Evening Post

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United: A Disappointing Season 3 After Championship Glory

This is the first media I have done for a couple of years. This is purely because the club need the money. I am committing to stepping up more in this next season.
In what has been a rollercoaster journey for Leeds United, the club experienced a significant downturn in form during Season 3, following the triumphant highs of being crowned champions in Season 2. The sharp decline in performance has been a source of frustration and disappointment for the fans, and I want to take this opportunity to address the situation.

Firsty I must acknowledge my role in this challenging period. Over the past year, I have struggled to commit the necessary time and attention to the game, and unfortunately, Leeds United has suffered as a result. To the passionate supporters who have stood by us through thick and thin, I offer my sincere apologies. Your incredible support means the world to us, and I really regret that we have not been able to deliver the performances and results you deserve.
As we look ahead to the future, it is clear that we face some significant challenges. Financial constraints have made it difficult for many teams, including ours, to make substantial improvements to our squads. The economic reality means we cannot significantly strengthen our team this summer, and we must be strategic in our approach.
Despite these limitations, I am pleased to announce the addition of two key players, Marcel Schmelzer and Ángel Di María, to our roster. Their experience will be invaluable, particularly given the struggles we faced last season with injuries and suspensions. Our small squad size was a major factor in our difficulties, and bolstering our depth has been a priority. The inclusion of Schmelzer and Di María addresses this concern and gives us a stronger foundation to build upon.
As we prepare for the new season, I am optimistic about our prospects and the potential for a resurgence. The road ahead will not be easy, but with the dedication and hard work of our players, combined with the support of our incredible fans, I believe we can turn things around. I am committed to doing everything in my power to get Leeds United back to challenging for top honors.With new managers in the premier league it could be a more fun season and I certainly hope considerably more impressive on the pitch.
I urge all our supporters to stand by us during this pivotal time. Your encouragement and belief are crucial as we strive to regain our form and achieve success once again. Together, we can overcome these obstacles and look forward to a brighter future for Leeds United.
Thank you for your continued loyalty and support. Let's make this upcoming season one to remember.

Marching on Together, ALAW

473 words

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United's Financial Dilemma: Strategic Investment Decisions

Leeds United faces a critical jpoint as the club navigates a tight financial landscape. With limited funds available, the club must decide whether to allocate resources towards acquiring an additional player from the upcoming auction, investing in youth facilities and a new scouting network, or improving infrastructure and the stadium. Each option presents unique benefits and potential drawbacks, making the decision particularly challenging.

Option 1: Acquiring an Additional Player

Investing in a new player could provide an immediate boost to the team’s performance on the pitch and options available to manag we Tim Davey A talented acquisition might improve the squad’s depth, offer tactical flexibility, and potentially drive the club closer to its target of winning trophies.

However, this approach carries inherent risks. The financial outlay for a new player includes not just the transfer fee, but also wages and the possibility of losing out on a player all together. There is no guarantee that the new signing will adapt well or perform as expected, and a misjudgment here could serve to be a drain on resources. That said Davey’s record in the auctions is reasonably impressive.

Option 2: Investing in Youth Facilities and a Scouting Network

Enhancing youth facilities and developing a robust scouting network represent longer-term investments. Improving the academy infrastructure could help nurture local talent, creating a pipeline of skilled players who could either strengthen the first team or be sold for profit. An effective scouting network could identify promising talents globally, allowing Leeds United to acquire players before they become swallowed up by the big boys and become expensive and out of reach.
The primary drawback of this option is the delayed gratification; the benefits of such investments might not be evident for several years. In the short term, the first team might not see immediate improvements, which could be problematic as the club is not investing in the here and now. A tough balance to get right. .

Option 3: Upgrading Infrastructure and the Stadium

Investing in the club’s infrastructure and stadium can enhance the matchday experience for fans, increasing attendance attendance, and boost gate receipts. . In the long term, a larger stadium could become a significant asset, contributing to financial stability and growth.
However, the costs associated with such projects are substantial, and the financial returns may not be immediately apparent. This option also does not directly address the team’s performance on the field, which might be a priority if Leeds don’t start the season strongly. .

