Bates, Bankrolls and Baguettes

As fans of Leeds United stand united in bemusement tonight over Max Gradel's proposed transfer to St. Ettiene of France, a debate on where the blame lies has once again broke out amongst the Leeds fans. Whilst one half of the support feel frustrated at Gradel's desire to leave, the other remains furious with the way in which Ken Bates has yet again handled proceedings.

Max Gradel's proposed transfer has sparked outrage from the Leeds United support

It's understandable for fans to be feeling pushed by Bates. His treatment towards the players and their contracts has been nothing short of a disaster, whilst his intentions to invest within the squad have been limited. Max Gradel has been the spectacle of speculation this summer for Leeds United, so you'd expect such a promising star to be quickly brought in for negotiations with the club. Having reached double figures by Christmas and effectively cleaning his slate after the chaotic scenes against Bristol Rovers in May 2010, these negotiations should have been finalised months ago. Instead, those that matter held off from contract discussions until the summer before conversing with the media with regards to Max's contract more than they did with the Ivorian himself.

And tomorrow, when the sale of Gradel is complete, the club will have cashed in for another multi-million pound sum to go along with the income from the departed Kasper Schmeichel and Fabian Delph. Millions have been raised through ticket sales at Elland Road throughout our time in League One and above, whilst cup runs and playoff excursions have added to the tally. With all the promise that sensible and constructive financial investment can offer, this great club should be dancing on the streets with optimism. Instead, Bates has sold our several chances of success in order to please his own building portfolio, whilst the team's management is left to fill the gaps with freebies from Honduras and America.

It seems for our chairman that the funding for the hotel needs to come from somewhere other than his own pocket. A transfer warchest that has been promised for years is yet to be delivered, and we as a club are set to lose our second star player of the summer with no doubt little return for our own squad. Meanwhile, the club has lost £7 Million in improvements to the East Stand, on a ground the club doesn't even own, through a project that is behind schedule. Even when Ken wants to splash the cash, it appears he can't do it sensibly.

Bates' stance on selling star players has usually been quite unique. His intent to spend little and keep cash flowing in has been evident for years. Despite this, though, his desire to hang on to his star players has proved somewhat decisive. Ex-Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford saw out the entirety of his contract due to Bates' reluctance to sell when Newcastle came knocking, a move which saw Beckford stay throughout the club's spell in League One. Beckford ended his time at Leeds United on a high, scoring the goal that led to Leeds' promotion to the Championship, that goal promoting Bates' decision to keep hold of the striker.

His determination to keep hold of key assets for the playing staff was highlighted even more when the club rejected several bids from Norwich City for winger Robert Snodgrass. All in all, it would've seemed that despite the lack of investment, Bates' business mind was almost doing Leeds United a favour.

Bates' decision to sell Gradel is set to lose him his already decreasing support

Any small sign of that has since disappeared with today's offer from St. Ettiene being accepted. With just over 36 hours remaining in the transfer window, the club allowed Gradel to hand in a transfer request and fast-track his way back to his native France. One week ago, Bates took to his weekly interview with his own project Yorkshire Radio proclaiming Gradel wasn't going anywhere. Not only has the chairman managed to back out on his own promises to the fans, but he has also done so leaving manager Simon Grayson just 24 hours to find a replacement, and no doubt on the cheap. Expect the transfer sections of tomorrow's national press to link us to £200,000 moves for Sanchez Watt and Lloyd Dyer, whilst Gradel parades his St. Ettiene shirt around Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Bates has often fought back to those who criticised the pricing of season tickets and matchday-prices with the same retort; 'Premiership prices means Premiership football'. Whilst the fans have waited patiently whilst digging deep for the privilege, they've taken solace in watching the likes of Gradel and Snodgrass. These types of players have offered glimpses of hope for a future in the top tier and for now remain the closest we can get to Premiership football for our Premiership prices. Some consolation to such minimalistic spending would have been a determination to keep our best players at the club on long term contracts. Whilst the undying loyalty of Luciano Becchio saw the Argentine sign on a four-year deal at Christmas, not every player holds such a connection to the shirt he wears alone. It's understandable for players to be driven by money in the modern game, and it's foolish of the club to think they can rely on pittances for payslips.

Had Bates dug slightly into his pocket, this whole episode in the series of unfortunate events this summer could have been avoided. Gradel could've been overlooking a contract he deserved tonight in West Yorkshire instead of planning flights to France in order to find what he warrants. Instead, he remains stubborn in his ways, keeping to a lowly wage-budget plan, hoping it'll see us through yet again.

