Don’t You Forget About Me Matt BB March 14, 2012 Leeds United 36 Comments So goes the Simple Minds track used at the end of the highly over rated brat pack movie The Breakfast Club. And while I could then easily segue into a quip about the Simple Minds of footballers, that would be too cheap a dig, well what do you know I’ve already done it. I digress. The Simple Mind about whom this is dedicated is none other than our Beloved `Barn Door Missing’ Billy Paynter. He’s scored one goal, a good one it has to be said, against Preston last season. But his tale of woe is well-known to most supporters of Leeds. Signed as our chief centre forward for the 2010-11 season he’d trumped even our beloved Beckford to the top of the scoring charts in League One, implausibly scoring 29 goals for them the preceding season. His goal scoring record then speaks for itself, a strikers value is measured in how many he scores, as per the title of Allan Clarke’s autobiography he told us all `goals are my business’. He came way behind the likes of Becchio who made the transition from League One to Championship with ease. If only goals were Mr Paynters business. If only he was 1% as good as Allan Clarke. Simon Grayson’s stock has fallen with many Leeds fans since the appointment of Neil Warnock, but in a rare moment of vision he did more to damage Brighton’s play-off bid than any formation change, loan signing or tactical substitution. Paynter’s loan to Brighton – unsurprisingly unproductive – coincided with a slide down the league table that perhaps only beleaguered fictional comprehensive school Waterloo Road could compete with. So what now? The training ground’s a-buzz, Paul Connolly has been re-animated; Darren O’Dea has purchased a Kisnorbo hat and started to defend. And Paynter seemed to be on that path too, on the bench for Warnock’s first three games, in which we didnt score, but – then didnt get on the pitch? The YEP is telling us today that he’s turned down the chance to play for Notts County for the rest of the season, presumably so Warnock could see if he really can play. He wants to fight for his place. Well great. You’re put in mind of Mike Grella (now at Bury) he refused (allegedly) to play on loan at Bradford; he thought he could do better, and indeed better than Beckford and Becchio, so wouldn’t go. Which attracted the ire of Simon Grayson. His fall from grace is all too visible, and he’s – by the looks of things – decided time on the bench at Brentford also isn’t acceptable to a player of his talents, opting for the bench at Bury instead. What’s irritating to the average fan in these situations is:- A) To the outsider it would seem a gilt edged opportunity for the player to find his goal scoring boots again, and he’d (hopefully) come back the better player B) If it didn’t work out, we’d have some clarity as to whether he was in the squad next season C) That might enable us to sign up a player coming in on loan for this season (which will invariably be lined up) So in summary, Paynter not going creates inertia in the squad, and you’d have to say that our striking options are not brilliant. Forssell is clearly not up to it, Webber seems more of a winger, so if Becchio and McCormack got injured that would bring in Paynter, with a lack of match fitness and an inability to score at the moment, which a spell at Notts County might assist. Come on Billy, Nottingham’s’ quite a nice place you know? Not as good as Leeds (naturally) but where is? If you take your eyes slightly out of focus (isn’t that what you usually do when you play?) you can pretend you’re playing for Newcastle or West Brom. On finishing this i note that Lloyd Sam has taken the very same option with both hands. You’d argue he probably had a better stake for a first team place than Paynter, so where does that leave him now? Good luck Lloyd, it’s an opportunity to show us all what we’ve been missing.