Rob Bagchi

The Biography of Leeds United - signed by Rob Bagchi A warmly written history of Yorkshire's biggest football club signed by the author. In The Biography of Leeds United, Telegraph journalist and lifelong fan Rob Bagchi writes the story of this famous c...

Only a handful of (thousand) copies left thanks to Covid shutting the booksellers and club shop should anyone want one… only a tenner now, too shop.visionsp.co.uk/products/the...

Yes. It’s a big test of their focus and credibility.

And profit motive!

Spot on. It’s about timing. Look what Chelsea did to Bayern over Jackson. On Friday it’s an expensive loan with an option, by Monday they’re obliged to take him for £70m (spread over a year). Buonanotte was supposed to be the final signing and they were left scrambling and at someone else’s mercy

Try getting answers from an American investment fund, though. They may occasionally speak on their terms but don’t do conventional accountability (as Leeds fans know only too well)

'Brendan... Brendan O'Connell'

Because they wouldn’t want it out there before promotion

Why would he push the button without a clear steer? It would not be in his interest to ruin a long-term relationship with a man who will call the shots at Leeds and Rangers for one vital story. Journalism/contacts at that level is a dance not a punch-up

Yeah - and there are ways of doing ‘no comment’ - “we’re not going to dignify this crap…” that would give the local pack a firm steer but they’ve done nothing as far as I can see. They have to do something before tomorrow’s press conference you’d think?

Exactly - they’ve let it run for 18 hours without shutting it down. They could have been straight on to Graham Smyth, Joe Donnohue, Adam Pope, Beren Cross (none of whom have yet shot it down). It’s this selective silence of the board that makes me seethe

He's raging against the dying of the light in increasingly weird ways. He'll be chinning refs by this time next season. But agree about timing of substitutions

Don't know Mike but why would he ruin his excellent relationship with the club's owners for that end? It'd be mad to. I can assure you it's very difficult as a journalist to get anything out of Leeds. He's got the golden goose, there. Why kill it?

Yes, think the second part's right. First could be but they should be bigger than that.

Worrying thing is the method they're using to float it before, as the article says, they've decided definitively. If they want to do it, do it. They don't need to prepare the ground. Smacks of the last days of Bielsa when he was being briefed against. And if they decide not to, damage is still done

Spot on

Exactly. We know he's the closest journalist to the ownership. Marathe speaks to him more than any other. Why would he jeopardise that by making something up just as we return to the Premier League? He'd be shooting himself in the foot.

It is. He must have had a steer, even if, as you say, it's a kite-flying exercise by his source. It will not be unfounded.

Agree. Illogical really given the statistics but it’s felt like a grind with the handbrake on at times. Not today!

Thank you. It’s peaked perfectly but wasn’t always much fun

Bang on

We do it to ourselves we do

How ‘emotional’ Leeds crashed through the doors of Premier League promotion Daniel Farke’s cool exterior masks the sheer determination he and his squad have shown on their way back to the top flight

Farke's on the lash, and so am I after finishing this. Should be free to read for most but you might have better things on tonight...

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/a48be10...

#lufc

Ha! Absolutely

Aye. Ultimately there’s nowhere to hide

Accept it but also resolve not to go. I’ve been to them all and I think I’ll stay in the pub this time. Missing it if we finally won at Wembley won’t be as bad as sitting through another defeat. I say that now …

Saturday is 15 years to the day since they went to Yeovil having lost four on the spin and the captain Richard Naylor stood up and scored twice. Something similar would be a huge relief

Half the bottle?

Universal, old lad

Can see it in his eyes that he’s got a driving ban…

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