Steve Evans arrives as Leeds United boss
It’s been quite a day, even for a football club in Leeds United that resembles a Whitehall Farce set on Fantasy Island – with a chorus of clowns and a plot straight out of the Crossroads school of dire soap operas. The first thing we heard this morning was that Uwe Rösler had been sacked. This, in retrospect, turned out to be the least surprising event of the day – after all, Rösler had received the fatal vote of confidence from Massimo Cellino not long back, so the axe had been poised to fall for some little time.
This was no “mutual consent” contract termination, it appears. Rösler has been kicked out on the basis of undeniably poor results, but he’s unlikely to take it lying down, with a plea for support from the League Managers Association probable. We supporters can take it as read that Uwe’s course is run – and it’s unlikely many will mourn his passing, despite his laughably brief tenure. But Leeds could yet face a hefty bill to be rid of their umpteenth coach since the Mad Italian landed at Elland Road.
It’s that procession of team managers in and out of the revolving door that was the problem for shocked Leeds fans this morning, rather than the loss of Rösler per se. Supporters rightly complained that the club is being made to look ridiculous – a laughing stock – as a result of Cellino’s allegro hire ’em then fire ’em recruitment policy. And then the next thing we heard was that convicted tax fraudster Cellino had lined up convicted tax fraudster Steve Evans as his next appointment.
Immediately, the fat jokes and the dodgy geezer jokes came to the fore as football’s most put-upon fans responded with a broadside of gallows humour. Evans’ ample girth was the main target, with several terrace wits remarking upon the proximity of a McDonalds restaurant to Elland Road, and a video being shared online of our new head coach doing a celebratory touch-line waddle at Wembley, as he celebrated a playoff final goal for his then charges Rotherham.
And then, another twist. My first blog today took as its theme “Go, Cellino. In the name of God, GO”. And, lo, it has come to pass. For the time being, at least temporarily and subject to appeal, Cellino is gone – banned again by the Football League under their Owners and Directors provisions, more loosely known as the “Fit & Proper Test“. And it is this latest development that has put a new complexion on the whole troubled and rancorous day.
This morning, humiliated at the ridicule our great club was suffering under the direction of a barking Italian, the support was angry and out for blood, to judge by the mood online. Most if not all of that anger was directed at Cellino, with few if any mourning the demise of Rösler, who has won few friends with some odd decisions. So Cellino was under fire, not so much for the Rösler sacking as for what that said about his modus operandi thus far and looking ahead. But now, so it seems, Cellino will have no influence at Leeds for the foreseeable future.
This does make a difference. With Cellino out of the picture, we have a football club to support again, rather than a mad egomaniac’s plaything. It has become our function once more to support rather than to complain; to get behind the team rather than saturating the ether with negative vibes about the club. It’s vitally important that we, as a body of support, recognise the crucial difference between Cellino’s Leeds United – and a Leeds United without that overbearing, embarrassing presence about the club.
In many ways, we have a new start in a positive sense, with a new man in charge of the team, and a new chance to go forward with a clean slate and – we should hope – all the players looking to impress Evans from day one. The removal of Cellino must surely mean an immediate improvement in Steve Evans’ prospects of being around long enough to make a difference. The supporters‘ role in that must be unswerving backing for the shirts – nothing less will do.
What a difference a day makes. What a roller-coaster today has been. But the last case may well be better than the first, with the net effect being beneficial for Leeds United. It’s a leap of faith, but we have to believe this will be true. We must put our support behind Leeds United, the team, the manager, and we must start Marching On Together once more – now that the focus for our anger appears to have been removed, at least for the time being.
Let’s do what we can, then, to get solidly behind the club from here on in, and see where that might take us. After all; you, me – even Steve Evans – we’re all Leeds, aren’t we?
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Now’s the time for a Pearson led consortium to step forward and make this stupid Italian an offer he can’t refuse.
Here’s hoping.
MOT always
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Cellino has gone nowhere. He is merely banned by the FL temporarily (although i do hope they make it permanent). Cellino’s massive ego will not allow him to leave, losing face etc.
He has appointed yes-men and they will do his bidding, or more likely as during recent bans, do nothing at all and the club nosedives in its limbo.
We don’t have Pearson to steady the ship during the maniac’s absence this time. The remaining LUFC Directors are his two sons and a dodgy Florida lawyer. God help us. Oh for a minted Leeds fan! Russell?
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Unless his appeal succeeds (can lightning strike twice??) then Cellino is out at least until this latest conviction is spent – June 2016. Longer as and when pending cases are decided against him. He could indeed be out – the support base he had when the FL first tried to reject him is a LOT smaller now. Meanwhile, he can’t have any involvement in the running of the club. It’s the best news for a while.
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This stupid Italian saved our club from Administration, thank god for small mercies because despite your wishful thinking no one is going to come anywhere near us for a very long time.
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Sez who? Oh, just you. That’s OK then 🙂
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Ok I got it wrong, who are these mysterious investors looking to buy into LUFC, just one name or company will set my mind at ease, take your time
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Got to have a seller before you have a buyer. You can work the rest out yourself, or ask another adult – I have work to do.
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Cellino is testing my patience a little, not wishing to be negative but Evans isn’t my cup of tea at allI and although I’m not particularly sorry to see Rosler gone his time in charge was too short to judge him in all reality, for me the players need to show some desire and be better individually and collectively starting yesterday.
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I’m just hoping Evans can inject some passion. The squad seems technically OK, but has been dreadfully lacking in desire and motivation. Improvements there will make a big overall difference.
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How much of that is the managers fault and how much cellinos? Cellino hanging around like a fart in a lift, arbitrary random hiring & firing, redfern being stupidly sacked when half the team have grown up under him… the general soap opera that is leeds. None of this is good for morale.
