Many Leeds United fans have been reacting on social media after Adam Forshaw discussed the first-team taking a pay cut due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The club announced last week that all players, coaching staff and senior management team members had volunteered to take a wage deferral for the foreseeable future, with the move aimed at ensuring all non-football staff at Elland Road and Thorp Arch can be paid.
Leeds have several high-earning players, with Patrick Bamford on a £35,000-per-week contract, Helder Costa earning £32.5k-p/w, Kiko Casilla £32.1k-p/w and Forshaw on a £20k-p/w deal penned upon his arrival from Middlesbrough in 2018 in a £4.5million transfer.
Overall, the club spend almost £40m a year on wages, after the annual figure rose following the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa and his backroom staff.
Forshaw has now noted his thoughts on the club’s voluntary decision to defer pay, which has received some support from the fanbase for the way players have adopted Bielsa’s side before self ethos.
“We’d been talking to the club and it’s the right thing to do,” the 28-year-old noted while speaking on talkSPORT, via quotes by Twitter account LUFC MOT.
“It’ll hopefully stop a bigger problem in two months time. As footballers, it’s come as a bit of a shock. You get used to the lifestyle, but Leeds are facing losing a lot of money. It’s the right thing.”
The lack of fixtures being played due to matches being postponed has a direct impact on the club’s finances with ticket sales a key revenue, while the closure of the football financing market will cost the club several million pounds a month.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to Forshaw’s comments…
Special bunch of lads we’ve got. Bought 100% into Bielsa’s morals and the clubs resurrected ‘side before self’ mantra https://t.co/spMPGv6vCt
— Carts (@3stripes89) March 30, 2020
Marching On Together
— William Charles Williams (@William27472105) March 31, 2020
Whoever that bloke is, it’s a good message
— JP (@jpelloco) March 30, 2020
Class
— Dai-RMT-NRFC-LUFC (@Dai45017363) March 30, 2020
Ah, the wages reduction
— Bielsa’s Cheese Wedge Ultras (@Allcheese1) March 30, 2020
He may well be fit by the time the season resumes. Which is not a bad thing. He’s a class player and a fine example to the wider community, football or otherwise
— Tom Stringwell (@stringwell) March 30, 2020
Especially when you haven’t played all year
— cano (@AidanCanavan) March 30, 2020
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/og7wnGjymu
— WeAllLoveLeeds (@AllLoveLeeds) March 30, 2020
In other Leeds United news, fans have been up in arms after reports claimed the club could target a £25,000-per-week “liability” this summer.