EX-Manager: Simon Grayson

[Asbjørn]

En fin reportasje i YEP om forholdet mellom Bates og Grayson..  Det forteller neppe hele bildet, men viser at også Bates kan ha sine lyse sider. Og, mannen er jo straks 80 år...   

Grayson's tenure is a laughing matter for Ken Bates


http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Grayson39s-tenure-is-a-laughing.6670834.jp

Attempting to steer Leeds United towards a brighter future has not exactly, in recent years, been a laughing matter.

The Elland Road club's travails during the on-going fightback from what was supposed to be a cautionary tale for the rest of football have been such that even the most optimistic of individuals would have found it hard to maintain a smile for too long.

For Ken Bates and Simon Grayson, however, the pressure and stress that comes with the task of reviving the club's fortunes has not prevented the pair from enjoying their fair share of fun along the way.

Spend any time in the company of the men at the helm of United and it is clear they both regard each other fondly. One-liners and cutting remarks abound, such as the time they were discussing the release of the film, The Damned United, and Grayson made an innocent comment about having already lasted more than Brian Clough's 44 days â€" to which his chairman replied, 'You nearly didn't after we lost at Hereford'.

Likewise, a few months later Grayson could not resist the opportunity to get his own back when, after hearing that Bates had first met his wife â€" and one-time journalist â€" Susannah when she interviewed him, he quipped: "Yes, but she was a policewoman at the time."

The two men clearly share an irreverent sense of humour and a close bond, which in turn is helping transform United's fortunes. In the two years since Grayson took charge of the club where it all began for him as a teenage apprentice, United have soared from ninth in League One to the automatic promotion places in the Championship.

Throw in a first win at Old Trafford for almost 30 years and a thrilling draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup and it is no wonder Bates is so pleased with the man he lured away from Blackpool to replace Gary McAllister.

"What I like about Simon is that he is not flashy," says the 79-year-old United chairman ahead of the Boxing Day visit to Leicester City. "He is someone who isn't always wanting to get himself on the television or in the newspapers, unlike a lot of people I could mention.

"He just likes getting on with his job. When he came in, it was quite a culture change for everyone. Unfortunately, it had not worked out under Gary and the team was struggling. Confidence was low among the players but Simon came in and quietly got on with the task.

"I enjoy working with Simon and am 100 per cent behind him. I don't expect us to always win and play at our best every week, that just isn't realistic in football. But what I like about the job Simon is doing is that he has got us playing a pleasing style of football with a degree of style.

"As well as the good football we play, the team is also packed full of fighters who give their all. That is what we want because that has always been what Leeds United has been about.

"It has taken time to mould the squad into his own image but I think he has now done that. It started with making sure he got the backroom staff he wanted. He made a clean sweep and started again.

"Two years on, we can see the fruits of the decisions he took then."

On his own relationship with the United manager, Bates said: "In the two years we have worked together, I can't remember us ever having a row. What we have had, though, is a lot of laughs,

"We both possess a similar sense of humour. He is a bit quicker than me and I am a bit more mature so we balance each other out.

"At the start of last week, for instance, I was speaking to Simon and he told me that after attending that day's hospital visit with the players, he would be taking all the staff out for a meal.

"I said to Simon, 'I will buy the champagne', to which he replied quick as a flash, 'Ten bottles? That's nice of you, Chairman.' I laughed and said to him, 'Oh, it's just my luck that I have got a manager who is deaf and can't count'."

Grayson was a rank outsider when the bookmakers drew up a list of potential candidates to replace McAllister after a five-game losing run that included defeat to Histon in the FA Cup had cost the Scot his job.

Two years on, however, there cannot be many managers more bulletproof in the entire country than the 41-year-old who last January was wanted by Burnley to replace Owen Coyle.

Bates said: "We all know Simon was approached and offered a job earlier this year. It would have been on a lot more money than he is on now but Simon said to me, 'I want to stay and finish the job'. That said a lot about him and how he feels about Leeds United."

On how the season is shaping up for Grayson's men, Bates added: "I am pleased. We were all a bit despondent earlier in the season when we were 14th but I always said this division would be tight until Christmas, when it would start to spread out. That is now happening."

It is not just in the Championship where excitement is growing in Leeds but also the FA Cup after Grayson's side were handed a first visit to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in the third round.