Weighing the Options

Leeds United's decision must balance immediate needs with long-term sustainability. The choice to invest in an additional player from the market or the auction.. This may offer a quick fix but risks leaving the club financially strained if the gamble does not pay off. Conversely, focusing on youth facilities and a scouting network aligns with a vision of sustainable growth but requires patience and a tolerance for potential short-term performance dips. Upgrading infrastructure and the stadium promises future financial benefits but demands significant upfront investment and long-term planning..
and ambitions.

So some tough and quick decisions to made, let’s keep an eye out on which direction Davey and Leeds go.

[Tim@Leeds]

534 + 473 = 1007 words up until now

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds manager Tim Davey has criticized the FFO FA, calling them "flaky and inconsistent" after a controversial decision involving Paris Saint-Germain's manager, Ed Clarke. Clarke, accustomed to dominating the auction with the highest balance, reportedly complained about the possibility of not securing a top player this season as for once he didn’t have one of the top balances. His reaction, characterized by Davey as "spitting his dummy out," seems to have influenced FFO FA head honcho John Banks to remove several players from the auction list, including the top player Clarke was anxious about and spent time and effort moaning about.

Davey condemned this decision, highlighting it as an example of FFO FA’s susceptibility to pressure from influential but also underhanded figures and their lack of consistency in handling the auction process. He suggested that this response to Clarke's complaints was unjustified and detrimental to the competitive balance of the game, reflecting poorly on FFO FA’s governance by giving in to the whims of peopl like Clarke.
The published reason of the removal of the star player and several others was that there were not enough high balances in the game at present and that the FFO FA does not want teams benefiting from the possibility of getting good players for low prices. A move that surely compounds the big teams already hefty advantages. A pull the ladder up jack tactic that has been present in the game for many years now.

Leeds United manager Tim Davey has also expressed significant frustration over recent changes to the FFOFA processes. These adjustments, influenced by complaints from Paris Saint-Germain's manager Ed Clarke, have disrupted the strategic plans of many clubs, including Leeds United.
Davey highlighted the extensive effort put into raising funds and planning for the auction, aiming to balance squad quality while meeting the new minimum squad size requirement of 23 players. Despite successfully raising enough for a minimum bid of £40 million through sacrifice and creativity, Davey's plans were thwarted by FFOFA's sudden decision to lower the minimum bid to £30 million, alongside removing key players from the auction list, including a top defender named Gatti. This last-minute change has forced managers to hastily revise their strategies. Davey emphasized the impact on Leeds United, noting that the reduction in available players has made it less likely for them to secure a valuable auction buy. The closure of the academy and scouting network upgrade opportunities further limits their options. Consequently, Leeds United is now considering whether to attempt a modest bid in hopes of securing a player, or to hold their funds for future investments in the academy, scouting network, or stadium upgrades.

Davey expressed his disappointment with FFOFA's handling of the auction, deeming it an unsafe and unreliable component of strategic planning for the club. He called for better governance and consistency from FFOFA to avoid such disruptions in the future.

481 words + 1007 carried over = 1488

[Tim@Leeds]

Everton 0 - 5 Leeds United

In terms of a result and starting with a bit of momentum, this was a really good start to the season. 2 yellow cards and an injury to 3 of my defenders hints at picking up where we left off last season and makes me pleased I have gone strong with our depth this season, the squad will be needed with the amount t of cards and injuries that will predictably come our way.
Back to the game, we dominated and to be honest it could have been more. Some very questionable selections from the Everton manager and in all honesty it made it easy for us. We matched up P vs P, they went four at the back and played a 14 and 15 rater. It all served to make it a very comfortable opening afternoon for us. Much bigger tests to come but it gets us off to a solid start.