This isn't to say that Gradel has been entirely innocent in all of this. Despite deserving a new contract for his efforts last season, it's a wonder how Gradel's desire to leave has come so strongly after all the club has done for him. After a successful loan period at Elland Road, the Ivorian was set to squander in the reserve squad of Leicester City under Nigel Pearson's management all over again. Leeds' interest sparked Gradel to hand in a transfer request and save him from his nightmare.  Six months on from the move, in the most important game of his career to that date, Max had foolishly been sent off for violent conduct against Bristol Rovers in a game the club needed to win in order to gain promotion. Luckily, the team dug deep and history was made; Leeds promoted to the Championship, winning 2-1 with ten men. Most managers would've been willing to let Max go after such immaturity and stupidity. Simon Grayson made sure the club stayed loyal to the Ivorian, though, hoping for loyalty in return. According to Max, that loyalty is repaid after 18 goals and a transfer request within two days of the transfer window opening. Apparently that repays helping an individual earn his first cap for his country on the biggest platform that was available to him at the time.

Max Gradel gets stuck in at Upton Park

However, from Max's perspective, it still remains easy to see why things have been so tough. It's obvious that last season's efforts warranted a new contract offer from the club, one that failed to formally be offered. And whilst it's tough to take Max's request to leave the club, giving Grayson and his staff 24 hours to find a replacement, it's ultimately falls to Ken Bates to dictate the situation. With 24 hours remaining, there is no way that the club should've buckled to sell. It's an insult to Grayson's position who now has an unbelievably tough task in replacing Max Gradel. Bates has been lucky that Grayson has a possible replacement already at the club in the form of Ramon Nunez, but with less than a year remaining on the Hondurans contract, the situation refuses to change as Bates continues his regime with a gentle two fingers pointed towards the fans. The club has 24 hours to find a replacement, and Bates has the same amount of time to deliver on some failing promises. Unless he's managed to get Jack Bauer onto the case, I'd not hold out any strong hope.

The decision to waste numerous opportunities to tie Gradel down on a longer contract, as well as the cost this could bring to the club in terms of fans turning their back on Bates' regime could be huge. With a protest already in full swing and a flurry of fans ready to join, you'd hope for Ken's sake that Max's transfer fee will keep him warm at night.

Clayton Shines as Opportunity Finally Arrives

Twelve months ago, Adam Clayton's move to Leeds United had reserved judgement from the Elland Road faithful. Today, he stands amongst the crowd as a fans favourite after impressing early on in the season. The 22-year old midfielder had originally struggled to break into the Leeds United side, despite pleas from the Leeds fans to give the youngster a chance. After having waited patiently though, Clayton is quickly being touted as a future talisman for the long-term future at Elland Road.

Clayton on his Leeds United debut vs. Derby County

A transfer that came seemingly out of nowhere, Clayton joined Leeds after an initial short-term loan spell on an undisclosed fee from Manchester City. The midfielder had left City following a successful loan spell at League One outfit Carlisle United, where Leeds boss Simon Grayson first caught sight of the young midfielder. Clayton impressed in the Northern Section final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Leeds, scoring in the Cumbrian's home leg as Carlisle knocked out Leeds United on penalties. It was from then on that Grayson kept tabs on the young midfielder, then twenty, as a possible piece of Leeds' long-term jigsaw.

After 29 games and two goals at Brunton Park, Clayton returned to Manchester hopeful of a chance to prove his worth at the free-spending club. World Class stars flooded in, though, leaving the youngsters at Manchester City exiled. Grayson pounced on the opportunity and quickly loaned the Manchester-born star to join up with his squad for the first season back in the Championship at Elland Road. He featured for Leeds from the bench twice on his loan spell before completing his permanent move to Leeds on the last day of the 2010 summer transfer window, though failed to break into Leeds' short-term plans. On arrival, Grayson had stated his intent to use Clayton as part of a long term plan at Elland Road, and subsequently Clayton had to bide his time yet again.

Not many raised an eyebrow at Grayson's decision; The youngster, despite having almost a full season under his belt professionally, was still of a slim build. Many questioned whether he was yet ready to face the physical challenge presented by the Championship, and over the first few months, little was pondered on the transfer. After having shone in the league below, Clayton was having to prove his worth in reserve matches alongside Ross McCormack and Ramon Nunez, all of whom now reside in the first team at Elland Road.

Whilst Clayton continued to perform at reserve level, it wasn't enough to convince Grayson to offer him a chance at first-team level. He was subsequently loaned out to Peterborough United, where Adam started to turn his Leeds United career around. Having joined initially for a one month period in November, Clayton had little time to show off his abilities, but managed to become an instant hit at London Road, with the Posh fans admiring his tenacity and ability to break forward. It was during his time at Peterborough that Clayton had started to show a bit of extra bulk, something that had previously been missing whilst at Carlisle. No longer was he the light soul that had seen him immediately questioned at Championship level, this was a youngster capable of handling the physical challenges ahead. His impressive performances earned him an extension to his loan, keeping him at Peterborough for another month.