Bates said: "For monetary reasons, it is good news for the club while in football terms it gives us the chance to pit ourselves against Arsenal.

"Last season, we played Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, and in those three games we showed we can hold our own with the big clubs. This will be another big test for us but, as no-one expects us to win, there will be no pressure. In many ways, it will be just like going to Manchester United in the third round last season".

[Torpe-do]

Med fare for å gjøre dette om til nok en Bates-tråd.. men vi har da ikke hatt så fryktelig mange av de akkurat nå i det siste, har vi vel?

Er Bates virkelig en hyggelig kar, i medgang, og en forferdelig kar i motgang?

Og i så tilfelle, er det ønskelig?

[Jon R]

Blir nesten litt rørt på julekvelden jeg. Larry får åpenbart frem de myke sidene i styreformannen vår. Fin lesning! 

[Sleivind]

Blir nesten litt rørt på julekvelden jeg. Larry får åpenbart frem de myke sidene i styreformannen vår. Fin lesning! 

Det er meget hyggelig lesning. At manager og sjefen kommer godt overens er helt essensielt i en fotballklubb. Hvor mange ganger har vi ikke sett at sjefen kjøper spillere som manageren ikke egentlig ønsker? Hvor mange ganger har vi ikke sett at sjefen sparker manageren på grunn av uenigheter når det gjelder spillestil, spillerkjøp osv osv?

At Bates ikke blander seg inn i disposisjonene til Grayson ser vi helt klart igjen i bruken av Johnson. Hadde Bates "bestemt", tipper jeg Johnson hadde sittet på tribunen. Det er meget gledelig at Bates og Grayson har et så godt forhold! Grayson bestemmer spillermåten, hvem som kommer inn, hvem som forsvinner, altså akkurat slik det bør være i enhver fotballklubb, manageren har det fulle ansvar for det sportslige.

[Promotion 2010]

Simon Grayson urges Leeds United players to harness club's history for return to elite
There is an almost eerie sensation to being inside the Leeds United boardroom as the images of Don Revie, John Charles and Billy Bremner gaze down from the walls, embodying the only thing that could not be sold during the financial meltdown which took the club to the brink of extinction.


History lesson: Simon Grayson wants his Leeds players to be 'inspired' and 'motivated' by the club's history
Photo: ACTION IMAGES By Mark Ogden 4:13PM GMT 25 Dec 2010

History. Elland Road is infused with it, but as players, land, and even goldfish, were sold to keep the club afloat during the darkest days of the last decade, the history proved to be the only asset without a 'For Sale' sign attached.

Ten years ago, David O’Leary’s Leeds were en route to the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Valencia. Since that high, the club have plunged to the unimaginable and unprecedented lows of administration and three years in the third tier of English football.

But as Leeds prepare to face Leicester City at the Walkers Stadium on Sunday, Simon Grayson’s team lie second in the Championship with the possibility of securing top spot ahead of the FA Cup third-round trip to Arsenal next month.

A bright new dawn appears to have followed a long, tormented night, but Grayson, who celebrated his second anniversary as manager on Thursday, insists that the history of Revie, Bremner and the rest must be harnessed and embraced if Leeds are to return to the elite.

“When I was Blackpool manager, the pictures used to be up of Stanley Matthews and all the other greats,” Grayson said. “People asked me if it was a burden to have the history and tradition, but I only see it as a motivation for the current players.

“At Leeds, I tell them they can be the new group of players who end up having their pictures all over the walls of Elland Road.

“They can be a new bunch of heroes who can achieve something, so why settle for somebody half-remembering that you played for Leeds United - be one of those who people remember in 10-15 years' time as somebody who was a really good player for the club.

“It’s not about dwelling in the past, it’s about being inspired by it, and after the dark times this club has endured - some of it was soul-destroying - we should be proud of our history and motivated by it.”

Former chairman Peter Ridsdale, who claimed that Leeds were "living the dream" as exorbitant spending on players sparked the club’s demise, is still held up as the figure to blame for the fall from the Champions League to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The £240 bill for goldfish in the chairman’s office hardly broke the bank, but if anything encapsulated the financial madness, that was it.

