LUFC Leeds Pre-Season Tour Stalemate Leeds fans are already wishing the current season to a close and are anticipating a wholesale clear out of the current playing squad. Summer will be upon us and the air of expectation is going to be at boiling point as fans see what the ambitious signings the new owner will introduce to the club.
If expectations are met then expect a huge exodus to any pre-season matches either here in the UK or anywhere in Europe.
Massimo Cellino has recently announced to the Media that he would love to take Leeds United to Sardinia for pre-season. This announcement has now left Leeds United fans already drooling from their mouths and reaching for their keyboards to check out the latest flight prices to the Mediterranean Island off the coast of Italy.
However, it is unlikely that Mr Cellino will be welcome in Sardinia with his broken down Ferrari being towed into the nearest garage that doubles up as Cagliari training ground. Cagliari fans can be forgiven that their present owner has started divorce proceedings in the form of putting the club up for sale and concentrating on his love back here in Yorkshire.
Advisors to Mr Cellino will no doubt be pointing out to the Leeds President that he can expect a mass following from the UK to where ever the club will play for a pre-season warm up in Europe. If Massimo Cellino is serious about taking the team to Sardinia then thousands of Leeds fans on the small Island will do nothing more than rub the noses of Cagliari fans is the sand.
Brian McDermott is currently the manager and is looking more likely to at least kick-off the new season in charge; Massimo has already stated he thinks Brian is a good coach and with the right backing could be left in charge to progress the team and club. Brian has always preferred taking his teams to Slovenia where he knows the facilities and that the expenditure is reasonable. Last Season around 1500 Leeds fans followed the club out to the former Yugoslavia country over a 7-day tour that saw Leeds play three warm up matches. The biggest following turned out to watch Leeds 2-1 against Domzale FC.
Therefore, a conflict of interest may soon be raising its head between the wants of Massimo and the needs of Brian. A solution to all the problems could be that the squad go to Sardinia for training and then play their friendlies off the Island within Italy or Slovenia. Remaining on the Island would limit Brian to any friendlies with Cagliari the only viable team to play.
The recent Regional Members Club conference had fans asking the club for reasonable notice to any planned pre-season matches and the acting CEO Paul Hunt promised fans that the club would bear in mind the request and announce the fixtures once they can be confirmed.
Therefore, everyone will now remain glued to all the social media networks looking for clues to where in the sun we may travel and how much the flight, Hotels will and more importantly the price of a beer will cost them.
Sardinia on paper is looking rather mouth-watering but unlikely!!
*We do already know we will be going to Northern Ireland for at least one game against Glenavon as part of the deal that is bringing young striker Robbie McDaid to Elland Road.
Read more:
http://www.leeds.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=356300#ixzz2zBMdIB7W
