This is the Louth Branch website. Always Leeds always loyal ! Edited by Gerry Cunningham. Please be be advised that we only attain match tickets for paid up members. We will be having our annual Draw on the Monday before Easter. Draw cards will be winging their way out to you all over the next week or so. I'm looking for members to contribute opinions re Leeds United so it can be posted on our website. Thanks to Anton and Paul for contributing over the past week or two. Check out the "Where are they now ? column where there will be articles on former cult heroes with the Whites. This will be added to weekly and if there are any particular players you want included, just let me know.  Especially for Antoin Watters, included here is one Anthony Yeboah the man with a right and left foot like a bazooka! Click here We've sacked Larry. E-mail me at gercun@eircom.net with your opinions and hopes for the new manager. I will be travelling over the next few weeks so updates might be a bit more sporadic

Sat 4th of Feb. Sat 5th of Feb. Leeds United official statement. Leeds United can confirm that the club has been inundated with credible approaches for the vacant managerial position since the departure of Simon Grayson and his staff last Wednesday. The club will begin the process of examining the expressions of interest early next week. We can confirm at this stage that no approaches have been made directly or indirectly to potential candidates, either in work or currently looking for employment although we have been offered the services of many who are currently in work. Boyle Sports have installed Dave Jones as favourite to replace Larry. He has come in from nowhere to 6/4. Some of the names on this list border on insanity. Gary Kelly @ 20/1 and Staunton @ 66/1 ????

Sat Feb 4th. The Grayson years. The new Leeds United manager will have his work cut out regarding transfer funds, even in the Summer. Let’s hope whom ever comes in does so on his own terms, and has experience of getting a Championship side into the Premiership. I fear under the current regime that may not happen. A lot has been talked and written about the quantity of players Simon Grayson has brought to the football club. When you shop in Lidl instead of Superquinn you know what to expect re quality. We’ve been in Lidl now for the past three and a half years. The Grayson signings :  2008-09 : Richard Naylor - Originally on loan, Mike Grella - Joined originally on trial, Carl Dickinson – loan Lee Trundle – loan, Sam Sodje – loan, Liam Dickinson – loan, Darryl Flahavan – loan. 

2009-10 Shane Higgs, Jason Crowe, Patrick Kisnorbo, Mike Doyle - Season long loan, Leigh Bromby, Davide Somma - Joined originally on trial, Max Gradel -Joined originally on loan, Sam Vokes – loan, David Martin – loan, Hogan Ephraim – loan, Tony Capaldi – loan, Shane Lowry – loan, Gary McSheffrey – loan, Neil Collins - Joined originally on loan, Sanchez Watt - loan (joined again for season long loan 2010-11) Paul Dickov - short-term deal.
2010-11 Kasper Schmeichel, Billy Paynter, Federico Bessone, Paul Connolly, Alex Bruce (no real chance allowed), Lloyd Sam Adam Clayton - Originally on loan, Ross McCormack, Jason Brown – loan, Amdy Faye -short-term deal, George McCartney – loan, Ramon Nunez - Joined originally on trial, Ben Alnwick loan - never played, Andy O'Brien - Originally on loan, Eric Lichaj – loan, David Gonzalez loan - never played Barry Bannan – loan, Jake Livermore – loan. 2011-12 Paul Rachubka, Michael Brown, Andy Lonergan, Alex McCarthy short term loan, Maik Traylor short term out of contract signing, Darren O’Dea (season long loan), Mikael Forssell (short term out of contract signing), Andy Keogh (loan signing), Danny Pugh) Mika Varynen (out of contract) Andre Townsend, Fabian Delph,  Adam Smith. I make that 53 players. Many were undisclosed because Bates hates disclosing how much comes in and goes out. From all information out there I reckon I’m not too far away with the following :

Money signings – Neil Collins in £350K Bradley Johnson in £250K Leigh Bromby £200K Max Gradel £200K Alex Bruce £300K Ross McCormack £350K, Adam Clayton £150K, Andy Lonergan £200K  Danny Pugh out £500K –Total = £2.5M.

Money Sales- Fabian Delph £6.5M rising to £8M Luke Garbutt - £600K to Everton o be expected Howson £2M to Norwich City Bradley Johnson  F Kilkenny FOC Gradel £2M Schmeichel £1.2M Neil Collins £450K Elliott Kebbie  to Atletico Madrid  £500K – Total Potentially £14.75M and currently £11.55M

Notable players who were allowed leave on frees : Beckford Nil (worth £3M) Kilkenny FOC  B Johnson FOC Frazer Richardson (high wages)

Minimum Profit = £9.05Million

Ken Bates has always said that what money comes in ahead of budget (unplanned revenue if you like) goes into the manager’s transfer kitty. The following high profile games will have comes into that category, FA Cup and CC games v the following : Man United  (2)+ Arsenal (3 times) Spurs (2) Revenue from these games estimated at £6M minimum. 