Having teetered so close to the brink, however, Leeds under Ken Bates are a different animal. The club is now financially stable and profitable and Grayson admits that the lessons of the past will not be forgotten.

He said: “As a club, we are in the black and the chairman, along with [chief executive] Shaun Harvey, run the club as a business.

“And the one thing I would like to think - and I’m sure this will be the case while the chairman is involved - is that the club will never get back to the state it was in financially.

“It was so bad that the club went into administration and that shouldn’t happen to a club like Leeds United. The club’s very existence was at risk.

“Nobody needs to go through that again, where people who had worked here for many years lost their jobs.

“But we are in a really positive state now, the club is making money and we won’t be throwing stupid money around in the transfer window. We don’t want to get back to where we were.”

Having seen home-grown stars such as Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Harry Kewell all offloaded to stem the losses, the Leeds revival is now being driven by captain Jonny Howson, a 22-year-old local boy, and Grayson admits youth is the key to Leeds’ future.

“Jonny Howson, who came through the system and is now captain at 22, has fantastic potential.” Grayson said. “He is a Leeds lad and he wants to be a success at this club.

“He is fulfilling his potential and I am sure people will be keeping an eye on him, but we don’t need to sell anybody.

“I’d like to think that, if the players have the ambition that I think they have, they can see they can succeed with us rather than go elsewhere and Jonny hopefully sees that.”

But can promotion and a return to the Premier League be achieved this season?

Grayson said: “When I came here two years ago, I said that somebody would take Leeds back to where the club belongs and the chance is there, so I would love to be the man to do it.”

Leeds United’s decline and crawl back up

Leeds United’s downward spiral saw the club plunge from Champions League semi-finalists to financially-bereft third tier strugglers within eight years.

April 2001 Champions League semi-finalists.
Jan 2002: Top of Premiership on New Year’s Day.
Jul 2002: Rio Ferdinand sold to Manchester United for £30m.
Jan 2003: Robbie Keane, Robbie Fowler, Olivier Dacourt, Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate all sold.
May 2004: Relegated to Championship.
May 2007: Enter administration, relegated to League One.
Aug 2007: Start League One season on minus 15 points following administration.
May 2008: Lose play-off final to Doncaster Rovers.
May 2010: Promoted to Championship.
Dec 2010: Defeat QPR to occupy second promotion slot in Championship.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leeds-united/8224199/Simon-Grayson-urges-Leeds-United-players-to-harness-clubs-history-for-return-to-elite.html

[Asbjørn]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-United-Whites-picked-a.6675092.jp

...dette kan vel kalles skryt, fra Domenic Matteo

Leeds United: Whites picked a winner with unflappable Simon - Matteo

When a club like Leeds United appoint a new manager, you automatically expect a recognised face to walk through the door.
In some respects, it's the obvious answer to a vacant job. Big clubs and big names tend to go hand in hand.

If, two years ago, Leeds had chosen to invest in a manager who was widely viewed as one of the country's elite coaches â€" and by that I mean a coach who had worked for years in the Premier League â€" they would have taken the safe option.

The manager in question fails! Not our fault. His record and reputation promised so much more.

In the aftermath of Simon Grayson's appointment, the club's supporters were probably inclined to ask 'Simon who'?

I don't think that attitude was derogatory â€" I'd simply say that many people were unfamiliar with his credentials and his background. The public would have taken a Martin O'Neill figure with open arms. I'm sure the mention of Simon Grayson had many people logging on to Wikipedia.

Those of us within the game understood why Leeds had gone for Simon. It was a brave appointment but also an intelligent one; highly astute as it turned out.

If track records were important then his was bang on the money â€" a manager capable of taking a club out of League One and lodging them in the Championship. That's what Leeds were desperate for and that's what they got.

I don't think any other coach would have done a better job over the past two years.

There's a lesson to be learned here (and Blackburn Rovers might take note) â€" appointing a great name is not the same as appointing a great manager. More to the point, it's not the same as appointing a manager who is suited to the job in hand.

Leeds rightly think of themselves as a major club, but that title is meaningless when you're two divisions below the Premier League.

When Simon arrived in December 2008, Leeds were a League One team with League One players. No amount of history or supporters was going to change that.

The only answer was to find a coach with the patience and desire to grab a limited squad by the scuff of the neck.