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[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United 2-1 West Ham

This was a very tricky draw for the first round and provided a real test for us. West Ham finished above us last season with our poor showing and I was fearful that we might go out early.
We ended up dominating the game and really played better than the score line suggests. We were not quite as clinical as we were in the opening day of the league season but we did get the job done. This competition has always evaded me, so I am hoping for kind draws and a bit of luck to give us the best possible chance of getting our hands on the FA cup. Everything has to fall in to place and the stars need to align. It’s a tough ask but make no mistake we would love to win this and will be going all out to do so.
Good performance from us today and we go marching on together to round two.

played Todd.

[Tim@Leeds]

167 + 158 =325

[Tim@Leeds]

Arsenal 1 - 4 Leeds United

Fantastic result against an extremely good side. There’s no doubt we are a little fortunate and Daz will be spitting feathers looking at the stats. I’m sure we’ll be on the reverse end as the season progresses, that’s ffo, that’s football.
I think we were rewarded for our bravery and it paid off. We went 1 down and then instantly switched it up and went for it. Early leaders so far but they never used to show the table for about ten games so it’s pretty irrelevant Just got to keep this winning thing going.

played Dazler, unlucky lad.

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United 3 - 1 Man City

Some result this one. The result is one thing but the performance was even better, from start to finish we absolutely hammered them, on stats we were a country mile clear. This is a very, very satisfying performance and one I hope can be a benchmark for the rest of the season.
I am hoping the work I put in over the summer to make us competitive is starting to pay off early and that it can continue. We are certainly looking good at the moment.
Up next is Leicester I think, in the cup. Same again please.

Played Nickers, hopefully we can challenge you again this year

[Tim@Leeds]

Cardiff City 0 - 2 Leeds United

job done here today. We knew we would be up against a C but decided to go back to a P for this one, thinking we’d have enough to have tactical advantage against us as well as being away. My confidence was repaid by a solid performance. It wasn’t as flashy as a few of our games previous to this but but we got the job done and continued our excellent form. Hopefully we can keep this going. Focus turns to Monday.
well played mate, all the best bud

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United 2 - 4 Leicester City

Tough one to take this one. We were pretty dominant and going off the stats this is a bit of a freak result. That said, no moaning and bitching to be heard here. This happens in FFO and in real life football. It is frustrating but all we can do is dust ourselves off and focus on the next game whilst congratulating Darren on a great win for him. Well done mate.
It leaves us at the top of the table and it’s the first game we have failed to win so far this season in all competitions. I’d have taken this start if I was offered it, so it’s time to refocus.

Well played Darren.

[Tim@Leeds]

Real Madrid 0-0 Leeds United

This was a very close contest which probably ended fairly for all involved. They had more shots on goal but we had more on target, possession was negligible. So it probably finished about right.
They initially went E to counter our C which I thought was quite brave and was interested to see how it panned out but they quickly changed tactics so that we had the advantage. I’ll take a point away in Madrid any day of the week so we are pleased with the draw here in the first game of this impossibly difficult group.
It gives us a solid platform, Burnley beating Juve makes for an interesting start. I think, if we can win our 3 home games we should have done enough, so that needs to be our focus.

Played Ian.

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds 6-0 Burnley

fantastic result and a fantastic performance. This was just what I was hoping for. We did expect the C, we did feel like we’d have too much with the power of our P and home advantage and so it proved. So far so good for us, just one blip, but we need to keep this up in all competitions and see where it takes us. If we continue with the way we have started this season, we will go far.
played Si

[Tim@Leeds]

From 6/7/24 = 664 words + plus previous 325

= 989 words

[Tim@Leeds]

Leeds United 0 - 0 Juve

Dull affair but it was always going to be. I knew we would be facing a C and on this occasion I did t feel that we needed to risk anything so I certainly didn’t want to give away TA and I certainly didn’t want to risk the E. I don’t mind playing E at times but not in this group where one slip up is likely to cost you.
we didn’t deserve to win the game, didn’t do enough and so a draw is a fair result here. A couple of wins from our 4 remaining games should hopefully be enough. Plenty of work to do in this one but the group is wide open.

played Andy.