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Leeds aren't in a position to pay dividends so I doubt cash has been taken out. Their balance sheet makes horrible reading as they have net liabilities in excess of £100m. Interestingly enough, they are due to pay over £21m in bonuses if they get promoted!

It looks as though the show is finally on the road, with little to stop it, bar something unforeseen, and exceedingly nasty, emerging from due diligence. There do not appear to be any other impediments, given the shareholdings of those apparently, now, in the 'sale' camp. Of course, it would be unsurprising to find Certifiable Public Accountants from the East End endeavouring to divert, delay, or even derail the process, on absolutely no grounds whatsoever, beyond malice, and madness. One of the few -the very few- things of which I am confident is that the new owners, and their consultants, and advisers, will treat any and all such attempts at intervention with the seriousness each deserves. However, if the deal falls, even at this late stage, and for whatever reason, we should be concerned about what would happen next. I don't mean merely that we should worry about the present custodians being forced to continue on the current road of travel, although it is at least arguable that that eventuality is significantly less than desirable. I mean that if some serious, heavy hitting, investors, sports investors, and sports business runners, can't make a proposal stick to the wall, what signal would this send out to 'the market' (if such exists)? Just how toxic, in economic/investment terms, would the Club become? That is a worry, and, thus, given the willingness to sell, investor fatigue, the unacceptable and unsustainable annual losses, the poor decisions on hiring and firing of players and staff, and the serial disasters on the field of play, I would suggest we are left with little option other than to back the takeover, and the new owners - and this irrespective of the many other concerns we may have. We have no control, and damned little influence, anyway. What's Joe Montana up to, these days?

I'm not really overly bothered by the 'who is the better keeper' thing right now. Its a matter of principle for me. Butland is selling the jerseys every other week now and while Kelly is not a world beater he is on a fraction of the wage of Butland and will give 100%. I'm not sure Butland is giving it everything at the moment and perhaps has one eye on going back down south to warm a bench somewhere. I'd also like to get Munn some game time.

Although if it's accurate then it's almost there, subject to due diligence being completed and not throwing up any curve balls and then subject to regulatory approval, which sounds like they have already got a verbal OK from the SFA.

With regard to Cavanagh and any US investor. This is the Scottish league. As we have seen last season and in parts this season too, they are not that far ahead as people might think - even with their constant influx of CL money. They have a decent first and second row squad that is able to brush next to anything in Scotland aside. The investment needed to counter this is comparatively small for them (as opposed to e.g. Leeds United, their other purchase). Likewise, they are probably (going by what I read elsewhere) are not here for the "quick buck", asset stripping and whatnot. Give or take 10-20m (pending on the market) and/or some decent freebies should clearly be enough, alongside with a manager who knows where his priorities lie.

Rangers' US takeover agreed in principle Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, who is 49ers Enterprises president, and health insurance tycoon Andrew Cavenagh are leading the takeover bid; US group aiming to buy at least 51 per cent of the shares in Rangers ahead of the new season; legal paperwork for deal being drafted https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/13320562/rangers-takeover-deal-with-us-investors-andrew-cavenagh-and-san-francisco-49ers-paraag-marathe-agreed-in-principle

Yes this for me Rab - said on the other thread the system is why we are poor. Play 3 at the back as well as 3 midfielders and dont stick Hagi out of position on the left. Get our width from Jefte and Cerny. Our play leaves to much space all over the pitch. Our current personnel would be more suited to a 3-5-2.

Why would that put the takeover in jeopardy? I think any new potential investors will know we're a basket case. The last 3 home games won't make a difference.

Our MF 2 are getting outnumbered in MF games now. Teams are putting 3 up against them

The malcontents got their way & got shot off Clement. As I constantly warned, the replacements mentioned worriedme.

Butland’s form has nothing to do with Clement. It’s everything to do with Butland.

In that case, don't look up Shay Mitchell on any social media platforms

Filth. Have you got a link so I can avoid it...

I’m all in favour of punishing ‘keepers who hold the ball as if it were their pet cat while looking vacantly about the pitch. I’d also punish any ‘keeper who catches the ball in a standing position then sinks to his knees. Reverse throw-ins taken from the wrong position and either enforce foul throws or forget about it and make it throw as you like. A bit of quarter-backing might be exciting. And no “drop ball” or “bounce ball”. It’s a stot up as everybody knows.

Too soon?

These results are what makes it the best cup competition in the world second to none .

I loved watching Big Calvin Bassey having a great game against manure last night. His performances are a big giruy to the dutch who slated him.

If she's coming over then I think she'll need a tour of Ibrox and the surroundings any takers..............