The progress made under Grayson has been exceptional.

Even now, his managerial profile is smaller than it ought to be. That's probably because he wastes no time on self-promotion.

But his reputation, in my eyes, is as credible as they come â€" promotion and consolidation with Blackpool; promotion and consolidation with Leeds. All of that in little more than five years as a coach.

You only have to look at Leeds' roll of managers in recent times to realise that completing even two years in the job at Elland Road takes real skill and a strong talent for survival.

In general, managers are under more pressure than ever before. People will point to chairmen with itchy trigger fingers for the number of sackings that take place in England but I don't think it's as simple as that. To me, players across the board are becoming harder to manage.

They're less and less willing to accept or listen to criticism and they're difficult to keep happy. Kid gloves seem to be an essential part of a manager's kit.

As far as I'm concerned, receiving criticism is part of being a footballer. It's what makes you better and highlights your faults.

As a young professional at Liverpool, I remember certain games ending with players at each other's throats in the dressing room. If you were at fault, you soon heard about it â€" it toughened your skin and reminded you never to be too precious.

When David O'Leary had a go at me in his infamous Leeds United book, criticising a couple of bad tackles I made, I could have been offended.
But I always saw that sort of thing as part of the game.

I doubt whether dressing rooms could work like that now. Managers who berate players tend to lose them quickly.

That's one of the things which impresses me most about Simon â€" people I speak to who see his squad on a daily basis say the atmosphere amongst the players is fantastic. Diplomacy

They've no reason to lie. It takes a lot of authority and a lot of diplomacy to build a happy camp, especially at a club as demanding as Leeds. You've got internal and external pressure at Elland Road â€" a board and a squad who need good management and a set of supporters who need achievements on the pitch. The pressure must be enormous.

I've had the pleasure of Simon's company on several occasions and I'm constantly struck by how normal he is. Away from work, he's basically an approachable guy who likes a beer, likes his music and likes the company of ordinary people.

You never feel like you're in the company of an ego or speaking to someone who thinks of himself as being above the man in the street.

What he clearly has is that switch â€" the ability to walk into the training ground or into Elland Road and become a manager in the blink of an eye. It's a crucial trait.

Professional management is intense and stressful and a coach who can't switch off will never survive for long.

Players and managers always talk about having confidence in their ability but I think the proof of that pudding is in the way they act.
Managers who seem to be on edge clearly have something to worry about.

It's true that Simon has had difficult spells at Leeds. What players look for in those periods is calm direction from a coach who believes in himself. From what I can gather, he never broke from his usual routine or his usual training methods, even when times were bad. He trusted his philosophy and backed it to come good.

The last thing a squad needs when the pressure's on is a manager who gives the impression that he's starting to doubt himself.

The success of Simon's management can be seen in the Championship table as it stands today. After 24 games, you have to say that Leeds have every chance of reaching the Championship play-offs, against the expectations of many.

Whether they find a way into the Premier League this season remains to be seen. But I've every confidence that when promotion comes, Simon will be the manager who delivers it.

[Masinga]

Dette var en meget, meget god artikkel! Tror Matteo har rett om Simon Grayson. Bare det at han har sittet 2 år i managerstolen er i seg selv en prestasjon på Elland Road.

Spillerne har forandret seg se siste årene iflg. Matteo. Det har han rett i. Med Bosman-dommen har ikke bare spillerne fått bedre vilkår. De er blitt mer selvbevisste på godt og vondt, tåler ikke veiledning og kritikk og lojaliteten kan være så som så.

Det er bra at ingen av oss på forumet er manager i Leeds! Da hadde det blitt totalt kaos.

[Leedsfan]

Fantastisk flott lesing, sitter nesten med en tåre i øyekroken.

[Asbjørn]

The Sun med 'portrettintervju' med Larry:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3324330/Leeds-boss-Grayson-Its-great-when-they-call-us-scum.html

It’s great when they call us scum


SIMON GRAYSON will not win any popularity contests if he takes Leeds back to the Premier League
The 41-year-old Yorkshireman accepts there is begrudging respect towards one of this country's biggest clubs but is equally aware of one very basic fact.

That everyone still hates Leeds.

Yet Grayson, whose team is currently 11 games unbeaten as they impress in their first year back in the Championship, says both players and fans thrive on this negative reputation, even though he yearns for Leeds to be loved for their football.

