Post by Taxigirl on Dec 5, 2003 18:48:21 GMT
Leeds United striker Alan Smith claims he is baffled by the fall from grace of his home town club.
The Elland Road outfit have agreed a deal with their creditors to stave off the threat of imminent administration, a far cry from two years ago when The Whites were on the verge of reaching the UEFA Champions League final.
The club are still in financial crisis but have been given more time to try and find new investors with Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa said to be pondering whether to invest or not.
Smith said: "Something's wrong and we don't know if it's going to be fixed or not.
"So for the time being we're just waiting and fingers crossed all goes well, it gets turned around and sorted out.
"We just hope something gets resolved because it's a massive club with massive support and to see it in the situation it's in isn't right.
"But it's mystifying how can it happen. We (the players) know as little as anybody else and that down the line something has gone horribly wrong.
"Unfortunately, we are the people at the forefront of it because at the end of the day we are the ones that have to put up with the situation.
"We've sold good players - and there are good players here - but for the foreseeable future Leeds United is going to be a middle of the road team. We have to appreciate it.
"But you find yourself wondering what went wrong. When people speak to you, you don't really know.
"Players were sold without any question. When you look at the players that have passed through the club, it was a team that was able to win a championship and that's wrong.
"But we're the ones that have to pick up the pieces now and try and start building again. We're going to have to cope with the situation we're in."
Smith also concedes to being worried about his future which is seemingly out of his hands given United's plight because there remains the prospect he could be sold in the January transfer window should the club require the money.
"I don't know what the future holds for myself because of the financial situation. I've thought about it and I still don't know where I stand," added Smith on BBC Radio Five Live.
"You hear people say they'll never sell you, and then others saying they are going to have to, but if you go into administration who knows what happens.
"At the minute I'm doing as much as I can on the field and trying the best as I can for Leeds, but what the future holds, I don't think anybody really knows. It's out of my hands."