchgoing fans continues.
I was fuming, but where was the rest of the furore?
It petered out with people more concerned about the Gnonto song.
Really? Is that more important than completely ignoring one of our most influential and well liked players? You tell me.
But this was the kick in the bollocks when you are down.
We didn’t deserve this and Klichy deserved more for his loyalty and service to our Club.
But I am in a minority. I have been told that it must be the one in, one out way. We had to get rid of Dan James for Gnonto, didn’t we? So we are sacrificing Klich for another Red Bull player. Most people will be happy with that. Most people will be happy if he replaces the whole team with RB players, if it means we stay up.
Even if it means that the football continues to be beige, people will be happy. Because the league is more important than the Cup.
So when we go to Cardiff, with 6000 plus, and we lose, most Leeds fans will be happy with that. The league is more important.
Me? Wait for the next blog.
Houmous.
But we might win though…