Grayson was limited to just a couple of appearances as a professional in four years at Elland Road and left just weeks before they won the old First Division title in 1992.

However, the former defender - who has just celebrated his second anniversary at the club - is proving that his terrific work at Blackpool was hardly a fluke.

Tomorrow, Leeds could return to second place if they beat Middlesbrough, a trip to rivals Cardiff awaits on Tuesday before the FA Cup third round match at Arsenal on Saturday.

Another massive week for the club.

Should Leeds continue their spectacular rise after the dark days of two relegations and administration, then Grayson's name will surely be spoken in the same breath as Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson by the club's fans when you consider the mess he inherited.

Speaking at Leeds' foggy training ground yesterday afternoon, he said: "I think the club's reputation - and the slight jealousy towards it - stems from the 1960s and 70s because we did so well.

"That tag stuck with us. But we love being hated - at times. Before we played at Old Trafford last season in the FA Cup, I watched them against Wigan and the Man United fans were still singing 'we hate Leeds' all through the game. But I think our fans now quite like it.

"I go to different countries and people talk about 'Leeds scum'. I walk to different games in this country and I hear the same thing. I turn around and say 'you talking to me?!'

"We are trying to get rid of that tag in terms of the way we play and the way we conduct ourselves.

"Obviously, we would love to be welcomed back to the Premier League and want people to like our football.

"We want to have that rivalry again with the big clubs. But our fans do not worry what they think of us in general.

"When I walked in the door two years ago, I said that someone will take Leeds United back into the Premier League, whether it was in three years, five years or 10 years time.

"Hopefully, I can be the one who does that."

It is impossible to escape history and tradition at Elland Road. Yet Grayson, who used to clean the boots of his chief scout Mervyn Day, says the past must not be forgotten.

He added: "I say to the players 'be the new heroes for the fans and have your pictures around the ground for many years to come'.

"I don't want the club to be taking the pictures down of the great players such as Bremner, Giles, Charlton, Lorimer, Gray. They made the club as big as it is now.

"I am sure in 10 years time, people will be able to reel off the names of the players who beat Manchester United in the FA Cup last season."

It was the FA Cup which provided Leeds with arguably the club's lowest moment and proved to be a key result in the departure of Gary McAllister and the arrival of Grayson.

Forget life in League One. Losing to a village team in a muddy field in Cambridgeshire in November 2008 was the pits.

Grayson said: "It has to be one of the low points. No one knew where Histon was. I was at home watching on TV thinking a) the match should not be played because of the pitch. And b) how were Leeds losing to this team?

Advertisement

"The next couple of results determined Gary leaving the club and hence, that is why I got the opportunity to come and take the dream job.

"It was an opportunity too good to turn down. I knew what it meant for the people of Leeds as I signed as a 14-year-old, the same day as Gary Speed.

"I had a comfortable job at Blackpool. I never looked like losing my job. I felt this was the next stage to be tested at a big club. It was a gamble.

"But I have a good relationship with Ken Bates. Obviously that is easy to say as we are doing well. But he has always backed me.

"We have a laugh and a joke. We do not get too carried away when we do well and we do not get too down when we lose.

"When you are taking 5,000 or 6,000 to Barnsley and Coventry, you know you are in charge of a big club.

"I was at Wigan v Arsenal on Wednesday and there was only 17,000 there. We played Portsmouth and there was 32,000.

"It is just the size of the club and what we are about. That is more pressure on me, but that is why I am here."

[Asbjørn]

Don Revie hadde sin 'lucky blue suit' (en ny foran hver sesong visstnok) og en haug andre ritualer. Grayson har sine:

Må forresten gi cred til Henry Winter som har flere kvalitetsartikler om Leeds nå

Superstitious Simon Grayson pens new chapter in Leeds United's history

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/fa-cup/8249070/Superstitious-Simon-Grayson-pens-new-chapter-in-Leeds-Uniteds-history.html


Superstitions have always been the match-day companions of many managers like Don Revie with his lucky blue suit.

The current driver of Leeds United's fortunes, Simon Grayson, has tried everything from wearing a lucky waterproof top well into summer to religiously attending the same car-wash en route to Elland Road. Now he owns a lucky pen.

