Leeds players slammed for ignoring kids as fans make feelings known after defeat at Bournemouth

Leeds United players have been slammed for ignoring kids upon leaving a hotel as fans make their feelings known after defeat at Bournemouth.

Squad members were criticised on social media for blanking youngsters who were ready to greet the team, but there was not one act of engagement as the walked out past despite being waved at.

In a video posted on Twitter, the Leeds first team was seen ignoring the fans who had waited to say hello while an autograph would have been an added bonus in an act of kindness, if they bothered to do such a thing.

Despite numerous fans trying to attract their attention, the players were seen walking silently towards the entrance of the hotel.

As they headed to the exit, the majority of the Leeds players wore headphones and avoided eye-contact.

The young man waving goodbye to the Leeds players was a member of the small group that had gathered yet nobody looked at him.

A member of the security team of the club stepped in front the boy, who was wearing the full Leeds kit. This prevented him from seeing his heroes.

Leaving the hotel 😳#LUFCAway pic.twitter.com/TyL9D25F1r

— ian (@igrattan) April 30, 2023

LEEDS STATEMENT:

As the first team squad at Leeds United, we wanted to reach out to the fan base regarding yesterday’s game and subsequent posts on social media. 

Firstly, the performance was not good enough. There is no other way to look at it and the only way to respond is on the pitch. Leeds fans travel up and down the country in huge numbers and deserve more than this.

What is just as concerning to us as a group, is the video online of us leaving the hotel. Words can’t express how sorry we are that the youngster in the video wearing the Leeds kit is not shown more love from the squad. On a matchday we do an activation walk, before and after this we stop for photos and autographs to ensure we interact with fans, but also that we are on time when leaving for games. However, there is no excuse for not acknowledging fans and if the parents of the fan wearing the Leeds kit in the video could make themselves known to us, we would be grateful.

We do not believe that this fight is over and we will keep going until the last ball is kicked this season. Thank you again for your support.

– STATEMENT ENDS –

Bournemouth secured another big win at Vitality Stadium, bringing them closer to securing Premier League status, while Leeds’ fears of relegation increased.

Cherries striker Jefferson Lerma scored two goals in the first half. He curled in a first-time shot and then smashed the ball in after Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier flapped his arms at a right-side corner.

Leeds got one back on 32 minutes with a Patrick Bamford header from Wilfried Gnonto’s cross, but Dominic Solanke’s neat finish restored Bournemouth’s two-goal lead in the 63rd minute.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto was able to deny the visitors a chance to get back in the game after stopping a fierce Marc Roca strike, made a double save to deny Robin Koch, and kept out Gnonto’s effort.

In stoppage time, Antoine Semenyo scored his first Bournemouth goal with the ball squirming underneath Meslier.

Javi Gracia’s team sit 16th after the defeat, one point above the relegation zones and regardless of what happens between Everton and Leicester. By Monday night, only goal difference can keep them from the bottom three.

Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth are now in 13th place, 10 points above the drop zone and level with 12th place Chelsea.

All we asked was to give us 110% and instead it’s the same old story. I hate to say it but that’s the final nail in the coffin.

Players have given up and so have the fans now #LUFC pic.twitter.com/bW9c3FjOtL

— LadToDad (@LadToDad_) April 30, 2023

Leeds players stand and face a vocal away end at full-time. pic.twitter.com/HycyVb5VOA

— Joe Donnohue (@JoeDonnohue) April 30, 2023

Leeds striker Patrick Bamford, speaking to Sky Sports: “We’re deflated. We knew we would have a big advantage if we came here and won. It is quiet in the dressing room but Luke Ayling said it, that we’re not in the bottom three at the minute and we have four more games. We have to do what we have to do to pick up points from somewhere. When you are down there, mistakes seem to come more and more frequent. You get punished at this level. It is about sticking together.

“In general in the first half, we controlled it quite well apart from that four-minute spell. Two mistakes and we get punished. That is a running theme at the minute. We get back into it and knew we had to push on. But the third goal saw it off. We have to bounce back.

“In this run of games, where we have shipped a few goals, people are maybe a bit fragile. We have to find a way, as experienced players, of getting the group together. We have been through it, we know what we need to do, it is about dragging everyone with us.

“The fans have travelled a long way and they are hurting as much as we are. Well, maybe not as much as we are. But they have the right to voice an opinion. One thing I would say is to stick with us because we are going to need you. There are four games left and we need to do something. Stick with us and we can do it together.”

Leeds boss Javi Gracia, speaking to Sky Sports: “I think we started well. The first 15-20 minutes, we competed well, dominating with possession in the opposition half. But after conceding the first goal and then the second it was too much for us. We are living the same situations as the last games, conceding soft goals. If we are not strong and more aggressive, it is difficult to defend well and attack well.

“After scoring, we were on the game again and tried to keep going with a better spirit in the second half. It is tough because we are conceding from mistakes and easy goals. We try to reduce these mistakes but as a young team we are, sometimes you have to manage and to improve and compete well. There are four games left and we are in critical period. If you make mistakes, you are going to pay for it.

“I respect the supporters. I don’t have anything to tell them. They want to see their team win, which we have to do.

“We need to work hard from tomorrow and prepare well for the next game.”

 

Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke, speaking to Premier League Productions: “We knew today if we got three points we would be in a fantastic position. It was like a final for us and we performed.

“It has been a tough week. We started it with a bad result and to bounce back with two results like that just shows the type of team we are. A lot of people wrote us off at the beginning of the season but we always believed in ourselves and the last eight games or so have been magnificent.

