What Warnock Said: Incompetence, Due Diligence, and Bonkers Fans

The Scratching Shed 18/7/12
Neil Warnock talked to TalkSport this morning, covering the contract fiasco, transfer moves, takeover news, and fans. As Norwich offer roughly £1.5m (half of their offer last season) for Robert Snodgrass, Warnock told of his frustration at players supposedly having their heads turned.
Incompetence

I was hoping when I came to build a team around [Snodgrass]. But players get their heads turned and it’s difficult. You understand the player’s point of view, when he sees Howson and Bradley Johnson go down to Norwich, but it’s disappionting for me. It’s bad enough letting go of the transfer list and starting from scratch; but when you’re letting go of your best player it’s disappointing.
There’s a few clubs that like Rob. You can understand why, he’s a top player and he has been for a couple of years. You can also see it from his point of view. There’s been three or four lads sold upwards while he’s been there.
We’ve had 2 or 3 decent offers for Ross, and I don’t think personal terms will be a problem, but I don’t want to sell anybody to be honest before we have replacements. It shouldn’t have got like this in fairness. Same with the other lads that went. I think the lads should’ve been tied up a lot longer before the season start. But that’s life, and I’ve got to do the best I can.

Due Diligence

Blackburn and Bolton’s wages will be about three times ours. I’ve been in for one or two players and the wages these clubs can pay these players is fantastic. But it’s not all wages, it’s about the right camp with the right atmosphere.
NB: Blackburn’s demotion was supposed to spell “financial meltdown” due to the large loans taken out by Venkys; Bolton’s non-TV income in 10-11 in the Premier League was less than Leeds’ in the Championship, and as such Bolton’s turnover plus parachute payments should still be relatively similar to Leeds’.
At the moment there’s a group that’s performing due diligence and I suppose we have to keep both parties in the loop. It is quite frustrating because I need quite a lot of new players, but it looks like it’ll go down to the wire with getting these faces in.
I can’t really give fans any more than what they know. I am a little bit more “in the know” than the fans as you’d imagine.
They’re proper people. They’re doing it the right way, they’re scrutinizing the books, and the club’s not been run in a bad way. There’s nothing untoward there I don’t think.
I wouldn’t be at Leeds now, if I didn’t think [the buyers] were totally behind me.

Bonkers Fans

The fans are right with me, they know what a difficult job I’ve got I think. But I’m looking to get a few in over the next few weeks.
[On takeover interest] I’m not surprised really if I’m honest. I didn’t realise what a big club Leeds was until I came here. The training facilities, the fans. I think we sold about 2,000 pre-season tickets for Torquay in just a few hours, that’s how silly it is. It’s just a fantastic club, and with it being one club in the city I think everybody is involved. And we had a difficult run in last season but they were just fantastic with me. It just made me think “I’ll have a go. I’ll do my best, try to hold on to my best players if I can, and try to build a good team for them and have a good season.”
The fans at Leeds have been fantastic for me since day one.
[On season tickets still selling reasonably well] Well they always do at Leeds don’t they? They’re bonkers, Leeds fans! On the other side of the coin, if they had a go at you they’d be twice as loud as anywhere else!
It’s great being at Leeds away from home because I don’t get as much grief anymore, a lot of it’s directed at Leeds!