"I got it before the Scunthorpe game 12 games ago," Grayson reflected after the 1-1 draw with Arsenal with the winners of next week's replay hosting Huddersfield Town.

"The pen nearly went out of the window after Cardiff (the defeat) but I still have it today." Good move. Grayson's lucky pen is scripting another Cup run and, more importantly, another promotion drive.

"I would swap any draw here for three points against Scunthorpe," said Grayson of his Championship focus.



For all his prioritising, Grayson still ensured Leeds gave everything at the Emirates. The club's tradition demanded it as did 8,500 fans.

"We had nothing to lose," continued Grayson. "No one expected us to get a result.

"We might as well have gone down with a positive approach rather than sitting back and still losing. Within the group I haven’t got too many that can sit back and defend anyway. Snodgrass, Gradel, Howson, Johnson, Becchio and Watt are all attack-minded.

"We probably haven’t got the personnel to defend for 90 minutes, which our goals conceded this year probably shows!"

Yet Leeds took the lead, Denilson fouling Gradel, and the outstanding Snodgrass driving in the penalty. It was the greatest of compliments to Leeds and Grayson that Arsène Wenger began sending on his A-listers like Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas.

"The changes he made, made a big difference, Walcott especially," said Kasper Schmeichel.

"He gave us a torrid time." Right until the dying moments, Schmeichel, Alex Bruce and Andy O'Brien all rose to the challenge, keeping Arsenal at bay.

"Such was Arsenal's mounting desperation that Walcott dived in a vainful attempt to win a penalty, an act of calumny he later apologised for.

"I own up to it," said the Arsenal winger. "I dived."

He was eventually pulled back by Ben Parker and Fabregas calmly stroked the ball down the middle.

Arsenal could have won it but for Nicklas Bendtner's profligacy and Schmeichel's reflexes, particularly in tipping away Denilson's drive. "I wasn't even sure it was going in at the time," he shrugged. "It's what I'm there to do."

Schmeichel was upbeat about the replay. "With the players we've got we should be confident against anybody especially at Elland Road," added the Leeds keeper.

"The atmosphere we can create there is very intimidating but Arsenal will be used to playing in that sort of atmosphere but we're confident. Leeds fans are always magnificent, They're unbelievable."

The revenue from the extra, televised game and the heightened profile of the club should assist Grayson bring players in through the transfer window.

"Hopefully it will help us," said Grayson. "If we have a few more pounds and pennies to spend then I can go and get a couple more players. I’m sure the chairman (Ken Bates) is sat in his apartment now rubbing his hands."'

Leeds' greater prominence also means clubs, particularly in the Premier League, may look more closely at Snodgrass and company.

"Every player has a price on his head, that has been proved in the past with Ronaldo going to Real Madrid," said Grayson of the winger's £80m move form Manchester United.

"It might take that sort of money to let go one or two of my players! There aren’t too many clubs bigger than Leeds United and hopefully one day a lot of these players will fulfil their potential with this football club in the Premier League."

Just as his players showed they can live with elite teams, Grayson relished pitting his wits against Wenger. "It’s great to test yourself as a coach against the best ones," said Grayson.

"He said 'well done'. He's one of the best managers and coaches in the world and has been for many years.

"He has a fantastic football club and has laid all the foundations for his club to be successful over the next 20 or 50 years. He is someone to look up to because I want to play the passing game in a good manner and there is no better team than Arsenal on their day."

After a day of pens, lucky or otherwise, Grayson headed back north, plotting for Scunthorpe.

[kalle_92]

"Hopefully it will help us," said Grayson. "If we have a few more pounds and pennies to spend then I can go and get a couple more players. I’m sure the chairman (Ken Bates) is sat in his apartment now rubbing his hands."'

[Sydhagen]

Simon Grayson har fått meg til å føle en stolthet over Leeds United som jeg ikke har følt siden O'Leary sine beste dager!

Måtte denne mannen lede Leeds i maaaaaaaange år fremover!

MOT!

