Sponsored by
Leeds United: We can’t let fans’ unrest affect us - Snodgrass
Players who sign for Leeds United are quickly made to appreciate the shirt they wear.
“They’re privileged,” said Neil Redfearn earlier this week. “It’s an honour to be at such a big club.”
That much is true but these are hard times for the squad at Elland Road, caught between a rock and a hard place – the rock of their own form and the hard place of the fight raging between chairman Ken Bates and an element of the club’s support.
Redfearn, United’s caretaker boss, came under attack after replacing striker Ross McCormack at a crucial stage of Tuesday’s loss at Coventry City but the abuse of him was a precursor to more intense and familiar criticism of Bates. This season, no Leeds game would feel the same without it.
It has been this way for weeks on end and tomorrow’s match against Doncaster Rovers is unlikely to be different. Events on the field since August 6 have influenced the loss of patience off it but the positions of Bates and Leeds’ disillusioned fans is now entrenched: the crowd at Coventry warning United’s owner that they’d “all had enough” and United’s owner responding in a radio interview by criticising “people prancing up and down, waving their banners. They’ve got no positive solution to what they perceive as a problem. All they do is add to it by deterring potential investors from coming into the club”.
Bates’ comments were in reference to a protest march involving hundreds of supporters which covered three miles between Leeds city centre and Elland Road before last weekend’s defeat to Brighton. The group who organised it, the Leeds United Supporters Trust (LUST), do not intend to halt their “Campaign for Change” there. “This is only the start,” said LUST chairman Gary Cooper.
Caught in the middle are United’s players – hardly blameless for their low standing in the Championship but unable to resolve what are now deep-seated grievances. The fight in them seemed to drain at Coventry after McCormack’s substitution sparked open revolt on the terraces. “Perhaps it did,” said Redfearn. “But we were poor and that’s the bottom line.”
United’s talismanic winger, Robert Snodgrass, agreed with that. Pointless though it would be to pretend that the squad are oblivious to the climate in Leeds, Snodgrass was not about to use it as an excuse for a league table which shows Leeds in 11th, six points short of sixth place and handicapped by games in hand held by several clubs.
“It doesn’t matter what goes on off the field,” Snodgrass said. “You, as a player, need to be mentally strong to deal with whatever goes on. At the end of the day you’re brought here to do a job, not to affect what goes on outside. If you don’t do your job properly, somebody will replace you. It’s very simple.
“The fans were singing ‘Bates Out, Bates Out’ but we can’t just relate to that every time. The players have got to take criticism as well. The fans get frustrated and whatever they want to shout, us as players need to make things right by earning the right to win games and putting our bodies on the line. At the moment, I don’t think that’s happening.
“Every game you go into, you have to believe that you’re going to win it. The day when you stop approaching games like that, I’d hang my boots up and never play again.”
To the credit of Redfearn and his squad, on a night at Coventry when they deserved little, there was no attempt to absolve themselves of responsibility for another injury-time surrender. There was a refusal, too, to concede defeat in the fight for a play-off position, but successive losses to Coventry and Brighton were a colossal set-back. For so many reasons, a victory against Doncaster in the last of Redfearn’s four matches as caretaker appears imperative.
Who should be Leeds United’s next manager? Click here to vote in our online web poll
Much in Redfearn’s comments and body language after full-time on Tuesday said he no longer expected to secure the job until the end of the season.
Bates dangled that carrot in front of him after Leeds’ 3-0 win at Bristol City but Redfearn’s opportunity was entirely dependent on results and a surge towards the play-off position which Simon Grayson, United’s deposed manager, struggled to hold on to. Losing at Coventry felt like a step too far, particularly once the replacement of McCormack saw his judgement questioned publicly.
Snodgrass said: “We obviously haven’t got a (permanent) manager but Neil Redfearn’s been first-class. People can’t question what he’s done or the decisions he makes.
“The guy played over 1,000 games and he knows football inside out. His sessions as a manager are very progressive and he knows exactly what to say to the lads in terms of getting the best out of us. This is nothing to do with him; it’s down to the players.
“We know ourselves that the performance at Coventry wasn’t good enough. At half-time, Neil came in and gave us a kick up the backside and we needed it. That’s the sign of being a good manager. We weren’t at the races in the first half and that’s not down to him. We’re good enough to be hitting another two or three gears.”
