Always Leeds always loyal. Edited by Gerry Cunningham.  

May 18th. Interest in Ward hots up whilst Leeds receive interest in Clayton- Hay YEP. Leeds United’s attempt to sign Joel Ward was in the balance today with the Portsmouth defender set to hold talks with two more clubs over the weekend. Ward is preparing to meet with officials from two unnamed Championship sides after a delay in his proposed move to Elland Road. The 22-year-old is one of Neil Warnock’s prime targets and met the United manager for talks earlier this month but Leeds are yet to close out a £400,000 transfer, despite Ward appearing to favour the option of joining them. Portsmouth have been in administration for three months and are looking to sell the player in an effort to help the club avoid financial collapse. United paid Portsmouth £500,000 to secure centre-back Jason Pearce two weeks ago and appeared to be at the head of the queue for Ward’s signature after making their interest known. Three other Championship clubs – Crystal Palace, Burnley and Ipswich Town – have spoken with the defender, who made 46 appearances in the division last season, but his destination remains uncertain with two more teams stepping forward in the past 48 hours. Portsmouth are keen to see a transfer concluded as quickly as possible and Ward is also pushing for clarity on his future. The YEP understands that the right-back – a good friend of Pearce’s – was receptive to the idea of moving to Leeds but he is anxious to prevent the saga dragging on beyond the early stages of next week. Warnock planned to secure up to four signings before the end of this month and Pearce became his first summer recruit when he signed a four-year contract on May 4. The Leeds boss suggested that two more players might arrive at Elland Road this week but further additions looked unlikely today. Warnock has not commented on his approach for Ward but he said: “I’m speaking to agents every day and I’m pushing to get deals over the line. It’s a long summer but it’s so important to keep things moving.” Ward and Warnock are believed to have met at Thorp Arch to discuss a move last Wednesday, and Ward’s wage demands are not thought to be a complication. He is one of Portsmouth’s lower earners and would receive a substantial pay rise by transferring to Elland Road. But Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch – formerly chief executive at Leeds – suggested on Tuesday that United were in danger of missing out on Ward’s signature. Joel Ward will be next to go but I am not certain of the timescale on that,” Birch said. It’s not necessarily going to be Leeds. He’s met a few other clubs and has been talking things over with them. “We are waiting to see what the outcome will be.” Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton said: “Leeds are the main interest but there are a few others. “I didn’t think Joel would be short of interested parties and that has turned out to be the case. There are a lot looking at him.“Ipswich have always shown interest, Palace are there and Burnley have come in really strong. “Eddie Howe (Burnley’s manager) worked with him in the past at Bournemouth so you’ve got that link there. He’ll have a good future wherever he ends up.” Ward is part of a long list of players on Warnock’s radar with the Leeds boss facing up to a huge rebuilding job this summer. United are competing with Ipswich and Middlesbrough for the signature of Derby County midfielder Paul Green – due to become a free agent in July – and are also believed to have identified two other Portsmouth players, David Norris and Luke Varney, as viable targets. They are expected to be part of a mass exodus from Fratton Park. Warnock was linked with a move for Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf towards the end of the Championship term but Diouf’s arrival at Elland Road is far from certain, despite sources close to the player suggesting discussions about a free transfer could take place next week. Leeds could also look to strike a deal with Clint Hill if the defender declines the offer of a new contract at Queens Park Rangers. Hill, 33, is in talks with QPR about prolonging his stay at Loftus Road but the Premier League club are unlikely to hand their player of the year more than a 12-month extension or guarantee him regular football next season. Asked about Hill, Warnock said: “Clint’s had a very good season and I thought he held them (QPR) together towards the end of it. “He’s a very good player and like anything else we are looking for good players. I think everybody is.” Beyond the incoming players on Warnock’s agenda, the United boss is attempting to move on a number of the under-contract professionals transfer-listed by him at the start of this month. Midfielder Adam Clayton was the most high-profile name added to United’s list of available players and Burnley are poised to submit the first bid for him. The Lancashire side are in the process of drawing up an offer for the 23-year-old, who was transfer-listed by Warnock after failing to agree an extension to his contract. Clayton’s existing deal expires at the end of next season and his exit would generate a sizeable fee, increasing Warnock’s transfer fund. Paul Connolly, Billy Paynter, Ramon Nunez, Andy O’Brien and Paul Rachubka are also in line to leave Elland Road with Leeds seeking to remove them from their wage bill. “We’ve had a bit of interest in the likes of Clayton,” Warnock said. “But to a large extent you’re in the hands of other clubs, waiting for them to come in.”

Friday May 18th 2012. McCormack next to leave ? Leeds boss Neil Warnock admits he does not expect striker Ross McCormack to accept the club's terms on a new contract. The 25-year-old's current deal runs to next summer, but his decision to refuse an extension could see the Scotland international leave during the close season. McCormack was signed from Cardiff on a three-year deal in 2009 and after a quiet first season at Elland Road he hit the net 19 times during the last campaign. "It's unlikely he'll sign," Warnock said. "We've offered Ross an increase but his representatives made it clear that they're looking for a more significant increase after the season he's had. "We've agreed to play it by ear and see where things go from here but he's going into his last year and it might be that people come in for him now." Colin may now be facing some of the problems that Larry faced before him, ie paying players what they are worth. McCormack scored 19 goals last season, a difficult player to replace at this level without investing a hell of a lot more than the circa  £400K that Simon Grayson paid Cardiff City for his services. That now looks a snip. Snodgrass and White, two players that Colin covets have still not signed up although we hear that we are "close" with Snoddy. Colin wants at least two players in before he departs on holidays. It looks like it's any two from Ward, Hill and Halford, all defensive players. But its' offensively that we may have problems also with having to replace Gradel, Howson and probably McCormack.  

Weds May 16th. Leeds in for Hill ? Leeds’ move in for Clint Hill comes after QPR staved off relegation from the Premiership on the final weekend of the season. Like Leeds, the London club has now embarked on a programme of rebuilding its squad, and Hill is thought to be unlikely to figure in the new line-up. Warnock and Hill worked together at QPR and before that at Crystal Palace, where Warnock signed him from Stoke City. QPR manager Mark Hughes said: “The club wasn’t ready for the Premier League but we are moving very quickly. There’s no way we’ll be in this situation again in my time here.” Hill, 33, was yesterday named the players’ player and fans’ player of the year at Rangers. He could now be invited to join a Leeds back line which began to take shape with the recent capture of centre-back Jason Pearce. However The Daily Mail claim “CLINT Hill is ready to snub a move to Leeds United to stay at QPR". The versatile defender is out of contract in the summer, but is in preliminary talks over a new deal in W12 after an impressive second half of the season. Hill's QPR career looked over when he was shipped out on loan to Nottingham Forest earlier in the year, but he played a major part in the R's survival bid under Mark Hughes. The 33-year-old's exploits earned him the player of tLEEDS manager Neil Warnock has retrained his sights on Queens Park Rangers left-back Clint Hill and looks set to mount a charm offensive.” So one newspaper had gotten it wrong.

Weds May 16th. Premiership pre-season opponents ? Leeds United chairman Ken Bates says the club are awaiting the result of the Champions League final in Munich on Saturday night between Bayern Munich and Chelsea before they can announce their pre-season game at Elland Road on Friday August 10th. Chelsea travel to face Munich knowing that a win would see them clinch the final Champions League place ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who finished fourth in the Premier League. Tottenham would then drop into the Europa League alongside Newcastle United, Everton and Liverpool, who will all have qualifiers to reach the group stage of the competition, as would Chelsea in the Champions League. Bates would not say who the chosen opposition is but says they will make an announcement once they know the outcome on Saturday. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Bates said, "We have to wait to see if Chelsea win or lose in Munich. If they win then the top three in the Premier League will be in the Champions League and the fourth placed club will move down to the Europa League. "We have attentively agreed to play Premier League opposition the Friday before the season starts, so we will have to wait until we can announce who we are playing. "Apart from that, we are reasonably well advanced, with one or two more games to be fitted in." Leeds have so far confirmed four games during pre-season. They will play three games in Devon and Cornwall during a five-day stay in the South-West. They will face Tavistock on Monday July 23rd, Bodmin on Wednesday July 25th and Torquay United on Friday July 27th. Leeds will then travel to Norway to face Sandejford in Oslo on Wednesday August 1st. Neither Leeds or Burton Albion are yet to confirm a pre-season friendly between the two sides on Tuesday August 7th at the Pirelli Stadium despite Burton chairman Ben Robinson talking about the fixture in last week`s Burton Mail.