£15.05Million profit to the football club

Bates has said in his Ipswich Town programme notes that he has spent £20M on the ground in the past five years. This is for a ground he "doesn't own". Where has that money come from ?  It looks like Larry has provided most of that money. Many will argue that Larry has brought a lot of poor players to the football club and there is no disputing that. But just think about one thing for a second. Bates said during the week that he refused to sanction the signing of a player for Leeds who would be on £600,000 a year. That's just £11,500 a week so you can imagine the type of quality our club attracts re wages when we bring in a free signing. 

Sat Feb 5th 2012. Bristol City 0-3 Leeds United. BBC Report - 01 Lonergan, 14 Smith, 22 Lees, 28 White, 48 O'Dea , 15 Clayton (YC), 16 Pugh, 25 Delph 10 Becchio, 23 Snodgrass (YC)44 McCormack Unused Subs : 4 Taylor 04 Bruce 08 Brown 17 Townsend 06 Rogers -Ref: Linington -Att: 15,257 (1,962 Leeds). Managerless Leeds claimed a first away win in five matches with a comfortable victory over nine-man Bristol City. Robert Snodgrass gave Leeds the lead with a low shot, before City's James Wilson was shown red for bringing down Scottish striker Ross McCormack. City were down to nine men when Yannick Bolasie was shown a second yellow. McCormack added a second for Leeds when he struck home an angled shot before Luciano Becchio completed the scoring by converting Aidan White's cross. Against a Leeds side playing their first game since the midweek sacking of Simon Grayson, City were the first to provide excitement following a scrappy opening period. Leeds keeper Andy Lonergan went full stretch to keep out Bolasie's strike, before being tested by a powerful drive from his old Elland Road team-mate Neil Kilkenny. Lonergan was again called into action to keep out Albert Adomah's angled drive. However, the tide turned once Snodgrass had given Leeds the lead, against the run of play in their first meaningful attack just before the break, wrong footing home keeper David James after a swift break involving Becchio, Danny Pugh and McCormack. Leeds were then not only a goal up at half-time, but a man up too, when City had Wilson sent off. And he was followed down the tunnel by Bolasie, in the 57th minute, for two challenges on loan signing Adam Smith. Leeds then dominated the rest of the game, striking twice in the final 11 minutes to secure a victory which lifts them to ninth in the Championship, just four points adrift of a play-off spot. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Redfearn said, "I thought it was a tough game. For thirty minutes, I thought Bristol were the better side if I am being honest."In that half hour, I thought we were resilient, worked hard, worked hard on our shape, we looked after one another, we watched on another`s backs, covering up and down the pitch and if you look at Bristol City they are one of the form sides in the division. "It was always going to be a difficult game and the conditions made it worse. Bristol made a great start but after we got the goal I thought there was only ever going to be one winner. It ended up a really professional performance." "What was really important today and upper most in our minds was to keep a clean sheet. We knew if we kept a clean sheet we have the people in the side that can score goals, there is no two ways about it. "I thought everyone to a man, from one to eleven, we defended from the front. I thought Luciano and Ross stopped them playing out from the back and we were making David James kick and to be fair to old Jamesy, he cannot kick as well as he used to. He wants to throw out and play out, we were aware of that, and it played into our hands. "To be fair to Bristol, I thought they were excellent for thirty minutes and it was a real old battle and a test for us and we came through that test but it was the first half hour of the game that won us the game." We should have been out of the game after 30 minutes as Neil Kilkenny ran the show. City manager Derek McInnes said: “I thought the referee got the sending off of James Wilson right, but felt the red card for Yannick Bolasie was very harsh indeed. Snodgrass did what we does best by scoring and when Bristol went down to ten men, it was game over. Lets face it, we've had plenty of practice. United used the ball well by making the pitch look bigger with Delph in particular taking control. It was good to see Becchio get a goal because he is still a pale shadow of the guy we had last year. Neil Readfearn will be happy with the performance but still the defence is giving up chances and better teams will expose us. His timing may be very good because Brighton (H), Coventry (A), Doncaster R (H) and Portsmouth (A) all look like winnable fixtures. We're two points off the play offs. Hopefully the powers that be (typo - should be power that is Bates) will appoint an experienced manager and let us kick on for the rest of the season. 

