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.
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