[Tom S]

There's only one Simon Grayson

[fjellhaugen]

There's only one Simon Grayson

hørt i tv stua på i riggen i går da sangen runget 5 min før slutt.

hør; nu hedre dæm an wænger!

ehh, sier jeg. tror virkelig du hører simon grayson?

næ nu må du gi dæ. d dær e en arsenal sang om han wænger  

jeg orket ikke gå videre inn på den debatten

[B_Ød]

trur vi skar væra gla vi har hæn je...

[lojosang]

There's only one Simon Grayson

hørt i tv stua på i riggen i går da sangen runget 5 min før slutt.

hør; nu hedre dæm an wænger!

ehh, sier jeg. tror virkelig du hører simon grayson?

næ nu må du gi dæ. d dær e en arsenal sang om han wænger  

jeg orket ikke gå videre inn på den debatten

Ja, nettopp. 40000 arsenalfans lagde aldri en lyd på Emirates, men 30 stykk sang en Wængersang på Elland Road som overdøvde våre 37000. 

[fjellhaugen]

There's only one Simon Grayson

hørt i tv stua på i riggen i går da sangen runget 5 min før slutt.

hør; nu hedre dæm an wænger!

ehh, sier jeg. tror virkelig du hører simon grayson?

næ nu må du gi dæ. d dær e en arsenal sang om han wænger  

jeg orket ikke gå videre inn på den debatten

Ja, nettopp. 40000 arsenalfans lagde aldri en lyd på Emirates, men 30 stykk sang en Wængersang på Elland Road som overdøvde våre 37000. 

han prøvde seg på at det var en arsenal sang når "1-0 and u still don`t sing"  gikk over ER også.
håpløs fyr. hører en melodi og detter helt ut

[Papi]

Mener og huske at Leedsfansen hånet Wenger: Arsene Wenger, you`re full og shit!
Men kan være eg drømte det da

[fjellhaugen]

Mener og huske at Leedsfansen hånet Wenger: Arsene Wenger, you`re full of dickshit!
Men kan være eg drømte det da

[fmtj]

Uansett hva som ble sunget fortjener Garyson å bli æret og måtte han føre oss til PL!!!!

[DanskLeedsGut]

Han burde hedde SIR SIMON GRAYSON

[berlin]

Det har vært stilt spørsmål ved Simon Grayson evne til å stable på beina et forsvar/defensiv organsiering som fungerer OK. Teorier/kommentarer/innlegg om SG og/eller spillere heller til at det er merkelig at en tidligere forsvarsspiller, som Grayson er, ikke makter å få sving på dette.

Dermed tenkte jeg det var interessant å se på hans Blackpool-karriere.

Når Blackpool rykket opp fra League 1 i 2006/07, var det via Play-off.
De ble nr 3 i ligaen, hadde VUT 24-11-11
Målforskjellen var 76-49, hvilket ga +27 i diff.
Derimot var antall innslupne mål, 49, dårligst av de 6 øverste lagene.

I Championship sesongen 2007/08, klarte Blackpool seg så vidt, endte på 19.plass, to poeng fra nedrykk. VUT var 12-18-16, og målforskjellen var 59-64. Altså anstendig antall innslupne mål ift 19.plass og ift lagene rundt.

I 2008/29 sesongen ledet han Blackpool i 24 kamper, med en målforskjell på 23-30.

Oppsummert: Leeds under Grayson slipper inn flere mål, enn Blackpool under Grayson.
Ikke en dramatisk forskjell, men tydelig nok.

Leeds har altså 45 innslupne etter 28 kamper i år, og vi har flere poeng enn Blackpool hadde under Grayson. Så tja, man er vel like langt mhp årsaker til "Leeds åpne rearguard". Det er mange andre faktorer som spiller inn, men når jeg engang gravde frem denne statistikken, poster jeg den likegodt.  

[Leedsfan]

Jeg tror det er mer spillertypene vi har til rådighet, enn Grayson sin feil at vi slipper inn så mange mål. Mange av målene vi slipper inn er jo personlige feil/tabber og dårlig konsentrasjon. Kan man virkelig skylde på Grayson for dette?

Et defensivt anker som de fleste av oss ønsker hadde nok løst mye ved å dekke rommet mellom midtbanespillerne og forsvaret.

En annen grunn til alle de innslupne målene er vel at vi er ganske offensive, det må vi jo være siden vi putter så mange mål. Jeg hadde vært glad hvis vi kunne ha holdt nullen i noen kamper fremover.