Another loan spell later on in the season with MK Dons returned another impressive review, with Don's boss Karl Robinson revealing he felt Clayton was one of the leading players in the division, and that he would jump at the opportunity to re-sign him if the opportunity was to arise again. His time at Milton Keynes saw him face previous side Peterborough in the Playoff semi-finals, and despite being knocked out, was judged as the star player of the tie.

Many fans at Elland Road had previously questioned the decision to loan out Clayton again, though, as Leeds' form had started to stutter. The midfield wasn't as connected as it had been during it's impressive unbeaten spell towards the end of the 2010 calender year which saw United climb to second on Christmas Day. Clayton's continued to impress in the reserves between loan spells, and many had questioned why manager Grayson hadn't offered Adam the chance of playing in the first-team, despite bringing in Jake Livermore and Barry Bannan from Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa respectively to fill in the problems in midfield. The decision is still questioned today, as Clayton continued to impress at MK Dons, whilst Bannan and Livermore failed to stamp their authority on games during their time in West Yorkshire.

Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny's departure from Leeds United offered a fresh start for Clayton, who took the pre-season confidently. He remained the regular starter in the United midfield, pairing with Zac Thompson, Jonny Howson and new signing Michael Brown. Short spending and wage restrictions meant many signings at Elland Road were unexpected, and the arrival of just Brown, after his release from Portsmouth, signalled as possibility for Clayton to claim a first team role at the club. Significant injuries to the strike force at the club meant the team travelled to their opening match of the 2011/12 season at Southampton with five in midfield, offering Clayton his first start in a Leeds United shirt. Southampton dominated the game throughout, though Clayton took pride from his performance, receiving rave reviews from the fans, following on from his praise throughout pre-season.

Man of the Match performances against Hull City and West Ham United have cemented his role quickly into the starting eleven at Leeds, having formed a tenacious and hard-working partnership with captain Howson. It's a partnership that has proven to be a shining light in a dismal summer for Leeds United, as the fans grow frustrated with the board and lack of investment towards the playing staff. His quick impression amongst the squad, along with Ramon Nunez and Tom Lees, has started to paper over the cracks at Elland Road which should have been filled in by sufficient investment by chairman Ken Bates. It's a testament to the young talent within the squad and manager Simon Grayson that performances of such quality against the likes of West Ham and Hull can still be produced on what is a shoe-string budget.

His ability to show strength and tenacity on and off the ball has been something missing within a Leeds United midfield for years, and some suggest that this sort of presence could have seen the West Yorkshire outfit press on towards the playoffs towards the end of last season. It almost feels like a vital chance wasted by the management at Elland Road, with Clayton seemingly unable to put a foot wrong whilst in a Leeds United shirt. His attitude to the game is second to none, his effort so far cannot be questioned. Quickly, Clayton is building a rapport and connection with the fans that is rarely seen by a player that isn't 'born and bred Leeds'. It's quite incredible really to think the lad is actually from Manchester. After his equaliser and celebration with the delirious Leeds fans at West Ham on Sunday, it's become quite easy to forget that Clayton isn't 'one of the crowd'.

Despite it being early days in his own Leeds career, there is little to suggest why his sort of performances can't continue long throughout the season alongside Robert Snodgrass, Max Gradel and the aforementioned Howson in what has to be one of the most exciting midfield line-ups within the nPower Championship.

Clayton celebrates his first goal for Leeds, equalising in injury time at West Ham

Contracts are often discussed for Leeds United players, be it by the fans or the media. Jermaine Beckford, along with Kilkenny and Johnson, have all left Yorkshire after seeing out their contracts in the past 18 months, the club unable to agree terms with all three. Not only that, but there are significance doubts as to whether or not Max Gradel will sign a new deal, with his contract running out at the end of the season. Whilst it seems like a Ken Bates policy to leave contract negotiations until within the last year of the deal (something which happened to Luciano Becchio, who negotiated a new deal with six months remaining on his previous contract), some pressure must be on the boardroom to start offering the likes of Clayton new deals soon. Adam himself has just under two years remaining on his deal, though fans will be worrying about a similar situation for the new terrace favourite which seems to be hang over their star players like it has done in the past for Beckford, and currently for Gradel.

To most, it'd seem efficient business and a strong signal of intent for the future of the club to offer the likes of Clayton and Snodgrass (also with just under 2 years remaining) new deals. Pressure needs to be placed onto Bates to have these sort of deals sorted quickly, as these sort of players, with age on their side and bags of potential within them, could be the basis of Leeds United's midfield for years to come. With the protest against Ken Bates still going strong, and signs of unease within the Leeds support growing, it's only a matter of time before pressure is brought upon Bates not only to improve the investment into the playing squad in terms of transfers, but in terms of keeping hold of his star players too.

Bates himself should see Clayton and the like as an opportunity to build some bridges with the Leeds United fans. It may not get the monkey off his back, but a strong intention to keep the likes of Clayton for years to come, a player who's potential promises so much, could give the old man some breathing space away from his protesters.