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Football, as we all know, can be a ruthless business that has
the ability to leave one with a bad taste in their mouth. Loyalty or even
a lack of it is often at the heart of any episode that turns nasty and
neither clubs nor players are innocent of wrongdoing. Indeed, both parties
are equally as guilty when it comes to looking out for their own interests,
but is there anything wrong with that? Take Ryan Fraser, formerly of Bournemouth, who opted
not to play for the Cherries after his contract ran out, so that
he didn't get injured and put a potential move to Newcastle in
jeopardy. The Cherries would go on to be relegated, whilst Fraser
moved to St James Park to put pen to paper on a lucrative five-year
deal. Granted, the latest
English Championship odds suggest that Bournemouth will bounce
back right away, having been priced at a mere 11/10 to go up,
but that didn't stop Fraser from hedging his own bets and deciding
what was best for him at the time. June 2020: Ryan Fraser rejects short-term
contract extension at #AFCB
to avoid injury ahead of #NUFC
move
Now, to some, that may be distasteful but many can understand
why the 26-year-old did it. As previously mentioned, clubs can
be just as guilty of serving their own demands as players are.
Indeed, what happens when a club jettisons members of a Championship
promotion-winning team when they arrive in the Premier League? A closer look at the Leeds United situation could tell us. So far, the Whites have only seen fit to move on Barry Douglas
from their Championship-winning squad. The Scotsman linked up
with Blackburn Rovers and will spend a season on loan
at Ewood Park, the door seemingly shut on his Elland Road
career. Now, Douglas was a bit-part player in the Leeds promotion-winning
season so it wasn't that much of a surprise, especially as Wolves
did the same thing to him after going up in 2018. ?? A champion on and off the pitch! Thank
you @barrydouglas03!
pic.twitter.com/Z2G1hibyO0
But with every game that Leeds play in the Premier League, it
is becoming increasingly obvious that the club may have to cut
a few more players loose - a failure to do so could see Leeds
flirt with relegation. The obvious problem is that the players
who may need to make way in Leeds' squad played a huge part in
their promotion to
the Premier League. One of those players is captain Liam Cooper, who was instrumental in
leading the line in the Championship. Unfortunately, so far, the 29-year-old
has looked out of his depth in England's top flight. The Whites have conceded
the joint-most goals in the Premier League and are in danger of their
goals difference spiralling out of control thanks to some sub-standard
defending. You can all of a sudden understand why perhaps there is a sense
of urgency when it comes to making these difficult decisions sooner
rather than later. Having a positive goal difference alone is
worth a point or two come the end of the season, and that's before
you take into account the psychological beating the Elland Road
changing room receives every time they lose by a drastic margin. Of course, this goes back to a club looking out for what is best
for them in the long term. The regrettable truth is simple though;
Leeds will play with fire if they show an excess of sentimentality
towards players who served them dutifully in the Championship,
only to be at sea in the Premier League.
September 2020: ???? pic.twitter.com/rKUv4a9KnL