One glaring reason why Radrizzani cull threat rings hollow at Leeds
COMMENT By Richard Parks
Andrea Radrizzani has been applauded in some quarters for publicly digging out the Leeds United players who have steered the club to a disappointing mid-table league position that leaves their play-off hopes in tatters.
But his threat to cull the squad and start again is ultimately a hollow one.
As the Italian businessman knows better than anyone, virtually the entire senior squad are tied to long-term contracts, either those signed in a whirlwind of transfer activity in the last two windows or the nine senior players handed new deals following his takeover last May.
It leaves Pablo Hernandez as the only senior player out of contract this summer.
As most fans have made clear on social media and other platforms in recent weeks, the club should be pushing the boat out to extend the deal of one of the outstanding players in the squad, even though he will blow out 33 candles on his birthday cake next month.
As the owner and most senior person at Leeds, it was Radrizzani’s absolute right to criticise those on the wage bill he feels have underperformed.
It was clearly one, final desperate attempt to conjure a reaction and some performances that can catapult the team back into the top-six reckoning, however unlikely that now is.
Yet, digest the words of the owner and it is clear his position is not as powerful as he might like it to be.
Radrizzani told talkSPORT in an explosive interview on the Jim White Show on Tuesday morning that he felt particularly angry with the players who were handed lucrative new contracts last year after he took over as sole owner of the club in May.
“We have given them everything possible to just focus on the football,” said the Leeds chief. “As a club we support them in everything – we gave them long-term contracts, we supported them going to a mid-season camp in Spain.
“We did everything they wanted, but we didn’t get back their commitment, passion and the spirit, particularly in the last game, the most important game against Middlesbrough away and we played very poorly.
“I don’t want players in my team and representing Leeds United with this behaviour, so I hope they can learn and will be here with me next year playing better and with more commitment.”
Yet, Radrizzani’s decision to hand out those long-term deals is now looking a foolhardy one.
Unless he is willing to pay off the underperformers the remainder of their contracts (unlikely), or sell them off cheap (more likely), the owner and the squad are mostly stuck with one another for next season.
In other Leeds United news, it can be revealed that NINE senior players at the club are in Radrizzani’s firing line and fighting for their jobs.