After the humiliation at Barnsley it is understandable why the 'Grayson Out' army is louder than ever before. It's tough losing to any local rival but a 4-1 battering really hurts. However, I remain loyal to Grayson and think that calls for his head are very premature. Don't get me wrong, I understand that this hasn't been a great season but it's also hardly a nightmare.
The summer proved to be a key time for Grayson without him actually being able to do much about it. Such is the way Leeds do business that Grayson simply hands over a list of the players that he wants and Shaun Harvey is sent away to get them, although Bates is occasionally involved in negotiations such as Andy O'Brien. With him being forced to let go of Johnson and Kilkenny, two players that divided opinion, as well as losing one of the best players in the Championship in Gradel and not having the time nor the funds to replace him I think it's entirely understandable that we're playing like a mid table side. Those three players were regulars in our midfield, with Johnson and Gradel contributing plenty of goals. Although he never said much on the matter, I don't believe that Grayson wanted to lose Kilkenny and Johnson, two players that he initially dropped from the side when he arrived and who fought their way back in to the team. Gradel contributed 18 goals last season and is a player of very high quality, losing a talent like him was always going to be difficult. Again though, this can be put down to the administration rather than the manager for not offering Gradel a good contract.
We were linked with a number of quality players and each time the deals seemed to fall through as soon as they found out about the £12k wage limit. Players like Puncheon, Smith and Bowyer were all linked and are players that would, I believe, walk in to this side and each add something, and who seemed to be willing to talk with the club but it was the lack of money that halted the deals. Clearly the collapse of these deals is down to the administration of the club and not the manager.
Just running through Saturday's side explains a lot. Connolly, O'Dea. Kisnorbo, Vayrynen, Pugh, Brown, Nunez and Keogh are all replaceable players and with Snodgrass and Howson missing, it's no wonder the score was as bad as it was. Then there's those outside the first team. Bromby, Bruce, Paynter, Rachubka, Forssell, Sam and Maik Taylor are all being paid to do nothing. Some of these are understandable. Yet it still baffles me that someone like Alex Bruce hasn't had a chance in the side since the 3-1 defeat at Swansea last season but before that he'd been playing in the defence during the clubs best run in the league all season, including a terrific performance at The Emirates. However, this is just one player from a large group who have done little to show that they're good enough to take Leeds to the next level.
An article recently published that is doing the rounds on Twitter suggests that the players are unhappy with the way in which he dealt with the Andy O'Brien situation. In summary O'Brien said he wasn't ready to play against Leicester or Burnley but was admonished by Grayson when he allegedly asked not to play. In my opinion, after giving O'Brien so much time to deal with his personal problems the club had a perfectly reasonable case to want him back playing. He is one of the highest earners at the club and they had already shown him loyalty by granting him time away from the game to deal with his issues. Given the time frame he must have expected that the club would want to play him again at some stage, especially with him putting in a good performance against Leicester.
This article is without source so it may well have some truth. Personally, I believe that it is a coincidence and just the fact we have a very average squad. There are a number of players that are getting paid good money to do very little or nothing. Even those that are in the first team are average players for this level, hence the position we are in. In January the club needs to get rid of much of the deadwood and inject some passion and quality back in to the side.
Good luck Andros Townsend.
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