Sat Feb 4th 2012. Larry says goodbye. P Hay YEP - Grayson has thanked Leeds United’s fans for their backing during his time as manager and admitted he left Elland Road with “a tear in my eye”. In a statement, Grayson described the club’s supporters as “magnificent” and paid tribute to the players and staff who worked under him during three years in charge. In a statement, Grayson described the club’s supporters as “magnificent” and paid tribute to the players and staff who worked under him during three years in charge. Grayson was sacked by Leeds on Wednesday afternoon after 169 games at the helm, with the club four places below the Championship’s play-off positions. United said they “needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players”. Grayson is in the process of agreeing a severance package, having left Leeds with 18 months remaining on his contract, and the matter is understood to be in the hands of the League Managers’ Association. Grayson said: “At the moment it’s difficult to make a full statement as legalities haven’t been formalised but I didn’t want to wait to express my thanks to the Leeds fans who’ve been magnificent throughout my time at the club. “Everyone knows how I feel about the club. There have been so many great moments throughout the three years I’ve been manager, and I hope you realise what it means to me to have been the manager of Leeds United.”Promotion from League One in 2010 was the highlight of the 42-year-old’s tenure at Elland Road, and his reputation was enhanced by repeated impressive performances against Premier League sides in cup competitions. United’s first year back in the Championship ended with the club one place beneath the play-offs but Grayson’s squad struggled to maintain pace with the top six this season. He and coaches Ian Miller, Glynn Snodin and Andy Beasley left Leeds after Tuesday night’s 4-1 defeat to Birmingham City, with United lying 10th in the table. Grayson, who began his playing career at Elland Road in the 1980s but moved on to Leicester City in 1992, said: “I had a tear in my eye when I left the club 20 years ago and I had a tear in my eye again (on Wednesday). “The only difference was I went with one bin liner of stuff 20 years ago – this time it was three! “I’d like to thank all the players who have played within my three years. Also, my thanks go to all my staff who’ve been helpful during my period in charge. I wish you, the supporters, all the best for the future and maybe one day I may get the chance to come back to this great football club.” Speculation about Grayson’s likely replacement has been rife since his dismissal, and the club said they had received numerous approaches from “credible” candidates since taking the decision to sack him. But United revealed that they were still to begin considering expressions of interest and plan do so early next week. The club placed under-18s coach Neil Redfearn in caretaker charge for today’s Championship match at Bristol City and owner Ken Bates is due to fly to England from Monaco before United’s match against Brighton on February 11. Former Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock is among the favourites for the post and is believed to be interested in replacing Grayson, but the YEP understands that Roberto Di Matteo – a close friend of Bates who played for Chelsea while Bates was chairman at Stamford Bridge – is unlikely to be named as Leeds’ new boss. A raft of other names, including Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman, Barnsley’s Keith Hill and former Leeds captain Gordon Strachan, have also been linked with the job at Elland Road, and Huddersfield Town’s Lee Clark attracted huge support in the betting markets in the 48 hours after Grayson’s dismissal. Clark, who took charge of Huddersfield a fortnight before Leeds appointed Grayson in December 2008, denied receiving any contract from Leeds, and United in turn insisted they were still to make an approach to any potential candidate. Clark is not expected to be among the names Bates and his board weigh up next week. Asked if United had attempted to make contact, Clark said: “Not to me, no. “I am aware of (the situation at Leeds) and I’ve been linked with a number of jobs over the past 12 months. All it does is stress that we’re doing a good job. “It’s speculation and until I’m told otherwise, I’m the manager of Huddersfield Town. It (speculation) is part of the job.” A statement from Leeds said: “Leeds United can confirm that the club have been inundated with credible approaches for the vacant managerial position since the departure of Simon Grayson and his staff on Wednesday. “The club will begin the process of examining the expressions of interest early next week. “We can confirm at this stage that no approaches have been made, either directly or indirectly, to potential candidates, either in work or currently looking for employment, although we have been offered the services of many who are currently in work.”

Feb 4^th BBC – Antic wants Leeds job. Former Serbia boss Raddy Antic has set his sights on the vacant manager's job at npower Championship side Leeds. The 63-year-old has applied for the post occupied until earlier this week by Simon Grayson. Sources close to Antic have revealed the hugely experienced coach is ready to return to the English game and would relish the opportunity to resume his career at Elland Road. Bookmakers William Hill installed Huddersfield's Lee Clark as a 5/4 favourite and were quoting former QPR manager Neil Warnock at 7/2. Antic's press agent Paul Gough said: "Radomir will undoubtedly be one of the most experienced and qualified coaches to apply for the Leeds job. "He is hugely qualified and immensely hungry for the opportunity. He would love the chance to boss at Elland Road - it is something he knows he would be very successful at."

Friday Feb 3rd. YEP -Nobody has been approached. No one has been approached. Leeds United have left the door to the manager’s job at Elland Road wide open by revealing they will take their first steps towards an appointment in the early part of next week. The race to replace Simon Grayson is set to begin in earnest on Monday as United prepare to narrow down a flurry of applications and other potential candidates for the post. Leeds are not believed to have settled on a preferred choice but they will weigh up the possibility of a firm approach to Neil Warnock with the former Sheffield United boss ranked among the most proven and obvious options. United sacked Grayson on Wednesday in the hope of mounting a run to the Championship play-offs during the final 18 games of the season, but the club have made it clear that they will take time in deciding their next move after three years of Grayson’s management. Leeds said in a statement: “We can confirm at this stage that no approaches have been made, either directly or indirectly, to potential candidates, either in work or currently looking for employment, although we have been offered the services of many who are currently in work.” United were poised to meet Bristol City at Ashton Gate this afternoon, with academy coach Neil Redfearn taking charge of his first fixture as caretaker boss.

