Yorkshire Post 22/11/11
Only reason we employ O’Brien is to play football. He’s resigned as far as I’m concerned – Bates
By Richard Sutcliffe
KEN BATES insists Leeds United have already moved on from the Andy O’Brien row.
The 32-year-old told manager Simon Grayson last Friday that he did not want to play for United again, causing a re-jig of the team to face Burnley just 24 hours later.
O’Brien had been due to start against the Clarets after impressing in United’s 1-0 win at Leicester City a fortnight earlier.
But, following the defender’s bombshell, the Leeds manager instead turned to Darren O’Dea
and Paddy Kisnorbo as his central defensive partnership in a game that the Yorkshire club went on to win 2-1 courtesy of two late goals from Robert Snodgrass.
Grayson was delighted to claim all three points but that did not prevent the 40-year-old from lambasting O’Brien and revealing his sense of bewilderment at last week’s dramatic turn of events.
He also added that the former Bradford City defender would “not play for this football club as long as I am here” before adding that the club would decide internally what would happen next. A statement would then, Grayson added, be issued to clarify United’s position sometime this week.
That had not been released by last night but United chairman Bates is adamant the club has already moved on with the focus at Elland Road being on this weekend’s derby with Barnsley.
He said: “If you told the Yorkshire Post that you no longer wanted to write stories for them then I am sure your boss would take that as you having resigned from your employment at the Yorkshire Post. This is no different.
“The only reason Leeds United employ Andy O’Brien is to play football for us. Now, he won’t do that then clearly he no longer wants to work for Leeds United.
“To my mind, that means he has resigned his position. As far as I personally am concerned, Andy O’Brien has left the club and we have moved on.
“We are looking forward without Andy O’Brien and the challenge for the other players is to come in and stake their claim. What happens in the future is what concerns me and not a player who doesn’t want to play for Leeds United.”
West Ham United is a possible destination for O’Brien after the London club were strongly linked with a loan move earlier this month. If Sam Allardyce is to make a move, however, he will have to do so quickly with this Thursday being the deadline for loan signings in the Football League.
Wherever O’Brien ends up, it will represent a sour end to a stay at Leeds that started amid such high promise a little over a year ago. Drafted in to help shore up a defence that had just conceded four goals at home to Cardiff to add to six-goal and five-goal thrashings meted out by Preston and Barnsley respectively, O’Brien enjoyed a winning start after joining on loan from Bolton.
That 4-1 debut win over Scunthorpe United kick-started a 12-game unbeaten run as Grayson’s side were transformed into promotion challengers.
O’Brien missed just two of those dozen games en route to making 30 Championship appearances last term as Leeds just missed out on a place in the play-offs.
He began this season in the starting line-up only to be dropped just two games in after being substituted in the 3-2 Carling Cup win over Bradford City.
While leaving the field, the defender was jeered by the Elland Road crowd.
He played at Doncaster in the Carling Cup but generally failed to make the matchday 16.
That changed at Leicester on November 6 due to O’Dea being out injured and Tom Lees suspended following his red card in the 5-0 capitulation at home to Blackpool four days earlier.
O’Brien’s performance against the Foxes meant Grayson intended playing him at Turf Moor.
Asked about the fallout between player and manager, Bates said: “Where it is disappointing is that O’Brien has had problems in the past and the staff have been very supportive to him.
“Simon recently praised him publicly for how he had trained. And this is the thanks he gets.”
Only reason we employ O’Brien is to play football. He’s resigned as far as I’m concerned – Bates
By Richard Sutcliffe
KEN BATES insists Leeds United have already moved on from the Andy O’Brien row.
The 32-year-old told manager Simon Grayson last Friday that he did not want to play for United again, causing a re-jig of the team to face Burnley just 24 hours later.
O’Brien had been due to start against the Clarets after impressing in United’s 1-0 win at Leicester City a fortnight earlier.
But, following the defender’s bombshell, the Leeds manager instead turned to Darren O’Dea
and Paddy Kisnorbo as his central defensive partnership in a game that the Yorkshire club went on to win 2-1 courtesy of two late goals from Robert Snodgrass.Grayson was delighted to claim all three points but that did not prevent the 40-year-old from lambasting O’Brien and revealing his sense of bewilderment at last week’s dramatic turn of events.
He also added that the former Bradford City defender would “not play for this football club as long as I am here” before adding that the club would decide internally what would happen next. A statement would then, Grayson added, be issued to clarify United’s position sometime this week.
That had not been released by last night but United chairman Bates is adamant the club has already moved on with the focus at Elland Road being on this weekend’s derby with Barnsley.
He said: “If you told the Yorkshire Post that you no longer wanted to write stories for them then I am sure your boss would take that as you having resigned from your employment at the Yorkshire Post. This is no different.
“The only reason Leeds United employ Andy O’Brien is to play football for us. Now, he won’t do that then clearly he no longer wants to work for Leeds United.
“To my mind, that means he has resigned his position. As far as I personally am concerned, Andy O’Brien has left the club and we have moved on.
“We are looking forward without Andy O’Brien and the challenge for the other players is to come in and stake their claim. What happens in the future is what concerns me and not a player who doesn’t want to play for Leeds United.”
West Ham United is a possible destination for O’Brien after the London club were strongly linked with a loan move earlier this month. If Sam Allardyce is to make a move, however, he will have to do so quickly with this Thursday being the deadline for loan signings in the Football League.
Wherever O’Brien ends up, it will represent a sour end to a stay at Leeds that started amid such high promise a little over a year ago. Drafted in to help shore up a defence that had just conceded four goals at home to Cardiff to add to six-goal and five-goal thrashings meted out by Preston and Barnsley respectively, O’Brien enjoyed a winning start after joining on loan from Bolton.
That 4-1 debut win over Scunthorpe United kick-started a 12-game unbeaten run as Grayson’s side were transformed into promotion challengers.
O’Brien missed just two of those dozen games en route to making 30 Championship appearances last term as Leeds just missed out on a place in the play-offs.
He began this season in the starting line-up only to be dropped just two games in after being substituted in the 3-2 Carling Cup win over Bradford City.
While leaving the field, the defender was jeered by the Elland Road crowd.
He played at Doncaster in the Carling Cup but generally failed to make the matchday 16.
That changed at Leicester on November 6 due to O’Dea being out injured and Tom Lees suspended following his red card in the 5-0 capitulation at home to Blackpool four days earlier.
O’Brien’s performance against the Foxes meant Grayson intended playing him at Turf Moor.
Asked about the fallout between player and manager, Bates said: “Where it is disappointing is that O’Brien has had problems in the past and the staff have been very supportive to him.
“Simon recently praised him publicly for how he had trained. And this is the thanks he gets.”