Tuesday May 15^th. Make your mind up time for Ward. Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch says Joel Ward will be the next player to leave Fratton Park but it will not necessarily be to Leeds United. Leeds are believed to have met with Ward last week and are hoping to reunite him with his former teammate Jason Pearce, who signed for Leeds earlier this month. Ward is also being chased by a number of fellow championship clubs with Burnley, Crystal Palace and Ipswich also being linked with the versatile 22 year old. Speaking in the Portsmouth news, Birch said, "Joel Ward will be the next to go but I am not certain of the timescale on that. That is progressing. I would have thought something should be happening in the next few days. "It is not necessarily going to be Leeds. He has met a few other clubs in total and has been talking things over with them. "We are waiting to see what the outcome will be."  Leeds boss Neil Warnock has stated today that he is hoping to bring in at least two unnamed players to the club before he leaves for his summer holiday on May 25th. Warnock has also been linked with a number of other Portsmouth players, but Birch says that Ward is the only player that they have so far received a bid for of those left at the club. "I am not in an advanced stage with any others at the moment. I am aware of other clubs` interest. "There have been enquiries but we have not even gone into negotiations. "There is nothing else on the table at this point other than for Joel," added Birch. As well as Pearce and Ward, Leeds have also been linked with moves for Luke Varney, David Norris and Greg Halford so far this summer from Portsmouth as the cash strapped south coast club look to reduce the wage bill at Fratton Park.

May 15th. Both Scots miss out. There is no place in the latest Scotland squad for Leeds United duo Robert Snodgrass and Ross McCormack. Scotland boss Craig Levien has left the pair out of the 22-man squad that travel to Florida for a friendly with USA on May 26th. Snodgrass has been a regular in the Scotland squad this season and he played in their last friendly in Slovenia in February. McCormack has been overlooked by Scotland all season despite netting 19 times for Leeds this season. The striker hasn`t featured for Scotland since playing in the nation`s cup games with Wales and Ireland last May. 

Tues May 15th. Colin on the relegated trio and the challengers- YEP Neil Warnock insists former club Queens Park Rangers’ successful relegation fight is good news for Leeds United. While the most dramatic ever day in the history of the Premiership may have ultimately belonged to Manchester City, the other big winners were the R’s, who staved off the drop at Bolton Wanderers’ expense in their own version of Survival Sunday, despite a last-gasp defeat at the Etihad Stadium – with the final whistle the cue for mass celebrations in both the home and away ends. Former Loftus Road chief Warnock, controversially dismissed by the West Londoners in January, was happy enough that his old employers survived, but perhaps not for the reasons many would envisage. While Warnock proved a hugely popular figure among R’s supporters after memorably taking them to the Championship title in 2010-11 and would be forgiven for having a bit of a soft spot for the club, the main reason he is pleased they stayed up is purely from a United perspective. Rangers splashed the cash to stay up in January and were the top spenders in the transfer window along with Chelsea and Newcastle. And given their financial largesse – boosted also by a hefty parachute payment – Warnock is sure they would have gone for it in a big way if the worst had happened and their Premiership place have been relinquished after just 12 months. Instead, it’s Bolton who accompany Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers to the second tier and the Trotters, saddled with considerable debt, face some tough decisions over the coming months as they seek to get back on a financially even keel.While Wanderers are expected to have to fight serious financial fires, it’s all about in-fighting just up the road at Ewood Park following a wholly fraught and disharmonious campaign which has seen supporters turn against both the management and controversial club owners, Venky’s.On paper, things seem a bit more stable at Wolves, although their appoint of a ‘rookie’ in Norwegian boss Stale Solbakken hasn’t exactly filled the Black Country with a massive amount of confidence. United boss Warnock said: “From our point of view, I think it’s far better that QPR have stayed up, as I think they have more money to throw at things and would have been stronger than most (next season). “Looking at it, the three coming down were the best three for us. “I don’t think any of the three teams going down will be a major threat, like it was when West Ham went down last season. I don’t see a ‘West Ham’ there. “I think Wolves are gambling by having a relative stranger to the Championship (managing). But they haven’t got to sell anybody, so they will probably keep all of their squad. “I do see Blackburn and Bolton as losing some of their main players, if I’m honest. “I think Bolton will have to cut their cloth accordingly as they’ve got a lot of debts at the minute.” While Warnock’s considered view is that the teams going down aren’t as strong as in previous years, he’s certainly not daft enough to think that next season’s Championship won’t be anything other than a teak-tough division to get out of, especially if West Ham don’t clinch promotion at Wembley on Saturday afternoon. The division’s make-up is still full of sides who have been spent a considerable amount of time in the top-flight during the past couple of decades, from Leicester City and Middlesbrough to the likes of Derby County and Ipswich Town and the promoted duo of Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday. Warnock said: “Coming up, there’s Charlton, who will be strong. Already I’ve enquired about one particular player and I know Charlton are willing to pay a fortune for him, wages-wise, so they are obviously having a go and will maybe sign two or three on big money. “Then there’s the likes of Leicester and speaking to Nigel (Pearson), they are going to support him again and they are going to have another buying spree. They have got to be a threat. “No matter what people say, it’s always a notoriously competitive league. It’s always the same and I think that’s what makes it a good league. “But from my point of view, I won’t be worrying about any of them if we get our targets really".

Tuesday May 15th. Two more to come in but which two? Whilst Leeds have been closely linked with the arrival of "at least two players" this week, it remains to be seen which players they will be. Paul Green from Derby is available on a free transfer but he may not be a Warnock type of player, and speculation has been rife for a fortnight now regarding Joel Ward's arrival. Colin though has been cagey and has stated that : “There’s loads of speculation, but fortunately two or three of my targets haven’t been mentioned yet. I’d like to keep them all under wraps, ideally. “I’ve spoken to quite a lot of agents over the last seven days. It’s just a matter of trying to seal deals really.” This has lead one to believe that Greg Halford may be the real arrival from Portsmouth. Warnock said: “I’ll be glad this week if we get a couple of lads in. If we haven’t, I’ll be disappointed if I’m honest. “I go away on the 25th and I want to try and get two or three in by then, if I can". Halford is versatile, quick and tall. He has had several big money moves but in truth hasn't fully fulfilled his potential. Still only 27 he can play any position in defence and in midfield.  Other players linked are Luke Varney and David Norris all team-mates of Ward and Halford. Dave Penny, former manager of Green at Doncaster Rovers was glowing in his praise of the current Derby County player : “If you get a player like Paul Green available on a free transfer, then most clubs would be interested in the Championship. “Paul’s a proper kid and a team player as well. He’s not one of those selfish footballers that seem to be flying about at the moment. “He has played right-back, as he did this season and will play in any position he’s asked to. “But for me, he’s best position is central midfield. He has got a goal in him, a good engine and can get from box to box. “We got him as an apprentice at Doncaster after being released by Sheffield Wednesday, possibly because he was a little bit too small. “But as we kept progressing, so did he and he was the only one who really stayed with us as we moved up the leagues". Last night Sheffield United made it through to the League One play off final where they look as if they will face Huddersfield Town. Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton have already been promoted so the Championship is looking stronger again next season. Kevin Blackwell, former chum and nemesis of Colin looks set to become the new manager of Hull City so it could be possible that there are two ex Leeds managers coming back to Elland Road next season. Meanwhile none of Leeds' transfer listed players have moved on to pastures new as they retain the benefits of decent United contracts during the summer.

Monday May 14th. Three relegated  Congratulations to Man City on winning the Premiership, and commiserations to their noisy neighbours from Salford on finishing second. Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves will join us in the Championship next season and will no doubt be comforted with their parachute payments. Wolves look best prepared as most of their squad automatically reduce to Championship salaries, whilst Blackburn appear to have found one of the few Middle East businessmen without money. Each club will receive £19m from the Premier League this season by way of a parachute payment, which will decrease to £14m and two payments of £8m over the next three years. It's a hell of an advantage over every other side in the Championship. It has emerged that  the 65-year-old Farnworth-born, Isle of Man businessman ploughed £10m of his personal fortune into the coffers (of Bolton) in March as part of transfer costs.On the positive side, the club owns its own stadium, hotel, training ground, car parks and academy and owe only around £10m of the £110m debt recorded in the last financial figures to the banks, again underwritten by the owner. But while Davies’s investment gives Bolton a semblance of stability, it is highly likely to be a summer of austerity for Owen Coyle. Coyle is highly adept at recruiting at this level so Warnock will have stiff competition from at least two out of the three sides that have come down.