I like this idea, its about time something was done but I'm sure it will just be a wild coincidence that goalkeepers will suddenly start collapsing with mysterious injuries every time they catch the ball. Purely accidental, of course.

This happened a lot during the Motherwell game I thought! Not that it mattered but definitely a good thing if it was to be implemented in the SPFL. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwyg7jyp82do

I recall on the Man City Netflix thingy, Guardiola was asked about his input to transfers and he said that the way it had always worked with him was that he would describe a characteristic based on maybe a key injury or perhaps just an area he felt that they were light and that he would be given different options from the Football Department. That doesn't seem wrong as clearly he is delivering the agreed style (which I accept will not be just him), but he will be the one to know if its not something that they have in the squad.

just the usual....off the scale.

Yip, this is now the only show in town. We can have reservations over the takeover/investors but in reality, there is no plan B. Buckle up folks.

I dont know the figures taken out but I posted earlier in the thread that they started off with 11% in 2018 and didnt get a full takeover until mid 2023 which was a month after they were relegated to the Championship (IIRC Leeds value dropped). But they have backed Daniel Farke with a solid Championship team only costing about 25 million but they raised funds of around 150 million in 2024 summer from selling the likes of Summerville to West Ham (25m), Archie Gray to Tottenham (38M) and Rutter to Brighton (42M) and Glenn Kamara was also sold for 10M Euros. Plus in 2022 when they had 44% Kalvin Phillips was sold for 50M. So Leeds should be quite cash rich without looking at the figures. They also had plans to expand Elland Road but thats dependant on being in the Premier League.

Good let's get the ball rolling

Fragile ... that was the most telling observation Barry made after the game. It encompasses the whole sorry affair the club find itself in. As has been observed at the start of the season and repeated time and again, this current squad is on many levels the most fargile in - dare I say it - living memory. They are physically fragile in terms of body strength, not least in midfield. Jefte much like Ridvan can be shoved of the ball with ease ... and usually no action being taken by the refs either. (Which is especially frutsrating as these fridge-throwers usually fall over at the lightest of touches themselves - like we saw yesterday.) Our central defence is fragile as soon as they get hit on the counter, something we never compensate with a change in system. I remember days when Sterling (if fit) or even King was played as DM to stop any such attempts. Back in the day, that job fell on Jack, Lundstram, or Davis, which we never replaced adequately. Barron tries his best, but is probably the smallest chap I have seen wearing a Rangers jersey. As soon as pressure is upon them, be it from the opposition or the circumstances, they get mentally fragile, which you can easily spot with these jittery actions around our penalty area, stray and over-hit passes, overdoing of the simple things, and playing others into trouble with needless touch and go passes, even if the recipient is covered. And there is no-one out there, even our 500-game captain, who takes control of matters. You can talk all day, but if there is no result, it's but empty words. Another clear signal is the brutal lack in one own's confidence in front of goal. Only Cerny, Dessers and Igamane (less so of late) try to hit the target at every opportunity. The rest tries to shift responsibility to the "next best positioned player", which in 9 out of 10 cases ends in nothing. Danilo was the prime example yesterday. Worst of all is the strengths in depth. We are fragile in manpower that it beggars belief. For the excuses with regard to injuries, which are another matter of concern, we simply haven't got any sort of adequate quality beyond the first 11 (or maybe 15). Our injury record, especially with central defenders is abysmal. How can that come to pass? People will turn their noses up on players like Gogic, but he's essentially another Katic or Petric, rock solid, no-nonsense and de facto injury free since 2021. Could have grabbed him on a free last summer. Right now we play a our wee leftback on the right side, have a physically weak Jefte on the left. And effectively no-one to replace either fullback. Sterling, looking like an ox, has probably too many muscles that he can twitch or tweak, so is rarely about for more than two or three games. Most Dundee, Motherwell and Kilmarnock youngsters are consistently fitter than than. Our current fit central midfield consists of Raskin, Diomande, and Rice, all not imposing figures and varying fits of form. Barron adds "a little" physique, but got the Auchenhowie bug. Wingers is another ongoing disaster. Cerny is doing his job, and one can probably not ask more from your normal winger, who goes hot and cold. Hagi tries his best on the left hand side, but it is clearly not his. Like Bajrami, he is shoe-horned in there because Matondo wasn't fit or deemed adequate enough. Cortes is essentially another Roofe-case. How we managed to acquire so many fragile people is truly beyond me. McCausland, who looked good early on in the season, has been (IMHO) mentally wrecked by Clement, so all his late cameos have been less than impressive. Lawrence is some sort of Rolls-Royce, who will have cool moments, but is sure not made for the environment of the Scottish game. That he, the left-winger, was used in the slot reserved for Bajmrani and Hagi is anyone's guess. We've got just three strikers, probably down to the sad fact that managers want to play with but one central striker these days. No matter that it is a terrible tactic against Scottish brick walls. 6m Danilo's is only slightly better in terms of injuries as Roofe, so the responsibilty fall on Dessers, who does admirably enough, and Igamane, who is raw but looks promising. The latter had obviously his wings cut by PC, who told him to fall deeper. Alas, he's build like an ox and has some fine ability on the ball. Beyond that there is emptiness. Lovelace was sold, other let go. There is effectively nothing that Barry can work properly with. And I doubt that he's a man of soothing words. From a team that essentially managed to throw a title away within two weeeks same time last season, we are down to a hollow body that threw away the title before christmas and is on record to provide them with another free run for silver even before the split. This has been some car crash of a(nother) project season. The utterly embarrassing winter transfer window surely raises the question about our financial fragility too. There has been so little influx of adequate personal (compared to those who left) in the summer too, you have to wonder what the board and management was thinking. Are our hands really bound that hard? And how could that happen, given European runs and - despite all the anger - full stadiums? Fragile is so adequate right now ...

