By Sam Stone

1st Feb, 2023 | 5:10pm

Leeds United chief hits out at Alexi Lalas after rant about Elland Road-USA connection

Jay Mooney, head of media and communications at Leeds United, has hit out at Alexi Lalas after his comments on the Whites’ connections with the USA.

Lalas took to Twitter (31 January) to suggest the only reason he and many Americans are interested in the Yorkshire side is because of the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams and now Weston McKennie all playing under Jesse Marsch. Furthermore, he claimed he would “look elsewhere” if Leeds’ US connection changed.

Mooney has suggested (via Twitter, 1 February) that if you are a “proper fan” of the game you would not change allegiances.

“If you are a proper fan of the game, a club takes hold of you. Current players and staff might help to make you aware of a certain team but once it has hold of you it’s impossible to get away,” wrote the head of communications.

Proper fan

Lalas is so out of touch here and it’s plain for all to see. You don’t support a team and then jump ship because your favourite player or manager leaves. You can become disillusioned, but it doesn’t mean you will stop supporting that side.

The lows are just as important as the highs and true football fans will appreciate this. Realistically, what the former USA international should be saying is that he likes watching Leeds, but that’s about it. He’s not a fan and he couldn’t care about the long-term future of the club.

What Lalas should do is stop sharing his opinions on the Yorkshire side, because he’s evidently not in touch. He’s a Premier League fan and isn’t aware of the fan feeling at Elland Road. From a commercial perspective, it’s important Leeds tap into their American fan base.

Football is still emerging in the US and there’s a chance for further streams of revenue to be unearthed if the right decisions are made.

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