Monday 14th. Green light ? LEEDS United boss Neil Warnock hopes to complete the transfer of Paul Green from Derby County later this week. Middlesbrough and Ipswich also chasing the Republic of Ireland international, who has signalled a move after refusing to sign a new deal with Derby. He said: “Hopefully something will be sorted by the back end of the week.” Green added he was looking for a “fresh challenge” after four seasons at Derby. He underwent cruciate ligament surgery last year and made 30 appearances for Derby this season. He said: “I sat down with my family and discussed it and came to the decision that it was time for a change.” Green has more than 400 senior appearances to his name and is one of five players named on standby by Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni for Euro 2012.

Monday 14th of May 2012. "Premiership clubs to do business now" By Eddie Gray - YEP .People have been speaking about our new signing Jason Pearce very highly. He won stacks of player-of-the-year awards down at Portsmouth and hopefully he’ll be a good buy. He looks like exactly what we need at the back – a big, strong lad. I was also pleased to hear that Neil Warnock is trying to secure Tom Lees to a new and improved deal. It shows how highly he thinks of him. Tom actually only signed a new contract last autumn and it will make him feel good and boost his confidence further to be offered another one. We’ll also have to wait and see what happens with the likes of Aidy White and Robert Snodgrass who have been offered new deals at Elland Road. This is the time of year where, with the season finishing, the Premier League clubs know where they stand and where they are going to be next season and they start doing a bit of business. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed our lads stay. It will be an interesting couple of weeks for the club and Neil will be working away to try and get the players sorted out – including those he has put on the list as well. He will want to actually know what he’s got going out and what he can afford to bring in – financially and numbers-wise. If all the players Neil wants to leave the club go, there’s a big hole there to fill with new players. It’s all interesting stuff.

Sat May 12^th. Somma to be fit for start of season.   Striker Davide Somma is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season and will return to the training pitch with a vote of confidence from the club’s assistant manager, Mick Jones. The South African international appears to be winning his battle against the knee injury which required two operations and forced him to miss the whole of this season. Somma suffered cruciate ligament damage in the early stages of Leeds’ last pre-season programme and saw his hopes of an on-schedule comeback ended when United sent him for a fresh bout of surgery in March. The 27-year-old was expected to play a major role in the 2011-12 campaign having broken into United’s first team during the previous year but his recent set-back left him fighting to be ready for the opening day of the forthcoming Championship term. Manager Neil Warnock revealed that Somma is on course to take part in pre-season, which begins provisionally for Leeds on July 4 and in earnest on July 11, and he admitted that Jones had identified much to admire in the striker’s game. Warnock said: “Mick loves him. I’ve not seen a lot of him but Mick has and he loves him. “But you just don’t know when you’ve had injuries like that. When you’ve been out for the length of time he has it’s difficult to predict if a player can sustain the top level of Championship football.” Somma is part of an extensive injury list at Elland Road, and defender Leigh Bromby was sent to London for surgery on a ruptured knee tendon earlier this week. But defender Patrick Kisnorbo and winger Robbie Rogers, who are recovering from knee and ankle injuries respectively, could also be available when Warnock’s squad report back to Thorp Arch in two months’ time. “They’re all working hard and they’re all going to be fit for pre-season,” Warnock said. “Paddy’s determined to be fit. They should all be available.”

Saturday 12 May Grayson no regrets – YEP.  “HAVE no regrets,” is typically the final instruction Simon Grayson sends his team out with ahead of an important game. So, when it comes to the Yorkshire Post asking whether the 42-year-old has any regrets of his own at how things worked out at Leeds United, maybe it should not be a surprise when he replies in the negative. “No, I don’t look back with any regrets or negativity towards myself,” says the former United apprentice of his 37 months in charge at Elland Road alongside Glynn Snodin and Ian Miller, who both subsequently followed him to Huddersfield. “I loved every minute of it so how could I look back with any kind of negativity or the feeling that we were a failure as we got the team promoted and had some great results in the Cup?” As keen as Grayson may be to accentuate the positives of his time at Elland Road, there must, this newspaper asks, be an element of frustration at how United failed to build on last May’s seventh place finish? “Last summer probably was a frustrating one,” he admits after a pause. “Finishing seventh was, to me, a case of the club over-achieving but we felt, as a staff, that if we added to the players we already had then we had a great chance. “Unfortunately, the summer turned out to be frustrating. There were three or four players who I felt would really improve us but, for whatever reason, they went elsewhere. Did Leeds really push the boat out to get them? Only people behind the scenes know that. But those players would have made a difference. “A month into the season, we felt the team was weaker than it had been at the end of the previous season where we should have been able to build on it. When you look at the attacking six that finished the season and the team when we left, they don’t compare. We went from Snodgrass, Kilkenny, Johnson, Howson, Gradel and Becchio to only having Snodgrass playing to the best of his ability due to Luciano having had a mixed season.” Grayson was smiling happily at the end of the play off tie at MK Dons as his side looks to have an unassailable 2-0 lead going back to West Yorkshire on Tuesday night. But as we all know, leads going into 2nd leg home game are not always cast iron certainties to win outright.

Sat May 12th  Taken from "The game’s gone crazy". What has happened at Leeds? At the beginning of the season, most people expected them to be a real force, not marking them down for automatic promotion but as strong favourites for the Play Offs. Under Grayson, their form was patchy but they were still in with a good shout, and when Warnock was appointed many people, including myself, expected a late season charge. But talk about ending with a whimper! Leeds disappeared off the radar faster than a plane crashing on take off. That was not what Master Bates ordered! And with the purse strings pulled tight and the present team woefully inadequate - as the hammering by Forest demonstrated - it is hard to see the marriage of Leeds and Warnock lasting too long. Can two egos like Bates and Warnock share the same living space for too long before the verbal brickbats start flying? Of course, it is the same old problem with Bates - he wants to run a football club along sound financial lines and that means shipping out your best players as soon as you get a decent offer for them, even when the sales generate very little cash in the big scheme of things. How much did Leeds generate in transfer revenues at the end of the day? What did Gradel go for as an example? The fee was undisclosed but it wasn't megabucks and, although not Messi, he went on to score six goals in 24 starts for St Etienne, having finished the previous season as Leeds' Player of the Year. For Bates, the balance sheet looked healthier but given investment is crucial for growth, the short term gain was at a huge potential long term loss. Leeds missed out on the playoffs by 14 points - a massive final gulf it is true - but had Gradel and Howson been retained, and money been spent, the potential revenue from a season in the Prem would have far exceeded what Bates saved. We shouldn't write Warnock off yet - he has a fantastic record in the Championship - but it may be that Leeds under Bates are destined for a long stint in the second tier of English football. We saw nothing over the final third of the season to suggest that they will challenge for promotion next season and if things are not going well by Christmas, it is hard to see anything other than an acrimonious divorce ahead. Unless Warnock is offered another job and walks out over the summer!

Sat May 12^th. Friendlies. Leeds United have announced four pre-season friendlies including a return to Norwegian club Sandefjord. Leeds will visit Sandefjord, who they played last summer, on Wednesday, August 1 after completing a three-match tour of Cornwall and Devon. Manager Neil Warnock plans to begin pre-season by taking his squad south for matches against two non-league sides, Tavistock and Bodmin Town, and League Two outfit Torquay United – the same schedule followed by Warnock’s QPR team ahead of their Championship title-winning campaign in 2010-11. Leeds are due to turn out at Tavistock on Monday, July 23 before appearing at Bodmin 48 hours later. They will round off a week-long tour of the south-west with their first trip to Plainmoor for more than 50 years, meeting Torquay on Friday, July 27. All three of United’s domestic fixtures will kick-off at 7pm. The game against Sandefjord is due to start at 7pm local time, 6pm UK time. Further friendlies are likely to be announced by Leeds shortly, with their only home game taking place against as-yet unconfirmed Premier League opposition on Friday, August 10. Throughout his managerial career, Leeds boss Warnock has made a tradition of launching pre-season campaigns in Cornwall. The Leeds boss said: “The fans who come will be welcome to come and watch us train. “It’s a great chance for the (players) and the fans to gel – to bring everyone together early doors.”

