Cellino gamble too risky for Leeds
Tuesday 4th February 2014 14:21
Massimo Cellino: Will bring turmoil, not glory says FanZoner Steve Turner.
Leeds United FanZoner Steve Turner believes life under prospective owner Massimo Cellino would bring turmoil, not glory.
Given Leeds' recent history with egotistical owners, and the eight-year long battle to have the most recent one removed, you'd think that the fans would've learnt their lesson.
After all, it was only just over a year ago that we were crying out for the club to be run well. When Ken Bates decided to sell up nobody expected a takeover of Manchester City proportions, after seeing the club ground down to a shadow of its former self we needed stability, not a money fuelled promotion challenge.
Perhaps that's what makes the fact that so many are suddenly prepared to take a gamble on the club's future once again as disappointing as it does. Forget Massimo Cellino's chequered past, this is a man that oozes instability.
'But he has millions' - an argument so weak it needs addressing rapidly. Cellino has money, of that there is no doubt, but one look at Cagliari's recent transfer history suggests he isn't willing to spend it. His policy of signing free transfers and only using money from player sales to recruit has eerie similarities to the previous owner, the one that nobody liked.
That said, it's easy to understand where the fans wanting a quick fix are coming from, the craving for a return to the Premier League intensifies by the day, but that hunger should not have us considering reloading the gun for another game of Russian roulette. The club barely survived the last one.
It's easy to favour a man with supposed millions over a group that nobody really knows anything about, but put simply, take away Cellino's money and he'd be the preferred choice of few. Stability is the key for Leeds, after finally finding their feet it would be a catastrophic mistake to sign up to another rollercoaster like future filled with uncertainty. Anyone that thinks that Cellino would let Brian McDermott 'build' should take another quick glance Cagliari's way, since November 2010, the seven managers they've had have seen their reign last an average of five-and-a-half months.
The temptation to roll the dice will always see a few lose sight of what's important, after all, every Leeds fan wants to see Premier League football back at Elland Road, but it's vital for the club that the fans are united in their views on Cellino. His transfer policy, attitude and apparent disrespect for the fans' wishes suggest he's no more fit to run the club than Ken Bates. A life under Cellino would be full of turmoil, not glory.
The fans made it clear on Saturday that they are and will always be the heartbeat of the club, when they're in unison there truly is nothing in the world like it. We saw how divided the fan base became under Bates, the club may as well have removed the 'United' from its name, and when you take a minute to step back and remember just how toxic things became any positive feeling you have towards a future under Cellino should disappear as fast as they arrived.
We spent a long time fighting a cancer at the club that brought it to its knees, the club was on life support on more than one occasion, and no amount of wealth or investment is worth seeing Leeds United and the fans suffer again.
When something is knocked down, you rebuild it. It's better to lay solid foundations and take your time than to rush through a quick fix that could easily fall apart again in future.