I think with cellino now out the picture for a while, rosler could have pulled together some decent results, much like redfern did when cellino wasn’t around, let’s face it when cellino is in town, he’s managing the team. The managers ate just there to take the shit when it hits the fan
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Absolutely no progress has been made this season and the situation week in and week out, has been absolutely hopeless with Rosler in charge.
Steve Evans has the passion for the game, which is desperately needed at Leeds and he is a far better appointment than Hockaday, Milanic and Rosler.
We have to give him a chance and get behind him and I’m sure that even he can inspire this uninspired Leeds team into winning games again, because Rosler certainly could not do that at Elland Road.
Let’s just hope that the 4-4-2 formation is brought back in, because Leeds need to climb the table and get productive results again.
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Agreed. MOT
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Disagree in one area, we have better players than last season, however I agree that playing 4-4-2 will almost guarantee better results. playing one up front is a defensive tactic and not really rock and roll football, just gives your opposition a chance to push another player up front. Why in the 4-3-3 system are the wingers classed as forwards but in 4-4-2 they are classed as midfielders, back in the old days teams used to play 4-2-4
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We play 4-3-3 because cellino wants to play 4-3-3.
Just like when the diamond formation was flavour of the month.
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I’m sure squad were brainwashed by Roslers analysis & stats, perhaps under Evans they may be trusted to think for themselves. Football is a fairly simple game to play, performing & self motivation is the responsibility of every player, only tactics are what the coach/manager should have to deliver. As you have stated Rob getting behind the team & giving Evans a chance is what all the support need to do, not waste energy on Cellino. Eventually he will sell as the Football League will hound him out. MOT
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The last time we won anything we had a manager who loved stats and detailed analysis.
Our current manager is a superstitious lounge lizard Italian amateur. Our assistant manager / scapegoat is some fat clown from the dinosaur era of football management
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At the start of the season I was confident we would do well, now I just hope and prey we stay up. We need a Zulu which doctor to lift this curse hanging over the club, sooner rather than later.
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Cellino is the king of spin, not the king of corn.
He quickly grasps on to things others have said and twists it to his advantage. These are the qualities he has – if you can call them qualities – and he uses them to his best advantage. Rosler said when he took the job that he wanted his team to play heavy metal football. We all bought into that – sounds great – but in the last two weeks that came back to haunt him. Cellino justified Rosler’s sacking by saying he wants to see heavy rock football not country music football. He criticizes Rosler for telling the fans we won’t get promotion this year yet Rosler was echoing only what Cellino said a few weeks ago. Cellino says he loves Steve Evans’ passion and wants it to rub off on the players. Let’s hope so and in the meantime Cellino’s disqualification is interesting and if it really happens is is exciting and could bring about some stability. The two week international break created restlessness for Cellino and the back to back home defeats were too much for him to stand. It was inevitable the axe would fall and it is cowardly and disgraceful in my opinion. I hope Rosler gets a good payoff at Cellino’s expense. Come back Adam Pearson and save us from this loony!
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If he loves passion, why did he sack redders? Evans doesn’t have the passion for Leeds that redders has, redders is one of us.
Cursed with shite owners for nearly a quarter of a century now. Can no one who knows what they are doing see the potential of Leeds? Biggest city in Europe without a top flight club, loyal fan base, strong tradition, internationaly know.
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That’s the $64,000 conundrum.
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Great press conference and another very good talker. But aren’t they all? They wouldn’t be managers if not and certainly not LUFC managers. I am sure he knows how to get success. 3 seasons at Rotherham – 2 back-to-back promotions and the 3rd season keeps Rotherham up. He will be as good as McDermott, Redfern and Rosler. The reason managers don’t succeed at Leeds is down to the owners going back to Bates and now Cellino. Give him time and financial backing and I am sure we will not be relegated and we will be able to compete. If Cellino is banned he might be good enough to push for the playoffs – time will tell but will he be given any time? If they lose the first three matches he will probably be sacked. I am excited to see how they will play, how the players will respond to the new manager and to see Cellino banned until June. MOT #CellinoOutNow
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Without Cellino breathing down his neck,at least up front on matchdays,we should give the new manager a chance,even if his mouth is as big as his girth. I bet Cellino must be aware of his notorious sacking record. Maybe,just maybe he’ll give this guy a chance,for fear of yet more ridicule on his managerial appts.
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Off topic rob.
But I was wondering about your views on hameron and gideon bumming up to the chinese after they’ve pulled an opec style selling steel at a loss to destroy foreign competition resulting in thousands of hard working family blokes in the north and Scotland being chucked on the scrap heap.
The right are blaming it on the the eu, but the germans, French and poles want to put import tariffs on Chinese steel while our coke snorting pig fucking “betters” want “free” trade. Or they blame it on the unions, even though Tata and the engineers union issued a joint statement and are getting along fine and blaming It on the Chinese and the torys.
Makes you wonder how many of these public schoolboy twats have shares in chinese engineering firm, what with hs2 (which everyone in the northern cities thinks could be spent better elsewhere e.g. rail link to LBA, decent road between Manchester & Sheffield), the nuclear power plants, property developments down London etc..
Shite times, its like being back In the 80s, only we now have simon cowell infecting the chart with crap music Instead of Pete waterman.
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I can do no more than agree wholeheartedly Ste – I think our respective views are not a million miles apart.
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Oh and we should play a German style 4-2+3-1 it’s what suits our team, its also a style that suits a traditional Leeds team that us fans like, great midfield, tidy back line. It’s what redders wanted to play, being an admirer of the bunders league, I assume its what rosler wanted to play too, being a mate of klop and lowe.
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