Bates rules out McCarthy for Leeds United and criticises protesters

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.”