Leeds United: Axed boss says want-away Becchio put gun to his head
YEP 7/6/13
by Phil Hay
Neil Warnock has again laid the blame for Luciano Becchio’s move to Norwich City at the striker’s door, saying Becchio put “a gun to my head” by making clear his intention to leave Leeds United.
Warnock sold Becchio to Norwich on the last day of January, with United securing Steve Morison and £200,000.
Becchio’s future came under scrutiny in the build-up to the transfer window and a deal was hatched with Norwich after clubs in Turkey and China moved to sign United’s top scorer.
Writing in his newly-released autobiography, The Gaffer: The Trials and Tribulations of a Football Manager, Warnock said: “It was clear by early December that he wanted to go – before the Chelsea (League Cup) game when he scored and kissed the badge.
“At that stage he wanted to go to either Turkey or China. The Turks were offering to nearly treble his wages so inevitably I get a player coming to see me telling me he’s 29 and this is his big chance to make himself secure for life.
“I know he’s as good as telling me that if I don’t let him go I might not get the best out of him. But I can’t tell the local press there is a gun to my head.
“The issue came to a head when we lost at Barnsley in January and to my eyes Becchio never broke sweat. He had to go but I needed a replacement.”
by Phil Hay
Neil Warnock has again laid the blame for Luciano Becchio’s move to Norwich City at the striker’s door, saying Becchio put “a gun to my head” by making clear his intention to leave Leeds United.
Warnock sold Becchio to Norwich on the last day of January, with United securing Steve Morison and £200,000.
Becchio’s future came under scrutiny in the build-up to the transfer window and a deal was hatched with Norwich after clubs in Turkey and China moved to sign United’s top scorer.
Writing in his newly-released autobiography, The Gaffer: The Trials and Tribulations of a Football Manager, Warnock said: “It was clear by early December that he wanted to go – before the Chelsea (League Cup) game when he scored and kissed the badge.
“At that stage he wanted to go to either Turkey or China. The Turks were offering to nearly treble his wages so inevitably I get a player coming to see me telling me he’s 29 and this is his big chance to make himself secure for life.
“I know he’s as good as telling me that if I don’t let him go I might not get the best out of him. But I can’t tell the local press there is a gun to my head.
“The issue came to a head when we lost at Barnsley in January and to my eyes Becchio never broke sweat. He had to go but I needed a replacement.”
