Molenaar Lifts Lid on Leeds

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Unofficial Newcastle United Football Club BBS : One Thread

In this weeks 'Voetbal International'(authoratitive Dutch mag) there is a curious interview with big defender Robert Molenaar. I thought some of it worth sharing;

Molenaar's career at Leeds went downhill when he badly injured his right-knee against Arsenal 2 years ago. O'Leary refused his request to convalesce with his own physio in Holland which he accepted gracefully out of 'club loyalty'. However after 14 months of treatment Molenaar was far from fit with his right-knee only regaining half its strength. Molenaar again requested to be treated by his own physiotherapist, the club again refused. Eventually Molenaar received the treatment he wanted during his holiday paying for most of it out of his own pocket.

Meantime with his contract up Leeds had offered him a new one-year deal which he was delighted to accept. He returned a month early for pre-season training but his knee started playing-up again. He soon realised he was far from alone in the treatment room. "There were so many injuries you wouldn't believe it. The club was forced to start looking for what the real causes were. When we were finished with pre-season training they dismissed the physio....I'd been treated for 2 years by a man who was evidently incompetent."

Molenaar recovered his fitness but was only occasionally selected for the subs bench and the reserves. A month after signing his contract O'Leary approached him with the news that Leeds had just accepted an offer from Wimbledon for him for around 1 million pounds. Molenaar was astonished "I suddenly realised that was the only reason they offered me a contract in the first place: to sell me as quickly as possible and cash-in on me." Molenaar refused point-blank feeling the loyalty he had shown for the club had been thrown back in his face. He was subsequently cold-shouldered until Bradford came in for him.

Sour-grapes? Naivity? Perhaps, but Molenaar certainly seems convinced that he was the victim of seriously botched medical treatment at a club that has had more than a few crocks of late (eg Batty, Kewell).

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Answers

I should add that is my summary rather than the article itself.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Hmm - makes you wonder how many other clubs are similarly setup. Now, who could he mean.................?

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

somewhere in the back of my mind I feel Leeds actually took the physio to court and he was doen for malpractice and lying about qualifications

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Moderation questions? read the FAQ