Friday at Feb 3rd. Cooley White has his say. After another transfer window that saw very little action around Elland Road and now the dismissal of Larry there is not too much to be optimistic about for the rest of the season. A win against Birmingham on Tuesday night would have seen us equal the points tally we had this time last year. I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked my phone after training and seen the score line. Zigic just seems to find goal scoring form when he plays against us. At St Andrews earlier in the season (a game we played well in and should have came away with at least a point) he popped up and got the only goal that day. This defeat was the end of the Grayson tenure at Leeds and it was fitting that the away fans on Tuesday night were singing ''Your getting sacked in the morning!!!''' I was sad to hear that Larry was sacked, must admit I did have alot of time for him. He gave 3 good years service with notable highlights including the win at Old Trafford and gaining promotion from League One. The timing of this was well planned by Bates & Co. If this had happened a few weeks ago when we fell out of the top six maybe, a new manager would have been given more money to spend and maybe he could get a Centre Half to solve the main problem which Simon couldn't do in 3 years. Looks like it will be Neil Warnock who will succeed Larry. I read last night in one of the forums that he has said that he is keeping an eye on the situation at Leeds. Personally I hate him but if he can turn things around then who cares. He has a good track record for getting promotion and at the end of the day that is what we want. For the rest of the season I think we have alot of hard work to do if we are going to get back up to challenge for a play off place. I can see us just getting into them but alot rests on the run of games that sees us play Southhampton, Hull, Boro, West Ham, Forest and Millwall in March. This will define our season. Heading over next week for the Brighton game I hope to see a new manager and the attendance improve because at the end of the day we should be all together and try to get the ship back on course. This will start on Saturday away to Bristol City. Antoin Watters - Cooley.

Friday Feb 3rd. Leeds refuse to rush into appointment. R Sutcliffe - YEP -  LEEDS UNITED have no plans to approach any potential successor to Simon Grayson until after the weekend at the earliest, the Yorkshire Post can reveal. The Elland Road club has been inundated with applications since news first broke on Wednesday that 42-year-old Grayson had been sacked after a little over three years in charge. Chairman Ken Bates has spent the past 24 hours sifting through the list of potential candidates but is in no rush to make a decision with Neil Redfearn having been put in temporary charge for tomorrow’s game at Bristol City. Among those believed to have registered their interest is former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, who within hours of the vacancy arising had been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite. Former West Bromwich Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo was another to feature strongly in the early betting along with Gordon Strachan and Steve Bruce, while yesterday saw Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark’s odds slashed dramatically following suggestions that United chairman Bates was an admirer. However, despite a flurry of bets on the Terriers chief, this newspaper understands that the 39-year-old is not under consideration by Leeds due to the club wanting a manager with experience of getting a team into the Premier League. Brighton & Hove Albion manager Gus Poyet, who yesterday distanced himself from a possible return to Elland Road, is another not on United’s radar due to the club hierarchy being unhappy at the manner of his departure in 2007 when the Uruguayan quit suddenly on the eve of an important home game against Millwall to take up a role as Juande Ramos’s right hand man at Tottenham Hotspur. A wish to appoint a manager with a proven record in the Championship would seem to open the door for both Warnock, who has led three teams to promotion from the second tier, and Di Matteo, the Italian having taken West Brom into the Premier League as runners-up behind Newcastle United in 2010. Both would represent intriguing appointments with Warnock’s track record of achieving success on a budget chiming with chairman Bates’s thoughts.  The 63-year-old, who following his sacking by QPR last month was sounded out about a possible vacancy at Ipswich Town, is keen on a return to Yorkshire. Di Matteo, meanwhile, has established a reputation as a bright managerial prospect following stints in charge of West Brom and Milton Keynes Dons. From his four years as a key member of the Chelsea midfield, he is also close with Bates and his wife Suzannah, so much so that Zoe, Di Matteo’s wife, and the couple’s children were guests at the United chairman’s 80th birthday party late last year. Others to have been linked with the job since Grayson’s exit include Paul Ince, MK Dons chief Karl Robinson and former Leeds striker Dougie Freedman, while caretaker manager Redfearn last night also declared his interest. He said: “I am capable, that goes without saying. But the bottom line is the decision is up to the club.”