Friday 11 May 2012   Bates get a shift on. YEP. So, almost a fortnight since a hugely disappointing npower Championship season ended Leeds United have just one new player on their books. That’s right, one. Granted it’s a start, but with manager Neil Warnock on record, several times, before and immediately after the campaign closed saying he hoped to add as many as three, possibly four, new faces by the end of the month, it’s only that.  The arrival of Jason Pearce was hardly a surprise after Portsmouth leaked news of Warnock’s move for the defender before the final game of the campaign, but the fact the 24-year-old left Fratton Park clutching a host of player-of-the-year awards suggests United’s first signing is a very good one. It has also set the bench mark, so far as Elland Road regulars are concerned, for what Warnock expects to be a busy summer. It’s unusual, of course, for the Whites to make a signing before the end of June – free transfer Andy Robinson, signed by Gary McAllister, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, a May-time capture for Simon Grayson, are the only two that spring readily to mind – so the transfer, with money paid out to Pompey, represents a not insignificant marker. Pearce’s arrival may yet come to indicate something of a sea change in attitude from chairman Ken Bates and Co who, in the past at least, have seemed to prefer to wait as long as possible during the close season and sometimes after the start of the new term before taking on the extra wage burden of new players. There’s nothing wrong with taking a frugal approach if the resources are tight and the man in charge of team selection is happy enough with the options at his disposal, but this time things are very different. And having announced last week that Ben Parker, Mika Vayrynen, Alex Bruce, Mikael Forssell, Lloyd Sam and goalkeeper Maik Taylor, who was on a short-term contract in any case, would not be offered new deals there was bound to be more money available this time round. The worry for United fans is that Warnock clearly wants and needs rapid progress – breakneck speed when compared with Leeds’ usual summer recruitment process – if he is to stand a chance of putting together a higher-quality playing staff capable of hitting the ground running come August. And the club owner’s weekly radio address – where he appeared to dampen down expectations of a rush of early incoming transfers – will have done little to soothe fears that another long, slow off-season is in the offing. Do you not get it Ken? You need a flurry of arrivals to rekindle the interest among a group of supporters who feel hard done by. The average attendance was down last season, season ticket renewals for next season are down and many Leeds fans I speak to are talking about picking and choosing their home matches next season. Some supporters tell me they feel they have been taken for granted and over-charged for tickets – their opinions not mine – for too long and now they want a show of intent and, more importantly, ambition from the club before they stump up any more of their hard-earned cash. Many believe that Neil Warnock can and will achieve the record-breaking eighth promotion of his managerial career with Leeds, if, and it’s a big if as far as they are concerned, he gets the financial support he needs to attract the players that he wants. The future of your latest club captain, Robert Snodgrass, who is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract and has only a year left on hs current deal, probably also rests on the who is added to the squad. Warnock, of course, has been fulsome in his praise of Mr Bates since taking over the United hotseat and professed himself satisfied with the club’s promises to back him as he bids to put together a smaller, better balanced squad. But United fans still vividly recall what happened after the Championship play-off final defeat by Watford when a failure to invest enough in players led to a disastrous relegation to League One. And just 12 months ago, having seen Grayson’s side blow a golden chance of, if not automatic promotion, at least a shot at the end-of-season play-offs they sat back and waited for a couple of high-profile arrivals to make the vital difference in 2011-12. They never came. Instead, in the final knockings of the summer transfer window, Max Gradel departed and in January club captain and local lad Jonny Howson was sold! So rather than bolstering a squad that wasn’t good enough to win promotion first-time round it was weakened. It’s time for the talking to stop Ken and the action, in terms of getting better players in, to start.

May 9^th Bates on contracts. Bates would not go into detail during his interview with Yorkshire Radio, but he feels young defender Aidy White, who is out of contract this summer is the least likely at this moment in time to sign a new deal. "The biggest question at the moment is with Aidy White," added Bates. Snodgrass and McCormack are both in contract until the summer of 2013 and have been offered new deals after impressive seasons at Elland Road. Snodgrass has taken over the captaincy of the side since the arrival of manager Neil Warnock and the club have admitted they have offered him a deal to make him the highest paid player at the club. Bates feels they are almost there with the deal with just a few sticking points. He continued,"We are almost there with Snodgrass. We have a few outstanding sticking points but there may be sticking points but we will just have to wait and see." McCormack was the leading goalscorer for Leeds last season with 19 goals and Bates says he is still waiting for a response from the striker`s agent and Bates is frustrated that the agents keep the players away from the meetings when discussing new deals. "With Ross, we are still waiting for his agent to come back to us."I think players should be more involved with the negotiations. They should be present rather than being kept away but it doesn`t seem to be how it works," added Warnock. Bates made no mention of midfielder Adam Clayton who is out of contract in the summer of 2013 and was placed on the transfer list last week after negotiations between the club and player broke down.

Weds May 9^th. Hill v Diouf. Clint Hill says QPR’s players will not hold it against Neil Warnock if their former boss signs El Hadji Diouf for Leeds United. Hill and his team-mates accused Diouf, who was then a Blackburn player, of shouting abuse at Jamie Mackie as the R’s forward lay injured after suffering a broken leg in an FA Cup tie at Ewood Park last year. Ex-Rangers manager Warnock labelled Diouf “worse than a sewer rat” after the game but is now believed to be interested in taking him to Elland Road. Hill, who played under Warnock at both QPR and Crystal Palace, told West London Sport: “If he does sign him there’ll obviously be reasons for it. We won’t hold it against him. “Jamie’s very close to us and what happened up at Blackburn was such a bad experience, and as a group we were really annoyed. “But it’s not for me to judge who Neil Warnock signs. If that’s the route he decides to go down then fair enough.”

May 7^th.  Daily Mail – Ward to be number two. It has been confirmed that Portsmouth’s Joel Ward is on the verge of signing for Leeds United within the coming weeks. Ward who is also a target for Ipswich Town but looks likely to follow his team mate and close friend Jason Pearce to Elland Road.The 22 year old has followed a similar career path to Pearce, spending valuable playing time on loan at Bournemouth. Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton recently said about Ward and Pearce: “They are two peas in a pod, where one goes the other follows.”Ward has become a versatile footballer over the past couple of seasons and can play centre back, defensive midfield, right back and has featured the left side of midfield for most of this season at Fratton Park. With the club recently placing current Leeds United right back Paul Connelly on the transfer list, Ward could be brought in to cement that place his own. With Portsmouth’s current financial situation the Whites could once again be getting another promising player on the cheap with a fee of £250,000 been reported to bring him to Elland Road. Meanwhile the YEP had this to say re Waiting game for Leeds United expect to discover next week whether Joel Ward will become the second Portsmouth player of the summer to move to Elland Road. The right-back is understood to be high on manager Neil Warnock’s wishlist as he looks to rebuild following a disappointing 14th-place finish last season. Leeds have already swooped to sign Pompey player of the year Jason Pearce but Warnock is keen to add at least another couple of new faces before the end of the month and talks have taken place over the past 48 hours with Ward’s agent. The United chief, however, faces competition from Burnley, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace for the 22-year-old. Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton has admitted that Ward was likely to be next to follow Pearce through the exit door at Fratton Park. He said: “There could be five or six in the race for Joel. That can only be a good thing. I’d be very surprised if he’s not the next one to move on.”

May 7^th. Bates on Warnock’s Pearce signing Leeds United chairman Ken Bates says the club took advantage of Portsmouth`s financial problems when signing Jason Pearce, a player manager Neil Warnock thinks is an exceptional signing. The South coast club are currently in administration and are facing up to life in League One next season following relegation from the championship. Leeds landed the defender on a four year deal for an undisclosed fee last week. Bates says that Pearce has been a player that Leeds boss Neil Warnock has wanted to bring to the club since his arrival in February. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Bates said :  "Neil thinks he is an exceptional signing. He has been stalking him for about three months and he is taking advantage of Portsmouth`s financial problems. "We have had him under wraps for almost a month before it was leaked out from Portsmouth."The 24  year old picked up a number of player of the season awards at Fratton Park this season following on from picking up the same accolade at previous club Bournemouth the previous season. Bates believes that Warnock sees Pearce and fellow youngster Tom Lees has his centre back partnership next season. "I think Neil sees Jason and Tom Lees as his centre backs for next season," added Bates. Warnock has been complimentary about Lees since his arrival at Elland Road and he said recently that the he was almost the first name on the team sheet.The 21-year-old made 45 appearances for Leeds in his first season involved in the first team and despite signing a new deal last September, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2015, Leeds are to offer the versatile defender an improved contract this summer.