Snodgrass is a partial reason why unrest in Leeds has spiralled this season. With less than 18 months remaining on his deal and his reputation ironically enhanced by his involvement in United’s term, the suspicion is that this season will be his last at Leeds – another fine talent lost amid United’s struggle to smash their way into the Premier League.
The Scottish winger is rapidly approaching the contractual position which hastened the sales of Max Gradel and Jonathan Howson, and Grayson revealed before his sacking that talks about a new deal have not taken place since last summer. It remains to be seen whether the next two months will be the parting shot of a player who has scored 11 times this season and laid claim to the creation of 10 more Championship goals. In total, Leeds have scored 49.
It would not be Snodgrass’ style to let the season run out with a whimper. “We need to grow up and grow up fast,” he said. “No-one ever gives you a football match.
“People might talk about the inexperience of the squad but getting thrown in at the deep end is a test of character. It tests you as a player and it tests your mentality. You’ve always got to be switched on and ready. If you’re not, you get found out.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 21 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
Jettatura
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 09:38 AMFair play Snoddy for standing up! Spoken like a true captain!... But lets just pause for a moment to talk about 'contractual wrangles' and how negotiations are done... Yes, we all know our recent record is to allow contracts to run down and then to sell whatever we can to raise funds for Ken... It's actually more subtle than that - the club keeps going back to players with 'offers' they know are derisory (no increase) OR even in at least 2 cases I'm aware of to actually offer LESS!!... They know full well the players couldn't possibly agree to those terms but they are contractually bound from speaking out and Ken & Co are able to blame the players for 'talks breaking down'... Talk then very quickly escalates, who do they think they are etc etc whilst nobody really looks at the fact that the club effectively negotiated 'in bad faith' with no intention of actually doing any deal!... THEY are the ones behind the breakdowns... All that means is that I'm resigned to Snoddy going!... It'll be Howson all over again - he NEVER wanted to leave but SH refused to give him a contract he could sign and tried shamelessly to play to his loyalties by suggesting the club needed to sell him for the money and that he'd be helping Leeds by going!!... Everything will come out eventually!... Finally, great comments as ever by 'Lebowski'... Good work mate! #EyeOfSauronOnBates #SunlightIsTheBestDisinfectant #BatesOut
paz
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:07 AMSnoddy, besides yourself and 1 or 2 others, the rest of the team ain't doing a very good job - the major reason behind the fan unrest. Start winning and make the playoffs would be a great start.
jjlaca
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 09:22 PM"If so, would it be possible for you to actually follow up a question like why was Mccormack subbed, and get a reason, rather than than accept an admittance from RN "Perhaps it did" (upset the team)." ----- I believe in the post match interview with Eddie Gray, NR said that Ross look knackered from playing on the heavy surfaces at Bristol and Coventry.
whiterioter
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 01:57 PMI'm guessing this article came out of the Friday press briefing at THorp Arch? If so, would it be possible for you to actually follow up a question like why was Mccormack subbed, and get a reason, rather than than accept an admittance from RN "Perhaps it did" (upset the team). Snodgrass quotes are fine, but you fully understand that the YEP is the ONLY for of redress we supporters have - no one else has access to the manager or the players, so you owe it to them (US) to ask tough questions. nobody else has the opportunity.
YRAMOT
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 01:54 PM#14 fullerton - totally agree.
ELLAND BACK
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 01:47 PMWhy are you all still arguing about the lies bates tells, some people have been telling you all this for 7 years. you didnt have to believe them, most of you didnt you kept sticking your heads in the sand. Even forgetting the evidences has been in front of your eyes for 7 years and since the minute he took over and taking us 10m further into debt. So forget all the we need to buy him or get him as manager, we dont we need to get bates to sell this club on no more messing about, ITS TIME TO MAKE CHANGE
RichC
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:53 PMFor Bates to blames us for putting off potential investors is really scraping the barrel, the man is beyond contempt. Anyone wanting to invest in a football club will look at Leeds and see the huge global potential there is but the TRUTH is they don't want to work with or be dictated to by Bates. The man is a lying thief.
fullerton
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:45 PMSnoddy is the only player at the club who speaks as a captain should. It is such a pity he isn't the captain even if only for a few months.