Our play is far to slow it dawdles along at pedestrian pace

We were a lot wider, too, compared to the Killie game where we were very narrow. You can see why everyone thought we were exposed in the midfield.

I think Butland comes out on top - except for errors, sweeping and accurate long balls. I thought Kelly would be better at High Claims, but there is nothing between them. And both don't sweep, which I've always thought quite important when your opponent's main danger is the counter.

I'm also in agreement with this. There are times Raskin looks like a midfield one. oh barry barry 🤨

Like @Rousseau said Hagi will be away in the summer but for me this is disappointing, he is easily our best technically gifted player. Im a fan of Sterling and in patches Diomande, for me a midfield should be built around them. Raskin as well as the holder. I think the system we play hampers the team, Id go to a back three with Nsiala, Fernandez and Souttar to get them up and running. Jefte is a wing back all day long and a natural left sided player who gets up and down. Tavs years are behind him and couldnt do the right wing back side.

Correct about PNE v Villa. Bournemouth v Man City Brighton v Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Fulham v Crystal Palace - Nice London Derby but this would have been a cracker at Wembley. Hopefully City get knocked out - after that anyone of the remaining teams would be good to see lift the Cup. The are in dire straits. The manager will walk in my opinion. He is going to ruin his career unless he is willing to stick in the job for minimum 5 years. He is paying the price for massive mistakes in the club. The stadium needs rebuilt and no player will want to go to Man Utd.

Have you watched any games lately? Just lost 3 on the bounce at home

As much as most players moan about Dessers , we cant deny his work Rate would a 4-5-1 Suit us with more in midfield supplying him. Surely he has a ratio of 1-3 chances he strikes the goal?

Play a MF 3. Add Barron & drop Igamane who hasn’t scored in weeks. Make us harder to play against with an extra central MF player

Wee tip for BF- play a central MF 3. Add Barron. Drop igamane who hasn’t scored for weeks

And the whole sorry mess is compounded by the most inexplicable manager/coaching team chosen by our incompetent board. Multi millionaire’s who have absolutely not read the room, if beggars belief how crazy some of they’re decisions have been.

Butland was another OOC signing. Shopping at poundshop.

The reality is though that we are not in a position of strength in any transfer dealings these days. We will have to make certain concessions to both clubs and players to get much if any interest. Let’s look back at players that we have lost these last few years, McGregor, Barasic, Lundstram, Goldson, Jack, Morelos, Kent and I’ll even throw in Roofe. Whilst they were at the end of their time with us, did we actually bring in any player as a replacement who was an upgrade? We can have another clear out and we can bring in another batch, but they might be even worse. We need to stop “rebuilding”. I think young players like Nsialla, Jefte, Dio, Fernandez, Igamane even Cortes could come good, they are all at the starts of their careers. The club has been a bin fire this season. I’m hoping the new manager has already been identified and that he is thinking about this because in spite of their free hit this season, the filth are hardly the world beaters the press would have them as and I truly don’t think the gap is as big as some feel.

I’d keep Hagi and maybe as a squad player Diamonde. Tav has run his course. A great attacking option but he occupied a slot usually reserved for a defender. Butland had a good season and still produces magnificent reaction saves but I’d prefer a competent tradesman ‘keeper. Balogun and Sterling can perform when fit but rarely are. None of the rest on the list has done anything of note. The galling thing about Ridvan is the money spent on him.