Saturday and Sunday 5th & 6th of May 2012. Weekend updates. As Leeds welcomed home "The Don" to his rightful resting place on the Lowfields Road, Ken Bates was quick to announce plans of a 3,500 square metre casino at Elland Road. Leeds were linked with the usual amount of the "new signings" some close to the mark and most way off the mark. Latest links are as follows : Ins El Hadji Diouf - (Doncaster) Alan Smith - (Newcastle) Jermaine Beckford - (Leicester) Stuart Beavon - (Wycombe Wanderers) Jason Pearce - (Portsmouth) Signed Greg Halford - (Portsmouth) Joel Ward - (Portsmouth) Luke Varney - (Portsmouth) David Norris - (Portsmouth) Ben Watson - (Wigan Athletic) Paul Green - (Derby County) Darren Ambrose - (Crystal Palace) Sol Bamba - (Leicester City) Matt Mills - (Leicester City) Jermaine Beckford - (Leicester City) Out Aidy White - (Newcastle United) Ramon Nunez - (Doncaster Rovers) Bruce (already released) was linked with a Bosman to Burnley.  Simon Grayson spoke to the Huddersfield Examiner:-'Obviously we are at the stage of the year when players are being released, but what is happening at other clubs is really not my problem,' 'I have to look to my group of players and focus the Yeovil game tomorrow and then our two big games against Milton Keynes Dons and try to ensure that we are playing against the likes if Leeds in the Championship next season.' It was incorrectly suggested that he wasn't interested in signing any ex Leeds players. The man quite rightly doesn't know what division his team will be in so won't know his budget. 

Sat May 5th. Pompey view on Jason Pearce. The thoughts of Portsmouth fan Benedict West. A Portsmouth fan on Leeds new signing, Jason Pearce. :  “If Leeds have paid half a million for Jason Pearce then they got a bargain. His attitude and reliability are what make him worth that price: Portsmouth’s season has been an utter disaster, but he’s been one of the few positives over the year. Despite the fact he was only made captain in March once Liam Lawrence had been sent on loan to reduce the wage bill, he’s led by example ever since he’s arrived: vocal and commanding on the field among a fluctuating team”. Career “Pearce started out at Portsmouth as a youth player in 2004, but never made a first team appearance and was inevitably sold to Bournemouth in 2007 where he found his feet. He flourished in the centre of defence and moved back to Pompey at the start of the 2011 season for about £300,000. After settling into the first team, he iterated his desire to stay when Ipswich Town bid for him in January, forming a core of players who were determined to turn the club around. He finished this season with 2 goals in 44 appearances, and picked up 7 of the 9 fans’ player of the season awards handed out.” Talents “He is consistent: in a depleted squad he was at the heart of defence the whole time, forming a great partnership with the more free-ranging Ricardo Rocha. Whilst he was suspended when he first arrived at Portsmouth, he has played every minute of every game after then, as he rarely gets booked and hasn’t got injured. He’s a dependable player around whom the team can be built. His attitude is impeccable: it’s clear how deeply he cares about the club and understands the connection to the fans, frequently rallying the other players after conceding or when they flagged late on. He organises the defence brilliantly and tends to be one of the most composed and calm there, making sure of positions at free kicks and corners. He has proven himself in the Championship and is too good for League One - it’s a shame that he wasn’t able to play in a better team so we could really see what he is capable of. “Weaknesses “He isn’t a goal-scoring defender: he is only 6 foot and isn’t going to come up and win much in the opposition penalty area. His speed isn’t fantastic, but he was usually able to rely on one of the wide defenders to cover for him if he was caught out. Given that his best performances have come in ‘back against the wall’ scenarios, it’s not clear how well he’ll actually do in a healthy squad with more competition. Maybe his pointing and shouting would get on some of the Leeds players’ nerves! I hope he continues to develop and has a better season than the one just gone - he’s been my favourite player in a long time.”

Friday 4th of May 2012. Colin delighted to get Pearce. "I'm delighted. He is a lad I've been looking at a lot and for a long while now. I saw him when he was at Bournemouth and almost took him to QPR last summer. I tried to get him in March when I first came here but couldn't quite do it. I think he epitomises what I'm looking for in a player. He's got hunger, enthusiasm, and he won all the player of the year awards down at Portsmouth. He's just the type of player we need. He'll love it here and I'm sure he'll be a fans favourite. He's not old, he's only 24, he's not a 34-year-old. He's got so much to prove and I think we can make him a better player here. This is the hard work just starting. We've had some late night and we've met quite a lot of players and agents. We spoke to two or three on Thursday. I've been at some clubs where I've done deals at home because I didn't want them to see the training ground or the facilities - that's not the case here. Once they see the facilities they don't want to leave. We're trying to get some deals done and hopefully we can progress quickly."

Friday May 4th 2012. Time to spash the cash - Ken by By Gary Walker YEP. If Neil Warnock’s new broom is to sweep clean this summer Leeds United chairman Ken Bates is going to have to fulfil his side of the bargain. A major overhaul of the Whites’ playing staff is in full swing after the announcement of the club’s retained list, but the success of Warnock’s revolution – Jason Pearce was due to be the first arrival – depends almost entirely on how much money he is given. With six players transfer-listed and six more told their contracts will not be renewed the king of promotions is going to need every penny to put together a leaner, meaner squad, boasting greater quality, capable of mounting a sustained challenge for Premier League football next term. The good news for Mr Bates is that under the Football League’s new financial fair play rules he – as club owner – can only invest £6m of his own money this close season. With Warnock trying to bring in cash from the potential sales of goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, defenders Paul Connolly and Andy O’Brien, midfielder Adam Clayton, winger Ramon Nunez and striker Billy Paynter that level of spending power would make United serious contenders. It would also give the Leeds boss a far greater chance of landing his first-choice targets and in the process revive the hopes of supporters who, by and large, feel disillusioned and badly let down by the Bates regime. Next season will be United’s ninth outside the Premier League and yet, since exiting administration in 2007, they have posted annual profits totalling £10m, bolstered by a £3.5m surplus in 2010-11. So the club, which has continued to charge among the highest ticket prices in the land, including during an ignominious three-season sojourn in League One, is clearly making money. Fans continue to argue that not enough money is finding its way into the playing budget, despite protestations from Mr Bates of a £12m reserve and being in the division’s top five in terms of spending on players and wages. Twenty years ago United won the division two and then division one titles on the back of a £3m spending spree sanctioned by Leslie Silver and his board and a similar declaration of intent is, I believe, needed now. It may be unlikely the current Leeds chief will raid his own bank account to finance that show of ambition, but the recently adopted financial fair play rules mean that the shareholder investment figure declines year on year to a maximum of £3m in 2015-16, so it really is now or never if he’s going to splash his own cash. Mind, if Mr Bates doesn’t want to dip into his funds the least he can do is ensure that as much money as possible is squeezed out of club coffers to back Warnock’s brave new world. If he doesn’t he may well find that the supporters stay away in greater numbers in 2012-13 – gates fell just below the 24,000 budgeted for last term – and, worse still, he could even lose his manager. Warnock wants a record-breaking eighth promotion before he retires and with relegated Wolves, backed by Premier League parachute payments, amongst others likely to be on the hunt for someone to mastermind a speedy return to the Premier League he is the obvious target. I don’t doubt he wants, and intends, to stay at United – the fans have ensured that – but if his hands are tied in the transfer market and progress on signings is slow he may just see it as mission impossible at LS11. If you give the manager the support he needs and the fans a team worthy of their support the club will reap the dividends at the turnstiles Ken. In short, if you really believe that you get what you pay for – prove it. I couldn't have put it better myself. 

