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Bates rules out McCarthy for Leeds United and criticises protesters
Mick McCarthy
Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has slammed the fans who protested against the running of the club last Saturday and has distanced the Whites from Mick McCarthy.
More than 1,000 people arrived at Elland Road on Saturday before the Brighton game, protesting against the board.
In a wide-ranging look at the financial troubles afflicting football in his weekly address on Yorkshire Radio, Bates brought the problem closer to home.
He said: “Leeds United will be making serious changes to their approach to their playing staff next season as I have said repeatedly.
“Our budget this year was £9.5m and our wage bill was actually £12m because we backed Simon Grayson in his judgment which frankly has proved not to be the best.
“When fans chant ‘where’s all the money gone?’ then obviously £2.5m has gone on wages for a start.
“Where do they think the money has come from? Do they think it grows on trees?
“These people prancing up and down waving their banners have got no positive solution to what they perceive as a problem. If anything they add to it by deterring potential investors.
“But even then they’re not going to just come in to subsidise wages.
“We’re trying to raise £15m to buy the ground; at Chelsea it took 10 years to raise £1.5m.”
Bates confirmed that Neil Redfearn will remain in charge for Leeds’s next game with Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
But he distanced the club from an appointment of former Wolves manager McCarthy, who only lost his job on Sunday.
“The world and his wife has applied for this job because it’s a good one,” said Bates, who sacked Simon Grayson at the start of February.
“Yesterday a national newspaper said we had already approached McCarthy and offered him the job.
“I don’t know where McCarthy lives or what his telephone number is.
“It’s just speculation gone mad.”
On last night’s 2-1 defeat at Coventry City, Bates said: “Last night’s performance was disappointing and players should be looking in the mirror, asking themselves what went wrong and why they didn’t play so well.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 32 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
The peacock
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 07:40 AMPending Moderation
Teddyman5
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 09:13 AMJust take a moment and tell me this- without Bates, where would our club be? Answer - probably gone! You might not like him but we owe him some respect, he kept the club alive and now tries to run it properly. Without that we will be back where we were and join Rangers and Portsmouth. If we looked like a united club maybe investment would come but who wants to take it on with a bunch of brain deads shouting without thinking?
MikeLeeds
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:26 PMDetering Potential Investors - ya right Bates - I think you will find that someone who is looking to by Leeds United would expect their approach to be kept confidential. We have a chairman who exposes applicants for the job of Manager (Sven) and before granting a meeting publically dismisses him. Your a disgrace Bates and an embarresment to Leeds United. Thats why people wont invest because your a prat!
kingbilly
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 01:50 PMAny would be investors would look at what happened when Matthew Harding invested 26 million with you at chelsea. The best thing you can do Ken is put the club up for sale.
Alan Childs
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:03 AMI agree with the last 2 comments Eddie Gray has to be careful what he says or he might find himself off the radio to me a great footballing legend reduced to the roll of a yes man. The team however effing rubbish they are picke d to play by whoever is in charge (Coco the clowns school of football management) they dont perform which is the norm for Leeds at the moment the manager gets the boot. Hang on a minute why dont they stand up and be counted when it hits the fan they duck for cover, like spoilt kids crying in the corner(bet they dont have a conscience). Why dont they come forward and support their boss (he is the one that gave them the chance to play) say its us when we cross the white line its not his fault no they carry on bloody cowards frightened to say owt the bloody lot of of em bloody arse------les. while Grayson didnt spen wisely he got nowt out of that shower of sh----e they need to look long and hard in the mirror on Saturday if they like what they see then please f---k off somewhere else cos we dont want you. An open question for anyone reading any ideas on how to stage a match boycott outside our once great fortress that is ER I am in support whatever can be organised why not eh!!! the bloody players are boycotting our home matches at the moment.