Thurs Feb 2nd. The men in the frame. Larry has moved on and now it's time to get a successor in worthy of taking our great club forward. Ken Bates track record isn't great when choosing a manager, and Grayson was arguably  head and shoulders above all his previous appointees. The new name in the frame is Lee Clarke. This is his record after leaving as Norwich assistant manager. On 12 December 2008, Clark was officially unveiled as the new manager of League One side Huddersfield Town signing a three-and-a-half year contract. In his first season at the club he helped them to a ninth-placed finish in League One. They also only lost two home league games under Clark in the 2008–09 season. In his second season in charge Clark helped Huddersfield to secure a play-off spot and became the first manager to win three Manager of the Month award in a single season since Roberto Martinez in 2007–08.^[8] Huddersfield were defeated by Millwall in the 2009-10 play-off semi-final. In the 2010–11 season, Clark guided Huddersfield to a third-placed finish in the league, earning them a place in the Play-Offs after a club-record 25-game unbeaten run in the league. They reached the final after beating Bournemouth 4–2 on penalties, but lost 3–0 to Peterborough in the Old Trafford final. In July 2011, he agreed a new rolling contract with the club.^[9]Clark continued breaking records at the beginning of the 2011/12 season, after 18 games of the current season their unbeaten run currently stands at 43 games, the 2nd longest domestic league unbeaten run in English football history. Clarke is the sort of manager that Bates may go for. He is young, raw and obviosuly talented but he has yet to get Huddersfield promoted. He has had big resources at that level and this is his fourth season there and has twice lost in the play-offs. Neil Warnock is the fans choice which in itself is extraordinary, and a huge compliment to him. The reason being that he nevert endeared himself to United fans when he was Sheff Utd manager, but perhaps more so out of jealousy as he used to regularly take 3 points from Leeds. Surprisingly as QPR manager he lost both games last season to United.  Warnock is the equivalent of soccer marmite - you either love him or hate him. There is no doubt that he knows this division inside and out. Whether there is room for two big egos at Elland Road may be the deciding factor for Bates not to choose the former QPR and Sheff United ( among others) manager. Leeds fans would be willing to trade the disliking of Warnock for his ability in getting teams promoted to the Holy Land that is the Premiership.  He is 63 years old now but would be up for the Leeds job in a heartbeat. It would unquestionably be the biggest club he could manage and would bring him back to his beloved Yorkshire. He would want to come to Leeds on his terms and this will be the deciding factor Bates will have against him. After all when has Bates ever given the fans what they want ? Roberto di Matteo would certainly fit the Ken Bates profile in all but one scenario. He may be too expensive unless a huge carrot of financial reward is offered by promotion. He is currently working as assistant manage at Chelsea and his wage packet would easily double and most likely treble what Grayson was on. In 2008 he took over as manager of MK Dons and guided them to the League One play off semi final where they lost on penalties to Scunthrope. He was head hunted by WBA and won promotion to the Premiership in his first season in charge when they finished second to Newcastle United. His side played some wonderful football in the Premiership but he was sacked in February 2011 and was not long out of work before he became assistant manager at Chelsea in June 2011. There are plenty of other names in the frame such as Dennis Wise, John Sheridan, Gordan Strachan, Billy Davies and Steve Bruce. I don't think Bates would forgive Wise for walking away the first time and many would wonder was it the Gus Poyet factor that eliminated those 15 points so quickly back in League One. Poyet would be popular at Elland Road but he has already ruled himself out and I don't see Strachan, Bruce or even Sheridan working for Bates. Bates has said that he admires Keith Hill of Barnsley who has already taken six points from Leeds this season. He is outspoken, confident and a strong character. There is a hell of a difference between  managing Barnsley and managing a side like Leeds United. He has already claimed that pound for pound he is the best mnager in the Championship. He is only 42 but his appointment would not go down well with the supporters, even though he has won promotion at Rochdale and steadied the ship at Oakwell. There are others who would fit the Bates profile such as his old friend Gianfranco Zola and maybe even Darren Ferguson. The distaste that a Ferguson would bring to Leeds United fans wouldn't dissuade our Ken, but would Ferguson walk out of Peterboro a second time ? Like the fans I would like to see Warnock get a crack but  we will never second guess Bates. My instinct tells me that Bates will go for Lee Clarke and I don't think that would be a wise choice.  I'll row in behind any manager and maybe Neil Readfearn who Bates likes might be given a crack until the end of the season. There is one thing for sure, it's never dull being a Leeds fan.

Thurs Feb 2nd. 2012 Clarke becomes new favourite. Neil Warnock was initially odds-on to replace Simon Grayson as Leeds manager, but his price has now drifted following reports that he is not the number one choice to take over at Elland Road. Warnock has almost the ideal CV to ensure Leeds are promoted back into the Premier League in the near future, helping both Sheffield United and then most recently QPR achieve this feat. However, it is believed that Lee Clark is the preferred choice of chairman Ken Bates to be appointed and now the favourite choice of punters. Being the current boss of Huddersfield, the move may appeal to Clark as he would not have to relocate and would get the chance to test his managerial ability at a higher level in the Championship. But having come so close to getting Huddersfield promoted in the last two seasons and once again being fully involved in the promotion picture in the current campaign, there is every chance that he has unfinished business at the club. Meanwhile, some fans will point to the fact that Clark has spent relatively big for League One standards and still not managed to get Huddersfield promoted, which does not bode well for what he would achieve at Leeds. Furthermore, the fact that Clark worked so hard to convince star striker Jordan Rhodes to remain at Huddersfield in the transfer window would make little sense if he then turned his back on the club and its ambitions. Regardless, Clark has been backed into 5/4 from 10/1 to be appointed as the next Leeds manager, with Warnock remaining fancied at 6/4. There is certainly no doubt that Clark’s stock is fairly high despite his possible underachievement at Huddersfield, as he has been linked with the Leicester job in the past, while earlier this season he was rumoured to be a leading contender to take over at former club Sunderland. 