Hvis vi klarer endel clean sheets i kampene fremover så er jo muligheten for opprykk ganske stor, for mål det skårer vi jo hele tiden.

[kalle_92]

Jeg tror det er mer spillertypene vi har til rådighet, enn Grayson sin feil at vi slipper inn så mange mål. Mange av målene vi slipper inn er jo personlige feil/tabber og dårlig konsentrasjon. Kan man virkelig skylde på Grayson for dette?

Et defensivt anker som de fleste av oss ønsker hadde nok løst mye ved å dekke rommet mellom midtbanespillerne og forsvaret.

En annen grunn til alle de innslupne målene er vel at vi er ganske offensive, det må vi jo være siden vi putter så mange mål. Jeg hadde vært glad hvis vi kunne ha holdt nullen i noen kamper fremover.

Hvis vi klarer endel clean sheets i kampene fremover så er jo muligheten for opprykk ganske stor, for mål det skårer vi jo hele tiden.

Hvis er nøkkelordet her! Jeg tror forøvrig ikke på julenissen. 
Skulle vi mot all forventning holde nullen og gi Kasper noen smultringer, så tror jeg jammen jeg må begynne med hattespising selv!

[rd1]

Etter å ha sluppet inn 3 mål hjemme mot Barnsley, samt at vi har divisjonens dårligste forsvar i forhold til ligasposisjon kan vi stille oss spørsmålet om hvem som gjør en for dårlig jobb? og svaret:

GRAYSON

hvorfor?

I fjor hadde vi Doyle som ballvinner/terrier på midtbanen. Han gjorde en ok jobb i leauge one, men mange mente vi trengte en bedre spiller i denne rollen.

I sommer gikk låneavtalen ut med Doyle, og det ville vært naturlig å a) kjøpe Doyle b) hente inn en bedre spiller/annen spiller i samme rolle.

Men hva gjorde Grayson?? INGENTING. I den posisjonen som Leeds helt opplagt mangler en spiller som kan fylle rollen, mistet vi Doyle (som allerede var dårlig) og erstattet med INGEN..

Istede brukte Grayson 0,5MP på en fjottspiss fra Cardiff, hvis eneste prestasjon er å frarøve Sommas fortjente spilletid.

Så skulle man tro at vi hentet inn en spiller som defensiv midbane anker i januarvinduet? men neida. Hvorfor styrke laget der det virkelig trengs. Det finnes selvsagt ingen defensive midtbanespillere i hele fotballverden??

SKJERP DEG GRAYSON!!!

[Oggy]

Noe av det virkelig rare han har gjort, ser ut til å være
lånet av ny 3. keeper. Virket helt meningsløst...

Få inn kvalitet fort som FAN

[marve]

Noe av det virkelig rare han har gjort, ser ut til å være
lånet av ny 3. keeper. Virket helt meningsløst...

Få inn kvalitet fort som FAN

Kansje kasper er på vei ut til sommern

[TK20]

Etter å ha sluppet inn 3 mål hjemme mot Barnsley, samt at vi har divisjonens dårligste forsvar i forhold til ligasposisjon kan vi stille oss spørsmålet om hvem som gjør en for dårlig jobb? og svaret:

GRAYSON

Evt:

Etter å ha vært direkte innblandet i opprykksstriden nesten hele sesongen som nyopprykket lag, samt å ha scoret flest mål i divisjonen, kan vi stille oss spørsmålet: hvem gjør en kjempegod jobb? Og svaret:

GRAYSON

Er ikke fornøyd med det defensive selv, men forsøker å beholde et visst perspektiv. Glasset er halvfullt her i gården, hvertfall!

[Jon R]

Grayson har gjort en kjempejobb. Ingen tvil om det. Desto mer irriterende at han ikke har
klart å gjøre noe med vår akilleshæl nr 1, den defensive organiseringen.

[Leedsfan]

Noe av det virkelig rare han har gjort, ser ut til å være
lånet av ny 3. keeper. Virket helt meningsløst...

Få inn kvalitet fort som FAN

Kansje kasper er på vei ut til sommern

En god keeper som ofte gjør spektakulære redninger, men er ofte feilplassert. Har nå sett han slippe inn 5 mål på to kamper og er litt skuffet over han.