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Leeds United: Grayson left a squad riddled by division - Lorimer
OUT OF FAVOUR: Paul Connolly was sidelined by Simon Grayson.
It’s no secret that the team at Leeds United are not in a great way. And anyone who believes this season is over can base that claim on what they’ve seen in the past few weeks and months.
I don’t share the negativity because I still think promotion is possible – but only if someone puts their stamp on the dressing room and brings it together. Whether that’s Neil Redfearn or someone else, it’s what we need.
Recently, I’ve spoken to three or four of the senior players at Leeds and they’ve been brutally honest about how things were towards the end of Simon Grayson’s time as manager. It’s clear that there’s been a bad atmosphere at Thorp Arch for some time created, in my view, by the fact that so many of players had no involvement under him whatsoever.
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How can you have a squad of 30 and keep them all happy? Quite simply you can’t and a situation develops where you have two groups: the haves and the have nots. The guys who are in the picture and the guys who aren’t.
I thought Simon’s treatment of Paul Connolly was terrible – saying after the 4-1 defeat to Barnsley that certain players would never play for the club again and then only dropping him – and it’s that sort of thing which creates an unsettled camp and bad vibes.
From the conversations I’ve had, it’s clear that the situation was worse than I realised. If we are to get into the play-offs then that’s something the next manager has to take control of and sort out quickly.
I’m not saying Neil’s not the man for the job but it’s clear that this is a very tough situation to take on. I felt really sorry for him when the fans turned on him at Coventry on Tuesday night. This isn’t his fault and as much as I understand why the performances of the team are frustrating the fans, that sort of criticism isn’t helpful.
When a dressing room’s in need of a turnaround, the change doesn’t happen overnight.
But we’ve all taken our share of the criticism. I’ve been criticised, Ken Bates has been criticised and Shaun Harvey’s been criticised. That’s totally out of order because we’ve done b***** all wrong.
The previous manager had a squad of 30-odd players to work with and a squad like that doesn’t come cheap. I believed at the start of the season that we were good enough to get into the play-offs and I still think we should be higher up the table, and I’m not prepared to give up. No-one at the club is.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – no-one at Leeds United wants promotion more than the board. It’s been our aim for a long time and that’ll never change.
We’re in a tough place just now but that’s always the case when a manager leaves, and 15 games is enough time to mount a charge for the play-offs. It wouldn’t be the first time a Championship club has come from behind and forced their way in.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 204 comments to this article
Page 1 of 14
walter wark
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 02:09 PMVery poor show from a great ex player. Cheap, unnecessary and undignified. Is he that desperate to stay as one of Bates' lackeys?? Pathetic really. Peter Lorimer = BLH = Bates's Little Helper. A title which must be shared with Shaun Harvey.
Gogol
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:21 AMThe usual utter rubbish from PL. Pity!
qbywhites
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 12:21 AMhow far will lorimar go, blaming simon grayson and quoting 4 senior players,name them,peter. Grayson had his best players sold by the board lorimar is a member of.
OzTyke
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:37 PM"The previous manager"?? He has an actual NAME, can you not remember it Peter? "it's always the case when a manager LEAVES".. weren't Simon Grayson's services "dispensed with"? Strange language used by Mr Lorimer, or whoever wrote it for him. Other parts of this piece reveal a lazy and uncaring attitude on the part of a key Board member, one shared by his fellows in the Elland Road boardroom. One wonders why - given a run of abject performances and growing unrest among a MAJORITY of supporters - it took so long for a guy who is a playing legend at LUFC, to get down to Thorp Arch during the week and talk to the troops, or lately help out at training, seeing as how Neil Redfearn had been left holding the baby completely on his own, and had to get AOB into the dugout on matchdays. What a shambles. Looks like the whole sorry mess had been planned on the back of a couple of beermats, by a bunch of barflies.
woodwhite
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 05:56 PMSimon Grayson doesn't deserve this character assassination.Lets remember Peter we'd still be stuck in L1 if it wasn't for him. Grayson put everything into LUFC but just fell a little short at the end. Why not just draw a line under everything? Unfortunately this sounds like Lorimer again carrying out Bates dirty work - but sorry Peter you've got it sadly wrong. Hope Grayson fights back on this one and puts the fans right about the mafia regime running the club.
Southie_Whites
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 02:32 PMPathetic. spineless, cretin, muppet - the list goes on. What a load of rubbish. Above all sad to see how far you have fallen PL - rest pending moderation. BATES OUT, MOT
KRU251
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 02:22 PMPeter, What would you're opinion be if Grayson went public with some of his toughts and experiences while in charge? I have a lot of time you even if i don't agree with all that you say but 'Lorimer the legend' is punching below the belt here. Having a swipe at a man that isn't here to defend his self. All eyes are on SG now, will he retaliate with a full public explination, justifying his motives or will he just remain silent and retain his dignity?
Sanjose white
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 03:17 AMHey Kops hite Chupa ma pinga
original koppite
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 09:25 PM192Sanjose white...If I was popular amongst you set of muppets I would be seriously worried.
original koppite
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 08:58 PM193Yorkshire Lad........I saw PL make his debut and I also saw BB, EG, TC, JG, AC, PM, GS, PR, and many more from their first days with us and throughout their careers. They they all had oodles of talent and PL was as I described him. With what aspects of my description of PL did you disagree.
JonnyWeare
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 07:25 PMPending Moderation
Yorkshire Lad
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 07:13 PMOriginalkoppite, what a load of nonsense ! Quite clearly you know nothing about football or player's. As a player, Peter Lorimer was not an ordinary player, but a 'good' all round player ! Yes, his shooting was exceptional, not only for power, but also for accuracy. His crossing of a ball was one of the best in football, ask Mick Jones and Allan Clarke that ! An ordinary player wouldn't have been a 1st team regular in Don Revie's team ! An ordinary player wouldn't have become the highest goalscorer in LUFC history ! An ordinary player wouldn't played so many times for Scotland and played in the 1974 World Cup Finals in Germany ! So, not only are your comments about other's knowledge about football way off the mark, and now you have actually got away from your usual diatribe calling people numpties, your remarks about one of LUFC's finest player's, shows you know nothing you clown.Lorimer in my eyes has done himself no favours by supporting Bates, but as former player he was a very good player and deserves that recognition.
Sanjose white
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 02:37 PMThere you are, the thickest fan at last you show your stupid self. Kopps hite go over to Man utd your that popular
original koppite
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 02:03 PMI remember watching the presentation of the championship trophy and the medals on the pitch in front of the West Stand at the end of the 7374 season and thinking what a lucky lad an ordinary player like PL was to collect a medal when you considered some of the games greats never did. Back in the day when we played with a football that was so heavy some keepers struggled to clear their own penalty area with a goal kick hot shot PL could launch a ball as if it had come out of a cannon. There were very few players who had the power to drive a ball into the top corner, Bobby Charlton ad Dave Mackay were two of the few but PL was the daddy. After you'd said that there was little else to say about PLs game. He wasn't quick, he wasn't fast, he wasn't a great dribbler or tackler nor could he head a ball so where the myth that he was a great player originated is a mystery. Could be it was dreamed up by the numpties on these pages which would be further proof, if it were needed, that most of the posters are muppets whose knowledge of the game could be written in big letters on the back of a postage stamp.
FrenchFan
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:26 PMAlways the same excuses... "The previous manager had a squad of 30-odd players to work with and a squad like that doesn’t come cheap"... But on 30 players, Which have the talent for a team which aims the Premier League ? Few of them unfortunately. And without financial resources, same Neil Warnock will be powerless. Bates Out !!!!!!!!!
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