Thurs Feb 2nd. Phil Hay – YEP – Warnock favourite. Neil Warnock has emerged as the early favourite to become Leeds United’s next manager after the club called time on Simon Grayson’s three-year reign. Warnock is among the options being touted for the Elland Road job in the wake of Grayson’s sacking yesterday afternoon. Leeds dismissed Grayson less than 24 hours after a 4-1 defeat to Birmingham City, citing the need to get “more out of the existing squad” and enhance the club’s prospects of qualifying for the Championship play-offs this season. Warnock attracted an immediate flurry of bets as speculation about Grayson’s likely replacement began and he is the early frontrunner after his own sacking by Queens Park Rangers three weeks ago. The 63-year-old has a recent and impressive track record in the Championship having steered Sheffield United to promotion at Leeds’ expense in 2006 and QPR to the title five years later. United chairman Ken Bates has courted Warnock once before, trying unsuccessfully to appoint him as Chelsea boss while chairman at Stamford Bridge in 1991. Warnock rejected the offer in favour of remaining at the helm of Notts County but sources close to him indicate that he would be interested in the post vacated by Grayson. He is not believed to have received any contact from Leeds yesterday. Former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce – whose son Alex is a defender on United’s books – and Chelsea assistant Roberto Di Matteo – a player who joined Chelsea during Bates’ reign in West London – are other possible candidates, though it is understood that Di Matteo is unlikely to leave his current job to link up with Bates again. Ex-United captain Gordon Strachan and Huddersfield Town’s Lee Clark have also been backed in the betting markets. Grayson, meanwhile, departed Elland Road along with first-team coaches Glynn Snodin and Ian Miller after 169 game in charge. Goalkeeper coach Andy Beasley has also left the club having come to Leeds while Dennis Wise was manager. United’s announcement came a day after their heavy defeat to Birmingham and the closure of the January transfer window, with United openly admitting to doubts about Grayson’s ability to raise his squad from 10th position to a play-off spot during the final 18 games of the term. Chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have 18 games to go and are still within touching distance of the play-offs but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference.” Leeds’ reserve and under-18s coach, Neil Redfearn, has taken temporary charge of the senior squad and could act as caretaker during Saturday’s league match away to Bristol City. Redfearn is highly regarded at Elland Road due to his work with United’s academy and chairman Ken Bates said: “Look how under his control the players have been coming through the academy. “It’s a tribute to the work we do at the lower levels. “He’ll bring a fresh face and it gives us time to rethink and move on.”Grayson was unavailable for comment with the 42-year-old believed to be in the process of agreeing a severance package with United. The former Blackpool boss had 18 months remaining on the three-year deal he signed in the summer of 2010.

Thurs Feb 2nd 2012. Redfearn on Grayson and managing Leeds. Leeds caretaker manager Neil Redfearn says he has the right credentials to keep the job. The 46-year-old reserve-team and Academy coach was placed in temporary charge at Elland Road on Wednesday following the sacking of Simon Grayson, assistant boss Glynn Snodin and coach Ian Miller. Former Barnsley and Charlton midfielder Redfearn, who has previously managed Scarborough and Northwich Victoria, told Sky Sports: "I'm capable that goes without saying, but the bottom line is the decision is up to the club. The decision is out of my hands. "From my point of view I'm only interested in Saturday's game and making sure everything's ready for whatever happens and whatever happens I will take it in my stride. "I'm not putting myself under any pressure either way. I'm in this position now and have still got a lot of good friends at this club that I want to help through in the short-term future, and if I can get some results for Leeds United and if that benefits whatever happens then great." Redfearn left his position as caretaker manager at York to take over as Leeds' Under-18s coach in January 2009. He paid tribute to former boss Simon Grayson,  "It was a shock," It came all of a sudden on Wednesday. I got a call and found out the news. I've been here the three years Simon has been here, but these things happen in football. "It's about how you react when you pick the pieces up. We have a big game against Bristol City on Saturday and it's about doing well there and getting a result there." 