stantheman1
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 09:09 AMThere really is a simple solution to this ! STOP GOING TO WATCH THEM !!!!!! If no one turns up it will hurt ken in his pocket . Who in their right mind calls their paying customers MORONS ! iT MIGHT HURT THE CLUB IN THE SHORT TERM , but there is going to be a price to pay , but it would be worth it . How long is Redfearn going to be left in charge , we might as well have kept Grayson . Just get Warnock in , i dont like him , but he will kick some backsides .
jonno63
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:41 PMLUFC65, sad old days for us aren't they? Just watched Eddie Gray saying in so many words that we're rubbish. He's right. What with Bates, and player power in full control, what chance have we got? I bet if I listened to how the players tick ie what sort of men they are ( I use the word "men" advisedly ), how good they really aspire to be, how much they care, how much they want to fight our corner, how much they want to earn their money, how much they want to show some poor sod from Bingley that his time and money are not wasted on them........I bet they'd make me sick. At times when I've seen them lately, they don't look like they're trying. NOT EVEN TRYING. And earning what they're earning? They're so wrapped up in themselves they seem to have no shame. If certain men could see it, men that are gone now, this lot would get a solid kick up the arse. It's exactly what they deserve.
Honolulu Wednesday 1867
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:50 PMKen Bates jumps into the sea and the sharks jump out! I'm only glad he didn't buy us, good luck you're going to need it with this smug old turd at the helm.
LUFC65
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:42 PMSanjose White (2) and Jonno 63 (5), I couldn't agree more - spot on. As to why no one will buy LUFC or invest, it's because a totally untrustworthy old tyrant is simply not worth trying to do business with. I wouldn't choose to do business with the old bar steward. It continues to beggar belief that a Chairman of a business can continue to insult his customers and get away with it. These are the ramblings of an old man whose sanity must surely be in question and his family ought to be taking care of his health rather than letting him rant on and on. I'm tired of this man 'passing' up my leg and telling me it's raining, just as I know thousands of other LUFC fans are too.
ScunthorpeWhite
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:48 PMThe way KB is talking no manager in the right frame of mind will come near our club!!!!! Some desperate managers perhaps will apply, only to get the sack after a few months!! Bates OUT
ScunthorpeWhite
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:42 PMSenile, eccentric old man you ruining our club. JUST GO AWAY!!!!!
whitefanman
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:24 PMThis is very simple really - its business to Bates and not football 1. Players do not count as assets and thus have no value on a blance sheet thus have no value to a potential buyer 2. Elland Road the ground has massive asset value and will up the bottom line balance sheet by 15m making the club worth 15m more than it would be without this ownership 3. The double whammy - spending 15m on the ground to up the balance sheet and create value and purchase it from yourself hiding behind the offshore vehicle that owns it. 4. the profit generated from this football club is going to you one way or the other 5. We are not all stupid Ken!!
kingbilly
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:16 PMExactly WHO ARE YOU GOING TO PAY TO BUY THE GROUND BACK.
DaveLeedsLawton
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:10 PMHe says it took Chelski 10 yrs to raise 1.5 mil.As I remember it,it took 10 seconds to raise 15 billion..Can't you find us a rusky Bates and do one.
emstreywhite
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 04:49 PMWhere's all the money from our 3 seasons of bumper cup ties that was not budgeted for. Man U home and away, Tottenham home and away, Arsenal home and away, Liverpool at home. Money is haemorrhaging out of the club and not being invested in the playing staff, ground or training ground save for Bates' ludicrous investment in East Stand boxes. My sons and i are now actively following our home town club, Shrewsbury as are many other Salop Whites. We look forward to the day when we can once more look forward to crossing the pennines in anticipation of watching our beloved Leeds. We haven't been to ER for 3 years now and i don't see that changing whlie Bates is in charge. In the meantime as our far flung supporter base continues to age and the club continues to miss out on (or should that be price itself out of) generations of new supporters, my club will continue to under-achieve as it has done for all but 12 years of its history. Disillusioned and desperate to see the back of Ken
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