Friday May 4th. Jason Pearce becomes signing number 1 for season 2012/13. Leeds have competed the signing of the former Portsmouth captain for an undisclosed sum (thought to be circa £500,000 all paid up front) from Portsmouth. The deal is Warnock's first of what promised to be a busy pre-season. The Pompey centre half has signed a four year contract with the Whites. "He's just the type I look for when I go into a club at Championship level," Warnock told the club's official website. "He fits the bill for everything - hunger, ability and so on. A lot of plusses." The player completed a medical a few weeks ago under an assumed name. The 24 year old had this to say : "Leeds showed an interest a few weeks ago and as soon as I knew that I just wanted to get it done. The gaffer showed me around and you can see what a massive club it is with great facilities, and you can't turn it down. I'm delighted to be here and I can't wait to move forward now. I'll give 100%. I'm a team player and a leader as well." Whilst sad to leave Portsmouth he believes the fee will be big help to his former club and added : "For me personally I have gotten the opportunity at a massive club with a great gaffer who wants to bring in a lot of new players. I'm really looking forward to it". The player gets the number 5 jersey and hopefully he can defend better than the last number 5. This is a promising start and now for the next three defenders. 

May 5th. May 4th. When Neil met Diouf from Flaming Hairdryer.com . Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has refused to rule out making a move for El-Hadji Diouf despite having labelled the controversial striker a 'sewer rat' during his time managing QPR last season. Diouf recently expressed his desire to join the Elland Road side on a free transfer and believes if given the chance he could establish an effective strike partnership with Luciano Becchio stating: 'Becchio is a good, intelligent player. I'm sure he and I could link up well at Leeds. It would be ideal for me.' The move would come as a surprise to some considering the bad blood between Diouf and Leeds boss as a result of an incident during QPR's FA Cup clash with Blackburn last January in which Warnock accused the Senegal star of abusing Jamie Mackie while he lay on the pitch with a broken leg. However when speaking to Sky Sports News Warnock would not be drawn on the reports linking Diouf with a move to Leeds stating: 'You can keep asking me all day but I've said all along we're not going to say anything about speculation.' 'I am hoping to sign my first player tomorrow (Jason Pearce) so that will be the first time I admit to talking to anyone. I'm at Leeds United. It's a club I'm going to do the best I can to bring the right players into the club and you'll have to wait to see if he is one of those targets or not.'

May 4th. The Don "comes home". YEP. HE’S coming home, he’s coming home, Revie’s coming home...This was the scene as the new statue of legendary Leeds United manager Don Revie finally took pride of place at the club’s Elland Road ground. The installation work was carried out ahead of the 8ft-tall bronze’s official unveiling tomorrow. Being held at 11am, the ceremony is due to be attended by Revie’s children, Duncan and Kim, plus a string of other relatives. The guests will also include many members of The Don’s footballing ‘family’ – the fabled Leeds side he put together in the 1960s and 70s. Tomorrow’s big moment will be preceded by a breakfast screening in Elland Road’s Centenary Pavilion of United’s famous 1972 FA Cup final win over Arsenal. A celebratory lunch will take place in the ground’s Gary Speed Suite with several members of the 1972 side after the ceremony. Proceeds from tomorrow’s event will be donated to research into motor neurone disease (MND), the condition which claimed Revie’s life at the age of just 61. Prof Karen Morrison, who heads up the MND Research Centre at the University of Birmingham, said: “A big thank you to everyone associated with the Don Revie statue for your contribution and your support.” Funds for the statue have been raised during an appeal led by long-time Revie admirer Jim Cadman. The £90,000 bronze was crafted by Barnsley-based artist Graham Ibbeson, who was on hand yesterday as it was moved into position. Revie spent 13 trophy-filled years as United manager before taking charge of the England team in 1974. The statue is located next to the Centenary Pavilion, opposite Elland Road’s East Stand.

May 5th. May 4th. Clayton "easy to replace". YEP. Neil Warnock insisted today that he would replace transfer-listed Adam Clayton with a higher calibre of Championship midfielder, saying: “He’s not worth more than the player I’ll sign.” The Leeds United manager defended his decision to make Clayton available for a close-season move and suggested that the 23-year-old’s exit would pave the way for a £500,000 replacement. Leeds are actively seeking a buyer for Clayton having failed to agree a new contract with a player whose deal expires next summer, and the midfielder is resigned to leaving Elland Road after learning of Warnock’s plans at a scheduled meeting on Wednesday. His appearance on the transfer list was the most unexpected development on an afternoon when Warnock clarified the future of his entire squad, releasing five out-of-contract players and transfer-listing no fewer than six more. The Leeds boss offered hope of a reprieve to Clayton by admitting the midfielder will have a chance to re-establish himself in pre-season if acceptable offers fail to materialise before training begins on July 4, but the YEP understands that Clayton would favour a transfer elsewhere in the wake of his appearance on the transfer list. Warnock’s sacrifice of an emerging footballer who played 46 times for Leeds this season provoked a mixed public reaction, but he claimed the club were “realistic” in the level of salary they were willing to pay Clayton. The sides engaged in two rounds of talks, though a formal offer was never made. Warnock said: “It was pointless fudging it. I’m sure there’ll be a number of clubs after Adam because he’s done well this season in a lot of games. “But if we can’t agree what I think is a decent offer, we have to move on quickly. If there are casualties then so be it. We don’t have time to dwell on that and you’ve got to make decisions. I want to be doing things yesterday. “Like a few other players he only had a year left and it’s up to the club to make a realistic offer. I felt that the offer from the club was realistic. “I have to look at it and say that I’ll be signing a player for £400,000 or £500,000 and I don’t feel Adam’s worth more than the player I’ll be signing. “With what I’m looking for, I’ve got to generate something to get me what I want. “That’s how I looked at it and I’m trying to be a realist. “We weren’t going to throw money at it just because we made a big contract offer to (Robert) Snodgrass. “Robert’s a special player at Leeds. He’s been here a long time and he’s seen a lot of his team-mates depart. That’s why I felt we had to offer him the top rate.” Warnock promised one surprise prior to the announcement of his retained list, and the planned sale of Clayton was it. But Wednesday’s announcement was taken as a shown of faith in several players, not least goalkeeper Andy Lonergan and striker Luciano Becchio – for so long a lynchpin in United’s line-up but a player whose starred has dimmed in the past 12 months. Hamstring surgery delayed the start of his season and Becchio’s form never recovered, despite him finishing with 11 goals. Warnock will attempt to re-integrate him more effectively next season after sparing the Argentinian and transfer-listing Billy Paynter instead. “I’m a big fan of Becchio,” Warnock said. “He can be a much better player than I’ve seen so far and that’s something I’ll be working on in pre-season. “It’s also why I put Billy Paynter on the transfer list. If I do bring another striker in then he needs to be different to those two. “We’re looking at pace in a few areas and I’m trying to get the right balance on the ins and outs.” Less surprising than Clayton’s demise but unpredictable all the same was Warnock’s offer of a new 12-month deal to Michael Brown, one of several players who had reached the end of their contracts and the only one bar Aidan White to be handed an extension.Brown turned 35 in January and endured a disjointed first season at Elland Road. Brought in on a free transfer from Portsmouth last summer, supposedly as an experienced head in the team managed by Warnock’s predecessor, Simon Grayson, the midfielder played just 13 times under the coach who signed him. His involvement became more regular after Warnock’s appointment and he was recalled to Leeds’ starting line-up for their final Championship game against Leicester City after serving a three-match ban. Leeds have taken up an option to extend his deal for a further 12 months, though the offer to Brown – one of the club’s higher earners – is a reduction on the wage he received this season. 