“We have had the season to gel and we have formed a good bond as a team. At the start of the season, I wasn’t getting too many chances but in the run we’ve been on I’ve been able to flourish and score some goals.

“I don’t know if we are mathematically safe but I don’t think others will be able to catch us now. We want to finish on as many points as we can.”

Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil, speaking to Sky Sports: “Really pleased. It was a little bit chaotic, as I thought it might be. At 2-0 up and cruising we concede a poor goal from our point of view and that makes it feel a bit closer than it should have been. We showed real quality in the second half in a tense situation to play through. Very proud of the boys to produce two wins in three days against relegation rivals, when they have had more time to prepare.

“We spoke about character and that Leeds would definitely feel better than us. But if we can get ourselves to a place where we don’t care and focus on the goal in August and achieved it today. Three points today, I believe achieves our goal of staying in the Premier League. Now we can set more goals for the next four games.

“We were working hard before and suffered huge injury problems with a squad were weren’t really able to strengthen in the summer. Then new ownership in January so new players arriving and some back from injury. We never dropped our heads and it made a perfect storm where we never lost momentum. We knew we were on the right track and had to keep pushing.

“I am very proud of them, they have given me everything. There were questions asked and to answer them is a real testimony to everyone in that room.”

Here’s what fans had to say with Leeds players slammed for ignoring kids as fans make their feelings known after defeat at Bournemouth…

@Jtsuperleeds: This speaks volumes about every single one of them. I’m surprised at Cooper, unless they have just been present while the manager got the chop. Disgraceful non the less just like their efforts this season, absolutely fucking embarrassing from top to bottom

@kenty227: Jeez… remember when the players bonded with the fans? Over privileged waste of space nowadays. They flew to Bournemouth and back to Leeds landing over 90 minutes ago. I’m still on a coach on the M1 about an hour from Leeds. They couldn’t give a toss about us.

@nebenevel: @andrearadri not expecting any kind of reply as I am guessing all players, board members etc will be in hiding, but do you think this is an acceptable way for players to act with young fans? It seems like there is something rotten at the core which has developed since Bielsa left

@jpelloco: Leeds United has become everything we hate about the Premier league and modern football

@AndyPLeeds: @andrearadri that young lad needs to be found and apologised to by these lot. What happened to what you and Bielsa built seriously step up and speak.

@BennyLeBallon: I took my two girls down to Dean Court this morning before the game today and every single Bournemouth player stopped for a photo and to sign their shirt. They won’t forget that… absolute magic. 🍒

@deanoooh2020: A year and a bit after sacking Mr Bielsa, they have forgotten that first training session where he made em pick up litter for 3 hours to teach the players a lesson in appreciating the hard work their fans put in just to be able to support them!

@Wessiewhite: Wouldn’t of happened under Bielsa that’s for sure, yh the football was a mess by time he went but atleast the players interacted with the supporters, that clip tells you everything you need to know about this club atm

@hannahxLufc: We wait outside at Elland road all the time (for my nephew purposes) and for traffic to calm down and it’s only a select few who bother to make an effort some of them are so unbelievably arrogant and rude…remember who contributes to your nice cars and privileged lifestyle

@HarperKenny: They are not the only players who do this, Everton fans got to the ground almost 3hrs early last week to welcome the coach, give them some backing, from what I seen everyone of them walked in wearing earphones without acknowledging the crowd, Most players don’t seem to care

@gbrad84: It’s the same every week, whether you go to Thorp Arch, ER or away from home they just blank you apart from a select few like Forshaw and Harrison. It’s a disgrace, everything Bielsa built has gone, the disconnect is bigger than ever! I’m ashamed of our club at the moment 😡

@Rossey1987: Shocking! What’s happened to the club! Bielsa would be mortified he would have stopped with them all! Shambles not fit for the shirt!

@WhinmoorWhite: These players lack moral leadership and that comes from the top! Shows you the lack of values from the very top, just like MB did with the litter picking. This is a side that have clearly forgotten or never been taught such, and we’re poorer for it.

@LeeGrayson: People are pointing out the young lad and rightly so. He’s at that age where there’s still innocence. They’re his idols. He dreams of doing what they do. To see them and just have a smile or high five would make his year… yet what does he get? Completely ignored. Poor lad.

@ChrisLufcridge: This shows how far we’ve fallen in such a short time, Bielsa handed out sweets when arriving at the ground and players treated fans with respect and now look 😭

@toffee5000: Awful these footballers think they are gods. Seconds it would take to at least acknowledge these fans. Like Everton, Leeds fans will suffer the same while these bang average players move on to for similar £. Game is awful.

@MrChambers_lufc: UNBELIEVABLE….. couldn’t be arsed to show appreciation to the loyal fans who spent lots of money to get down to Bournemouth. Yes they are deflated but that’s their fault not ours. They owe us big time for the crap season they have given us. Sack the lot of them @andrearadri

@Callum__LUFC: Never disliked a Leeds squad in all my time of being a supporter. But it’s very hard to even remotely get behind this group when they are as embarrassing as this on/off the pitch. Disconnected completely with the fans and can’t remember a season as bad

@MarkBHarrison1: Bunch of overpaid arseholes. Think they’re better than they are, too good to let on to that little lad and make his day. I can’t express how mad it makes me.

@LUFC_Updates: It’s insane that all the values and principals that Bielsa instilled in this club have vanished only a year after he’s gone. This is awful. They are kids looking at their idols. When you’re getting slapped up every week the least you can do is acknowledge your supporters.