Thurs Feb 2nd. Sky pundit Peter Beagrie on Grayson sacking and the contenders for his old job. First and foremost, I'd like to go on record and say Simon Grayson did an outstanding job for Leeds United. He took over a club that was languishing in League One and a succession of managers hadn't been able to get them out of their rut. He took them to the play-off final in his first season, only to be denied by Doncaster, but next season he took them out of the third tier via automatic promotion. Last season's seventh-place finish in the Championship was, for me, an over-achievement. There were far bigger and better-quality squads in that division and I felt he covered himself in glory, even though they just missed out on the play-offs. Of course, expectation levels rose but he has had to cope with the loss of players such as Jermaine Beckford, Max Gradel, Jonny Howson, Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny. The chairman has a long-term plan whereby he wants to invest in the stadium first and the team second and it wasn't easy for Grayson to work under those conditions. The moment Neil Warnock lost his job at Queens Park Rangers, every manager in the Championship came under pressure, particularly the ones at the bigger clubs. Three defeats over the Christmas period saw them slip out of the top six and they are currently down in 10th place. However, they are still only four points off fourth position with 18 games to go. Obviously, the 4-1 defeat at home in midweek was a blow, but they were defeated by a resurgent Birmingham side on a long unbeaten run.So when the news of his departure came this week I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed. Simon still fancied their chances of finishing in the top six, but the club have decided to see if somebody else can get more out of that squad of players. I feel some of the players need to take some responsibility for what's happened because a lot of fundamental individual errors have been made; we saw that against Birmingham on Tuesday night. Going forward they have been a joy to watch, but Grayson ultimately lost his job because he was unable to find a defensive formula. He has never been able to find a central defensive pairing, in particular, that could produce stability. Chief executive Shaun Harvey has come out and said a decision had to be made and with a large part of the season left, someone else will now get the opportunity to make a difference at Elland Road. The moment Neil Warnock lost his job at Queens Park Rangers, every manager in the Championship came under pressure, particularly the ones at the bigger clubs. The two main men under pressure, as far as I was concerned, were Paul Jewell at Ipswich and also Grayson. Unfortunately the midweek results went badly for Simon (a 4-1 home defeat) and very well for Paul (a 5-1 win against leaders West Ham). That saw the axe fall on one, while the other is safe. Jewell was arguably under more pressure because Ipswich might suit Warnock better geographically, but he is now one of the big favourites for the Leeds job. He has a history of getting people out of that division and an excellent track record, but will he want to go and work in Yorkshire again? He often used to let Stuart McCall do most of the coaching at Sheffield United and he'd go up at the end of the week to put a finer point on things. He may not want to move north, but when he thinks with clarity, surely Leeds, one of the highest-profile jobs around, is one that would encourage him to compromise? Some fans may not like his associations with Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United, but if a former Celtic player like Maurice Johnston can be a success at Rangers then why can't Warnock be a success at Leeds? You need to look at the bigger picture and find the best man for the job. Neil Redfearn (a Yorkshire legend from his 'it's just like watching Brazil' days at Barnsley) has been given the job on a caretaker basis and he will fancy it full-time. Other names such as Paul Ince have been mentioned and there will not be a shortage of applicants. I wouldn't see the Leeds job as a poisoned chalice; it's a club with stature and it's a club with a huge following. Ken Bates chose the right man for the job when he appointed Grayson and now he needs to be equally as astute with his choice this time. Finally, I wish Simon Grayson all the best. He definitely has a big future in the game. 

Thurs. Feb 2nd. 2012. Goal.com. Leeds chase Warnock. - Leeds United eye Neil Warnock appointment as chairman Ken Bates defends Simon Grayson sacking. The 42-year-old was axed on Wednesday despite his side being sat just four points behind the playoff places, with the ex-QPR boss heavily linked with the vacant job at Elland Road. Former England and Leeds defender Danny Mills believes the timing of the sacking has a lot to do with the recent availability of former QPR boss Neil Warnock, sacked this month in favour of Mark Hughes. “He got sacked for QPR because he is basically known as a Championship manager who will get you up. That's what he has done time and time again. "That has probably swung Ken Bates's decision.” Any deal is thought to hinge on Warnock’s wage demands, with Bates unlikely to match the former QPR boss’s £15,000-a-week salary, a figure close to double what former boss Grayson was said to be earning.