NormyLUFC
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:12 PMCan anyone say the last time we played well? It's alright Redfearn saying the display at Coventry wasn't good enough, we haven't played well since the emotionally charged Millwall game. Is it a co-incidence that this was the game Howson (now sold) got injured? I'm afraid these days seem as bad as our relegation to L1 and I fear following Bates' comments regarding the wages paid we're in for a tough relegation scrap next season.
gingermick
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:11 PMThank you BATES - SEASON OVER. supporters were telling you in the summer to bring in quality players but NO. This is the worst set of players I have known and my first match was in 1963. May I ask you what has happened to all the big gate and T.V. money you have recieved for the big Cup games in the last few years, when crowds are averaging what you predict for the season, it certainly has NOT been spent on players WHERE IS IT - monaco.
lebowski
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:05 PMThat should read 'Thirty Percent of turnover'
lebowski
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:03 PMHe’s the man who killed our club (From Monte Carlo).. .. You mention ‘An element’ of Leeds United’s support being at odds with Ken Bates. I think you are understating the size of this issue. What we have at Elland Road is a football club at war with its own fans. Bates and Harvey don’t even bother to try and hide their contempt for what the chairman describes as ‘Ordinary’ fans . Around 40% of season ticket holders have NOT renewed for next season and the club faces a bleak future under chairman Bates. Income is in a downward spiral and the end result isn’t looking a happy one, I fully expect next season to be a relegation dogfight for Leeds United. This season has been seemingly written off and we have experimented for four games, sucked it and seen, so to speak, except the experiment has left us with a nasty taste in our mouths. What an insult to the fans to throw in the towel, of course our leader is sunning himself in Monaco. Bates fiddled whilst Leeds United burned. As you have suggested in your article, expect the better players to be gone this summer. Snodgrass, Clayton and McCormack included and lets not ignore the contribution to this of the clubs nonsensical contract policies. Bates has already warned of a new attitude towards wages and the playing squad next season, expect that to mean a smaller and even poorer quality squad. Bates claims that those who have renewed are showing support for his policies, I can assure him that that is not the case with this particular mug, sickpot, moron or dissident. My ticket in the NE corner has been paid for after an agonising thought process. I am disgusted with the current regime at Leeds United, someone is getting rich out of our money and the wage bill is at about 13 of turnover. Look at how West Ham and Newcastle have approached the championship and contrast it with ours. Instead we are compared with the likes of Barnsley. The message to Bates is clear, actions speak louder than words. And the Situation at LUFC at the moment is like being forced to helplessly watch a close relative being battered to death, brick by brick, of course. Bates out, we’ve all (Truly) had enough. Andy Kaye NE Corner season ticket holder.
Liam123
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:02 PMIf it weren't for the problems between the fans and Bates, the players would be in for a lot more from the fans. They have been garbage all year. The thing is, most fans appreciate, the majority of players at the club are not good enough and never will be good enough, but they are the best we can get under the restrictions in place. All the fans ask for is the same level of commitment and effort as they put in. There is nowhere to hide when you play for Leeds.
bramley whites
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:53 AMWeve all had enough fu ck off you chelsea bas tard weve all had enough ! BATES OUT BATES OUT ! were not giving up were not giving up not till were rid of ken bates were not giving up just one snoddy your our player of the season by far then ross then clayton are your contracts for renewal? if so are you going to stay with bates and co? or are you ready to leave ? the thing is been a fan i could not were any other top or go watch another team other than england ! Thats is more comitment to a football club because if i see a legged blond or brunette im on it like a rocket but i could not be turned by any other team other than leeds united wish you players was as loyal as us over £30 to watch a shower a sh1te with no commitment no drive no passion no fu ckall and yet were the morons ! bates ia right i agree but the tables have turned and it will hit him in the pocket like it as hit us in the pocket
GaryBrown
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:46 AMThe players are a disgrace to the club and need to get some work done and put in a shift. Stop being nice to them Redfern and show some spirit. We would rather see them lose and give everything. They don't have any passion and whoever takes over will need to kick some ass. Dare I say it ? some hairdryer treatment may be in order.
Page 1 of 2
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.