Conspiracy theories? Should we stick or twist?
Ryan Hall will spend his second and final week away from Thorp Arch.
An extra half-term week maybe for the player who's schoolboy spelling and childish attitude got him into hot-water on Twitter.
Hall ended a disappointing loan-spell at Sheffield United by taking to Twitter and proclaiming he was not really bothered because he still got "payed", he then arguably questioned Brian McDermott's team selection by retweeting an angry fans' comments that in the absence of pace, Leeds should turn to Hall to solve one of our long-standing problems.
Last week McDermott distanced himself from the row saying that the decision to suspend the player was David Haigh's, our Chief Executive. Hall has called in the PFA to back him, however the stand-off is likely to last another week until Hall's ban from the Training Ground ends tomorrow week.
Although I'm not with the conspiracy theorists who say that cash-strapped Leeds are lambasting Hall in this way as an excuse to rip-up his contract, I do feel the club have been heavy-handed. Yes in an era of rising energy bills and unemployment, Hall's proclamation that he would still be paid for doing sweet FA is hardly the kind of arrogance we have seen from other misguided foolish footballers such as lighting cigars with £50 notes etc. I also think he made a very valid point that the career lifespan of a footballer is very, very short.
I'm not sure if retweeting a fans tweet that he should be in the side is a direct slur at McDermott's team selection and tactics, in fact I found that more breathtakingly arrogant than his "payed" tweet! Save a half-decent game at Huddersfield last season and sharing the same name as a Leeds Rhino's player, what else has Hall done since his much heralded arrival as "one for the future"? Hall turns 26 on January 4th btw.
What bothers me is he seems a bad apple, he left Southend under a bit of a cloud having rebuilt his professional career with the Shrimpers following his drift into non-league football having been released by Palace. In the summer, he was blessed with the joy of fatherhood but rather than take a day or two of paternity leave, he let his fitness slide when arguably he should have been busting a gut to get himself into McDermott's plans!
I don't see a future for him here, maybe a League Two club can take him off our hands and he will pick up his game and learn some humility?