Friday May 5th. Thompson and Taylor to go out on loan. Leeds United plan to send teenagers Zac Thompson and Charlie Taylor out on loan next season. The inexperienced pair will be dispatched into the lower leagues by manager Neil Warnock, who admitted he would be “disappointed” if he was forced to rely on either player when the new term begins in August. Thompson and Taylor featured sporadically for Leeds this season, with Thompson starting seven games and Taylor playing four times, but Warnock will look to blood both properly at senior level by releasing them on a temporary basis. United’s boss underlined his confidence in Thompson by moving to improve the midfielder’s contract on Wednesday, and Taylor was given a rare chance to impress in Leeds’ 4-1 victory over Peterborough United last month. The left-back struggled through 45 minutes, however, and Warnock is reluctant to involve them too heavily next season in a campaign when he expects to his squad to be in the thick of the fight for promotion from the Championship. Warnock said: “I don’t think they’re ready just yet. With Charlie and Zac, I’ll almost be disappointed if they’re in my first team next season. That’s not being disrespectful to them. I just think both could do with going out on loan and playing regular first-team football – hopefully together. “I’ve spoken to one or two managers about them already because they need toughing up and three or four months of playing, rather than getting 10 minutes here and there. “I’ll be trying to get a club who’ll take them on board and tell me they’re going to play, rather than just take them on board to make up the numbers. That doesn’t help.” Eighteen-year-old Taylor joined League Two side Bradford City on a short-term loan in January,  appearing in four first-team games before returning to Leeds a month later. Warnock does not expect United’s academy to be heavily represented in his squad during the early stages of next season, saying: “I don’t think we’ve got too many lads who are ready for the first team. There aren’t a lot I could put in. “You get different mixtures at different clubs. When I was at Crystal Palace they were coming from everywhere, out of every corner – seven or eight who could almost go into your first team. QPR wasn’t as good as Palace in that respect but there were still two or three. Here, the lads I’ve talked about need more experience before we can properly fling them in.”

May 3rd. Update on Leeds United injury list. A day after Leeds United boss Neil Warnock announced his released and retained list, he has now given an update on the players remaining at the club who are recovering from surgery.
Leeds currently have four players who have undergone surgery this year and whilst two should be ready for the start of pre-season, another two look set to miss the start of the season. Davide Somma is still recovering from the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered last pre-season. The striker suffered a setback early this year after returning to training and Warnock says he does not expect him to be back in time for pre-season, but he should not be too far away. Patrick Kisnorbo suffered a knee injury in the home game with Burnley at the start of this year that required surgery an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Warnock is hopeful that the Australian international defender will be back in time for pre-season. Robbie Rogers required surgery on an ankle injury he sustained in the game with Peterborough United in April and Warnock is also hopeful that the American international will be back for pre-season. Defender Leigh Bromby has undergone surgery on the ruptured patella injury he sustained at Cardiff City in Leeds last away game. Warnock described the injury to Bromby as 'rare` and he does not expect him back until the New Year at the earliest. From the above list the one I think we have missed the most is undoubtedly Davide Somma. 

May 3rd. Warnock on why he wants Brown. Leeds United boss Neil Warnock says the new deal offered to Michael Brown is 'extremely reduced` on the deal he had in his first season at Elland Road. Brown signed for Leeds last summer following his release from Portsmouth and after a slow start under previous boss Simon Grayson he flourished under Warnock, a manager he had worked with before at Sheffield United. Warnock is keen for Brown to play his part in the clubs push for promotion next season and admits he could surprise a few people. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Warnock said, "I think Michael has done a good job since I have been here and he is very good to have around the place. "Financially it wasn`t possible to offer him anywhere near what he was on so we have offered him an extremely reduced contract for next season.  "It is the opportunity for him to come back. He knows what he can do and he might surprise a few people if he keeps his place in the team. It would not surprise me." The 35 year old made 26 appearances for Leeds in his first season. He started in 11 of Warnock`s 14 games in charge, missing just 3 games through suspension following his sending off against Derby County.

May 3rd. Clingan becomes available. Long-time Leeds target, Sammy Clingan has rejected Coventry's final deal so will be a free agent in the summer. He was a long term target of Larry but may not be for Colin. One to watch.

May 2nd. Bates explains as only he can. Ken Bates has labelled the demands of one of the current Leeds squad that has been offered a new deal as ridiculous. Bates refused to name the player (possibly Adam Clayton ?)  in his weekly interview of Yorkshire Radio but he says that agents will need to get real with their demands in the current economic climate. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Bates said, "There is one individual whose agent has demanded £15,000 a week for him. That is £780,000 a year and with taxes, you are looking at nearly £900,000 a year, for a footballer in the championship. "That is the equivalent of the gate receipts from four home games in a season. It is ridiculous, good luck to the guy if he gets it elsewhere. "All the chairmen I have been speaking too in the last few months are all cutting back. As we point out, there is a recession and we have the fans writing in to complain about the pricing. It seems that player`s agents seem to think they are immune to this information. "They will learn this summer. We have a squad of 30, we intend to cut it to 21-22, and we intend to get value for money. Fans are entitled to it and it is all we can afford." "Neil knows his targets and we cannot carry passengers and players who do not give their all.Warnock has been critical of the squad since his arrival in February and he has promised a major influx of new players in the summer. Bates who never tells lies added  "One prominent player said to me, 'Mr chairman, for the past three seasons there are too many players at Leeds United more interested in the money than the football.` I think they have now been sussed out and Neil will change them”. He would prefer to go up as champions but if we have to do it by the way of the play-offs then so be it. "Neil knows the type of game he wants to play and the type of tactics he wants to employ and some of the squad we had did not fit the way he wants to play."

May 2nd. The manager explains the "deck clearing". “It’s always difficult for managers, whether you’re telling a 16 year old or a professional but it has to be done. Over the past few months I’d worked out who I wanted to stay and I want the club to move forward. That’s why I had discussions with all the players including the ones who are being retained. Even up to the last few games I’ve had a few things in my mind what I would do and the last few games finished a few things off." Re the six who are available for transfer: (Connolly, Rachubla, O’Brien, Paynter, Nunez and Clayton). “Just because players are on the transfer list doesn’t mean that they are going to go. If we don’t get the offers we think are acceptable they’ll come back pre-season and fight for their place". (Re Adam Clayton – the surprise in the package) “I’m looking to sign midfielders and the contract Adam’s representatives were looking for we weren’t prepared to go to that extent. Coming into the last year it makes sense to see if they can get that offer somewhere else and if we get the appropriate figure it’s the sort of money I can use to improve the squad. But if he hasn’t gone, he’ll come back and it’s up to him to show us he can get in the team, get in his position and then he’s in the driving seat until Christmas. I wouldn’t say to any it’s full and final, It’s something I felt, particularly in Adam’s that the best thing is to see how he comes back and and we’ll cross the bridges as we come to them. We’re signing players now and I’m looking at players we’re signing and there’s a couple of offers we’ve made to players (possibly White and Snodgrass) that I think are good. Whether they accept them or not I don’t know, but I felt this needed doing at this time and we’ll cross the bridges as we come to them. When you are talking about so many players there’ll be a few decisions that not everyone agrees with. Adam has probably had more games than anybody else but looking at that area I have my own ideas about players I’d like to bring in and that’s what I’m looking for really. I’d like to clear the decks a little bit and bring in the fresh faces that we need. I don’t see them playing regularly so rather than keep them you can’t just release them when they are on contracts. But they know if clubs come in with an offer that we think is acceptable they can go. I’ve had some enquiries so we’ll see how we go. It’s just trying to start early for next season". The manager is perfectly entitled to release or try and release who he sees fit. Regarding Clayton, either he over played his hand or more probably Colin is in search of more powerful players in the midfield area and sees Clayton as one of his major saleable assets. This is what Clayton had to say just a fortnight ago the YEP : "I think we're looking towards sorting something out so I'm sure we'll come to an agreement. Hopefully the gaffer wants to keep me on board. If he does then I'd be delighted to stay. I want to stay in his plans and if I can week-in, week-out for Leeds next season then I'll be over the moon." Bruce may feel disappointed because he claimed that Larry never gave him a chance. This may be the case, but unfortunately he makes at least one glaring error per game, and with Tom Lees, Jason Pearce and at least one more central defender on the way, the back four was always going to be in the firing line. Any Lonergan is fortunate to avoid the cut and eyebrows will twitch over Michael Brown. Kisnorbo's injury probably saves him the axe. Who will come in for Connolly, Paynter, O'Brien and Rachubka and if they have to drop a division will Leeds subsidise their wages like Colin hinted at the on Saturday? 

