Various masaail of Jamaat Salaah and Imaamat

Following an imaam who makes masah over cotton socks

Q: I have a situation where in my work place in Saudi Arabia (far from any musjid in construction site), the person that often is imaam of the small musallah we perform zohr and asr salah, makes masah over his normal cotton socks when he makes wudu. 

I read salah for few months behind him and only found out about this recently. 

He confirmed that some scholars in Saudi passed a fatwa that its permissible. It would seem that many of the general public here follow this fatwa. 

I do not want to argue and create fitnah based on the situation. I know the fatwa is that wudu is not valid if masah is made over normal cotton socks based on majority opinion. 

However, based on my situation/ the fact that I did not know or could not control the imaam, is my previous salah valid or should I repeat it? 

Also, going forward, what should I do: Can I read salah behind him, based on the fact that I cannot control the imaam - perhaps consider him a different madhhab/ different opinion with salah being valid Insha Allah or is salah invalid for sure in which case. Should I read salah behind him and repeat it or should I try to avoid and read on my own. This will result in me not being able to make salah in jamaat at work and possibly create division. (Also reading salah and repeating is a challenge especially asr based on limited time and people observing you).

Finding fault with the imaams of the masjid

Q: There's a few brothers in a masjid who usually don't like when any scholars from different localities come to their masjid, when jamaat comes and even their own Imaams. They find fault in them. For example, they say that one person is reading too fast, another is making ruku and sajdah too long and they only come when the Imaam has to go on the mimbar for the khutbah.

Will their Salaah be accepted like how they don't appreciate their Imaams? Please advise as to what the normal brothers can do and also what the Imaams can do.

Muqtadi saying the takbeer when moving to different postures

Q: Is saying transitional takbeer (Allahu Akbar) when going to ruku, sujood, qiyaam obligatory upon the individual praying behind an imam or can he just follow the imam.

I have performed many prayers behind the imam and I thought I wasn’t obligated to say the takbeer besides takbeer al ihram. Would my previous prayers be invalid otherwise even if I were unaware?