£8m Snodgrass Price Tag scares of Norwich

Premier League new boys Norwich City have been priced out of a move for Robert Snodgrass after Leeds reportedly put an £8million fee on him.
Earlier this month City had a £3.5million offer for the Scotland star rejected by the Whites. Leeds chairman Ken Bates has insisted he is in no hurry to sell Snodgrass and hopes the asking price will be enough to scare off would-be bidders. Snodgrass, 23, is one of the Championship's most highly-rated performers but Canaries boss Paul Lambert is unwilling to pay such a high fee as he looks to build a squad capable of staying in the top flight.


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Ken Bates: there are no ownership issue's

Ken Bates insists there would be no issue surrounding the ownership of Leeds should they get promoted - and suggested a House of Commons select committee should be worrying about more important things.Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey told MPs last month the club's owners are a holding company called FSF based in the West Indian island of Nevis, owned by three discretionary trusts.Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told the inquiry into football being held by the select committee on culture media and sport that Leeds would have to be more transparent about their owners should they earn a place in the top flight.
'We are fully aware of Premier League rules because when the Football League drafted their rules they did them in consultation with the Premier League to make sure that they fitted in with each other and we satisfied the Football League,' Bates told Yorkshire Radio.
'We know exactly what the requirements are of the Premier League rules and we do not anticipate any problems in meeting those requirements.'
Scudamore told the committee that if Leeds were to be promoted this season the Premier League would apply rules in a stricter manner than the Football League have.
'The Football League have chosen not to apply the rule as robustly as we think we will be applying it,' he said.
'The Football League have one view of how to interpret that rule and we have a more stern or harsh view of what the rule means.'
Our clubs absolutely agree unanimously that we should tell the public who owns the clubs and anything short of that is inadequate.
'If it arises, if Leeds United on sporting merit deserves to be in the Premier League, we will do all we can to persuade them to stay within the rules.'
But former Chelsea chairman Bates accused the committee of 'missing the point'.
'I think it is a sad comment on this select committee when they have so many things to talk about and really look at in detail, and depth, all they are concerned about is Capello's contract and Leeds United,' he said.
'It says one of two things; Is this select committee entirely missing the point or, alternatively, there is not a lot wrong with the state of football.'

Leeds United News, Snodgrass praises defence,Bates admires Norwich.

Snodgrass praises defence.

Robert Snodgrass has been the stand-out performer for Leeds United in recent weeks, but despite another match-winning performance against Bristol City on Saturday, Snodgrass was quick to praise another area of the team.

Snodgrass told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the defence are the unsung heroes of the clubs promotion push: “The defence have been first class,” he said. After a shaky start to the season which saw the team concede six against Preston North End, five against Barnsley and four against Cardiff City, Leeds have tightened up the defence considerably. Saturday was the first time the side had managed to keep consecutive clean sheets since September and Snodgrass was quick to point out the importance of a solid back line: “They haven’t had as much attention as some other players here but if we’re going to get to the Premier League then this is the way it needs to be. If we keep clean sheets then we’re in business because we’re a team who score a lot of goals.”

Bates admires Norwich.

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has expressed his admiration for Saturday’s opponents Norwich City in his weekly address to Yorkshire Radio.

The two sides were promoted together from League One last season, and have both surprised many by being promotion contenders in their first season back in the Championship. Bates compared the two clubs by saying: "They're a good team, a good club and they're well run. We have a good manager, a good team, a good ground, great supporters, and we're being run carefully and wisely."

The clash on Saturday is being seen as real six pointer, with just two points separating Norwich in 3rd from Leeds in 6th place. The last three meetings have all been close, Leeds triumphing at Elland Road last season with a last minute Jermaine Beckford goal, but Norwich repaid Leeds by scoring a last minute winner of their own in March. This season the sides drew 1-1 at Carrow Road, and the Leeds chairman, despite wanting to win the game has high hopes for both teams: "It would be nice if we both got promotion this season, us automatically, them through the play-offs” he said.


Leeds extend Stewart trial

Leeds manager Simon Grayson will take a longer look at trialist midfielder Michael Stewart.

The former Scotland international, 29, has been training with Grayson's squad for the last two weeks.

Grayson said: "He's done OK while he's been here and shown the qualities that have seen him play for the likes of Manchester United and Hearts.

"Because he's done well and fitted in well, we're going to take more of a look at him and see how things go."

Stewart, who has won four caps for Scotland, began his career at Old Trafford and has had spells with Nottingham Forest, Hibernian and Hearts.

Leeds United won't rush transfer deals - Bates

We're not panicking – that's the message from chairman Ken Bates, who insists Leeds United are adopting a calm approach ahead of the closure of the transfer window.
Bates is refusing to rule out fresh faces before the deadline of 11pm on Monday – with the chance of a beat-the-deadline plunge remaining a possibility – but the last thing United will be doing is hitting the panic button, especially with the emergency loan market opening a week tomorrow
United have largely kept their powder dry in terms of incoming arrivals so far this month, with activity restricted to extending left-back George McCartney's loan spell at the club for the rest of the season.
So far, the major activity has been outward bound with Andrew Hughes joining Scunthorpe United on a permanent deal at the end of last week and yesterday Aidy White rejoined Oldham Athletic on loan for the reminder of the campaign after his initial loan spell was curtailed earlier this month through an injury.
But new signings have been pretty conspicuous by their absence, although Bates admits that the 10-day break between matches – resulting from United's exit from the FA Cup – has given club bosses welcome extra time to potentially firm up any transfer plans and hold talks.

Bates said: "Talking to all the people at the club, I don't think there is any panic anywhere.

"We have been reviewing our options, watching alternative players play to see how we can improve and if we can improve our team. I don't want to be taking people just for the sake of taking them on.

"The other advantage of this break this weekend is that after the Portsmouth game, we've now had a good six or seven days to review, whether by video or by reports or discussions, the options open to us and what we do and don't want to do.

"So I think there is a possibility that the club will be signing one or more players before the end of the month.

"There's no panic. After all, on February 5 you can start signing people on 93-day loans, so this transfer window is a bit over-exaggerated anyway.

"But no, there's no panic. Calls from agents… well they're probably calling everybody at the same time.

"We've got 18 games to go, Simon (Grayson) knows what he wants and I hope to have discussions with him on what the consensus of opinions is with him and Gwyn Williams and the backroom staff."

Meanwhile, Hibernian boss Colin Calderwood has dismissed talk of a possible move for United forgotten man Jason Crowe, who played under him at Northampton Town.

United will entertain Aston Villa in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup after the Midlanders beat Peterborough United 3-1.

Former United midfielder Andy Robinson has re-joined old club Tranmere Rovers for a third time.

Scouser Robinson, 31, who became a free agent after leaving United in December, started his professional career at the Wirral club and spent a loan spell there towards the end of last season.

He has signed a deal with Rovers for the rest of this season.


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