May 2nd. Details of Colins "cull". Neil Warnock as promised gave a sneak preview of his plans by announcing his "Retained List" and those who would not be receiving new contract offers. Leeds have released out-of-contract players Alex Bruce, Danny Webber, Mikael Forssell, Lloyd Sam and Maik Taylor. Ben Parker, Darren O’Dea, Paul Robinson  and Mika Vayrynen were already let go or returned to their clubs. That's 8 players. The following are still contracted to Leeds but are deemed surplus to requirements or transfer listed : Billy Paynter, Ramon Nunez, Andy O’Brien, Paul Rachubka and Paul Connolly and Adam Clayton. That's another six players which makes 14. Clayton may be the surprise here but Colin has obviously decided to cash in on the 23 year old, who has made 50 appearances for the Whites. Clayton should generate in the region of £3M pounds and is in the final year of his contract with Leeds. The longer it goes on into the Summer, the more his price tag will deteriorate, but this would free up funds for replacements. It may not be as easy losing some of the others. Warnock confirmed, meanwhile, that new contracts will be offered to Ross McCormack, Tom Lees and Zac Thompson, and experienced midfielder Michael Brown is weighing a one-year extension to his deal ona "reduced rate". Robert Snodgrass and Aidan White have already been offered new deals by Leeds and negotiations on-going. That leaves six players plus the injured Kisnorbo, Somma and Bromby and of course Andy Lonergan in goals. Meanwhile seven of the club's young players are being offered professional contracts. Nathan and Lewis Turner are being offered an extension, and full back Sam Byram, centre back Ross Kilcock, midfielders Simon Lenighan and Charlie Clamp (some name) and forward Dominic Poleon all pen their first professional contracts with the Whites.

May 2^nd. Colin to “wait” on Snods. Neil Warnock has revealed that he will look to keep Robert Snodgrass at Elland Road until at least Christmas – even if the Leeds United captain refuses to sign a new contract. Warnock insisted he would not be forced into selling Snodgrass this summer, despite the financial implications of allowing the Scotland international to run into the last year of his existing deal. Snodgrass is weighing up an offer which would substantially improve his salary and make him the highest earner at Elland Road, and Leeds are awaiting a response from their player of the year. The 24-year-old is currently tied to the club until June 2013 but he stands to become a free agent this time next year and his immediate future appeared to rest on his decision over the terms put too him last month. Warnock called it “the best contract we could possibly offer him” but Snodgrass will take time to consider his answer amid United’s failure to win promotion from the Championship and the possibility of fresh approaches for him from Premier League clubs. The former Livingston winger attracted a bid of around £3.5million from Norwich City less than 12 months ago, and Leeds were expected to listen to further offers for one of their most valuable players if his contract remained unsigned. The recent Championship season saw the club cash-in on winger Max Gradel and former captain Jonathan Howson, claiming fees for players whose contracts were diminishing, but Warnock has countered the suspicion that Snodgrass’ refusal to accept a new deal might automatically lead to his departure before the start of next season. Asked whether he believed Snodgrass would be at Elland Road for the opening day of the 2012-13 term, United’s manager said: “My gut feeling is I’m not too sure. “I’d imagine his agents are talking to everybody and it depends who comes in and the telephone money they talk about. But they’d still have to agree a fee with us. “For us to let him go this summer, the fee would have to be very big. There’ll be no getting away from that. I’ve said to the chairman (Ken Bates) ‘if we have to keep him until Christmas, we keep him until Christmas.’ “If I get six months out of him with the team I’ve got and he wants to stay here on the same money then good luck to him. I’d like to keep Rob until at least Christmas. “What I’ve said to him is ‘sign your contract. If we’re nowhere near by Christmas then I’ll sell you at Christmas. If by the end of the season we don’t go up then I’ll make sure you’re in the Premier League.’ I don’t think I can do any more than that.” The retention of Snodgrass on his existing deal would drastically reduce the winger’s market value in the eyes of other clubs, taking him to within six months of a free transfer. Warnock admitted that a fee earned around the turn of the year would be substantially lower than a fee accepted before the start of next season, saying: “It would be but I’ve told the chairman it’s important to keep Robert. “But there are situations where if someone offers a realistic fee for him and I’ve got players lined up or in my mind who I can spend the money on – and I know that I’m going to get that money – then you never say never. I’ll have to play it by ear with Rob’s situation.” Warnock has made no secret of his admiration for Snodgrass since becoming United’s manager midway through February. He handed the Scot the captain’s armband a week later and rapidly instigated talks about his future at Elland Road. Discussions about a possible contract extension had been on hold ever since Norwich’s unsuccessful bid in the aftermath of their promotion to the Premier League. Snodgrass rounded off the recent Championship term by collecting two player of the year awards at United’s end-of-season ceremony on Saturday night. He spoke highly of Warnock afterwards but admitted in yesterday’s YEP that he planned to speak to his family about United’s offer before returning to Leeds with a final decision. Warnock said: “I’ve had another chat with Rob and, as you’d expect, he’s probably heard it all before – about what we’re going to do in the summer. “But he’s listening to me because of our relationship since I’ve been here. He’s my captain and we do talk.  “He’s a fabulous player. He understands where I’m coming from and I keep him informed about the signings I’m after. All I can do is put forward the case. “I understand the other side of the coin. Twelve months ago it was Gradel, (Bradley) Johnson, Howson and Snodgrass. He doesn’t want to be in that situation again. I understand his point of view. “I’ve tried to do my best, and straight away the chairman agreed we would offer him the best contract we could possibly offer.  “Then there was no fudging it. It’s now down to whether Rob wants to stay – whether he thinks we’re ambitious enough, whether we’ve signed enough good players. He might leave it a while. He’s not in a rush to make his mind up. “If he has to start next season on the same contract then he’s going to be financially less off but the challenge is for us to show him that we’ve got the right team for next year and for him to sign a contract when he sees what we’re doing.” Snodgrass is one of number of Leeds players in active contract negotiations, with Aidan White, Adam Clayton and Ross McCormack also discussing improved deals, but Warnock said: “If we lose a player who we’ve made a good offer to then I get on with it. “I don’t want to lose four or five players but if I have to then that’s life.  “You can’t mope too long and you can’t let individuals disturb what you want to do.”

May 1st 2012. Snoddy waits. LEEDS captain Robert Snodgrass is refusing to be drawn on re-signing at Elland Road. Snodgrass is seen as a cornerstone of manager Neil Warnock’s new team, and a new deal would make him the highest-paid player at the club. The 24-year-old Scot still has a year to run on his current deal, but he says he will take his time before committing beyond that. He said: “I’ve got another year left, that’s what people are forgetting and they think I’m going to leave because my contract is up. But that’s not the case. “I can’t sit here and say I’m doing this decision for myself. It’s never really been about me; I’ve just come down here and signed a contract and played for Leeds United and got on with it. “But now I need to sit down with my family - the people who matter most - and try and see where the next step is. “I’ve a year left and if nothing comes about, I’ll be here at Leeds United and hopefully be part of what will be a successful promotion season. “It’s the end of the season and we’ll take a break a little bit. The club will be trying to get their signings in as well and I know Neil Warnock has got his ball rolling already and he’s trying to sign a few and you’ll see them come up over the next few weeks.”

April 17th to April 30th 2012. 

April 1st to April 16th 2012. 

March 12th to March 30th 2012

Feb 27th to March 9th 2012

Feb 17th to Feb 26th 2012

Feb 5th to Feb 17th 2012

Jan 29th 2012 to Feb 4th 2012

Jan 16th to Jan 29th 2012

Jan 1st 2012 to Jan 15th 2012

Dec 2011

November 2011

October 2011

September 2011

Aug 24th to Aug 31st 2011

Aug1st to Aug 23rd

July 2011Update

June 11th update 

May 11 Update

April 11 Update

March 11 Update

Feb 11 Update

Jan 11 Update

Dec 10 Update

Nov 10 Update

Oct 10 Update

 Sept 10 Update

Aug 10 Update

July 10 Update

June 10 Update

May 10 Update

April 10 Update

March 10 Update

Feb 10 Update

 Jan 10 Update

Dec 09 Update               

Nov 09 Update

Oct 09 Update

Sept 09 Update

June 09 to Aug 09

Feb to May 09

Index January 09 

Index Nov 14th 08 to Dec 31st 08

Index June 08 to Nov 11th 08

Index Jan 08 to May 25th 08

For Archived Files for December 07 click here

For Archived Files from October to November 07 click here

For Archived Files from August to September 07 click here

For previous news stories, please click here.

Season 2007/07 in Full - Relegation from Championship

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