Thurs Feb 2nd. By Phil Hay YEP – Simon Grayson sacked : Leeds United job consumed “next Revie” after a bright start .In Grayson we trust, or so supporters of Leeds United used to say. The next Don Revie others were heard to claim. It is a measure of Simon Grayson’s performance as manager that he was ever spoken about in such endearing terms. But ultimately the suspicion that this season – his third at Elland Road – would prove a step too far was sadly accurate.  The surprise about yesterday’s sacking is how long it took to come. As far back as August, when this season began, Grayson’s future was debated in terms of a doomed coach.  The debate contradicted his record: the most credible, statistically, of any Leeds manager since David O’Leary and one supported by the tangible achievements of promotion from League One and a seventh-place finish in the Championship. Historically, those achievements bore no comparison with the peaks in United’s history. But in relative terms, he had carried the club forward from the woeful trough of demotion to England’s third division. Last summer still contrived to spawn sweepstakes about how many more weeks and matches the 42-year-old would last. I interviewed Grayson at United’s training ground near Wetherby 48 hours before their last pre-season friendly against Newcastle United. He looked weary and sounded frustrated – an unusual state for a manager on the eve of a new season, and an odd state for Grayson himself. High in his list of agreeable attributes was natural optimism and a good sense of humour. Anyone accepting the job he took on in December 2008 needed both. Recruited from Blackpool against the wishes of the Lancashire club, he was the third coach to grapple with Leeds in League One and the second in less than 18 months.  The strain was too great for Dennis Wise, and five straight defeats and a deflated dressing room did for Gary McAllister.  United analysed Grayson’s track record and made his brief plain and simple – do what you did at Blackpool and get Leeds United the hell out of League One. He did so at the second attempt after first stomaching a play-off semi-final defeat to Millwall in 2009. “Simon’s a man for all seasons,” said Ken Bates in the wake of that result, “including next season.” With the support of his chairman unequivocal, Grayson set out on a campaign which would represent his crowning glory as manager of Leeds. Promotion to the Championship was won through a mixture of hyper-consistent form and nail-biting survival; 12 matches without defeat at the start of the season, four straight losses during a period of desperate anxiety over Easter. As Norwich City ran away with a title which United once seemed certain to claim, a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers achieved with 10 players on the last day of the term was an apt way for Leeds to crash across the line. Grayson and his players were feted for that promotion and Leeds rewarded him by turning his one-year rolling contract into a secure, three year deal. He parted company with the club yesterday with 18 months left on it. It might not have occurred to him in the summer of 2010 that his star would fall in so short a period but the writing was on the wall as United’s second season in the Championship began in August. The difficulty for Grayson, and for his club, was the definition of ambition and an understanding of what amounted to success. In League One, his target was self-evident. As a Championship side, the outlook was more blurred. Leeds entered the league with Grayson talking about the priority of avoiding relegation and Bates promising season-tickets holders that United were not in the division to “make up the numbers.” In claiming seventh place after 46 games, Grayson’s squad comfortably cleared the middle ground. It was, as Grayson said, a position the club and their supporters would have willing accepted nine months earlier. But on the last day of the term, that claim sounded disingenuous. Leeds had been sixth with seven matches to go and a club in command of a play-off place.  With Easter upon him – seemingly Grayson’s version of the Ides of March – their results and conviction disintegrated. United finished behind six other clubs and entered the close-season consumed by a sense of deflation. Criticism from the public was split between Grayson and his employers: Grayson for the appalling defensive record which saw 81 league goals conceded and Leeds for what many perceived as an inadequate wage bill and transfer budget. Grayson never complained about money and consistently fought the club’s side of that argument. His success in the transfer market with what budget he had was hit and miss. But an endless procession of loanees (33 in his time alone) and free transfers begged the question of whether he and his squad were punching above their weight. And behind all that was the prickly subject of contracts: contracts that key players were so reluctant to renew or extend. Jermaine Beckford, his most prolific forward, left Elland Road for nothing after scoring the goal which sealed promotion, and Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson followed suit last summer, unable to agree fresh terms at Elland Road. This season, Max Gradel – United’s existing player of the year – was sold on the last day of the summer transfer window and Jonathan Howson was last month’s the high-profile departure. Bates called Howson’s £2million sale to Norwich “inevitable” and many supporters agreed, though not for the same reasons.  There is something routine about the trickle of prized assets out of Elland Road and Grayson’s replacement will take a seat at his desk wondering if Robert Snodgrass and Aidan White are next. Under Grayson, Leeds took different forms: pragmatic in League One but fluid and expansive in the Championship, at least until the start of this season.  During the 2010-11 season, United were as proficient in attack as the were inept in defence. Luciano Becchio scored 20 goals and Gradel 18.  Howson came into his own in a free role behind a lone striker. For all their flaws and their eventual lack of stamina over 46 matches, Grayson’s squad blew a breath of fresh air through a wonderfully competitive league. It represented healthy progress and a chance for development in the summer that followed. Instead, transfer target after transfer target slipped through United’s fingers in a window which chief executive Shaun Harvey later described as “ugly.”  Pessimism was rife as the season began and it rarely lifted, not even when September and October yielded four wins and a draw from five fixtures. An injury to Becchio denied Grayson the use of his preferred formation and Leeds gradually became rigid and predictable, no longer the carefree Championship side they once were. Grayson’s tactics began to flounder.  Some gripes about his man-management were aired privately and with hindsight his treatment of Andy O’Brien seemed rash and ill-advised. Performances deteriorated in the run-up to Christmas and comments from Bates made it clear that the form was unacceptable. Grayson appeared to be hanging by a thread after a 4-1 rout at Barnsley on New Year’s Eve but kept himself in post with the most improbable of victories over Burnley 48 hours later, sprinting up the touchline in celebration.  Without the bizarre chain of events in Leeds’ 3-1 win over Ipswich Town on January 21, he might not have made it as far as Tuesday’s loss to Birmingham – a game which summed up the weakness that stalked him mercilessly in the Championship. At no stage of the past two seasons did United’s defensive problems subside.  It was the Achilles Heel of a coach who leaves Elland Road with a share of the blame but a commendable record of 84 wins and 40 draws from 169 competitive matches. As a manager, his reputation is in tact and enhanced.  As a person, it was hard for those of us within in the media not to warm to his personality – accommodating, accepting of criticism and always ready to answer questions.  But as his tenure began to unravel, supporters yearned for more from him on and off the pitch; better results and performances and more clarity about the extent of his clout in the transfer market. On Tuesday night, he bemoaned a “naive and inexperienced” defence on the day when Leeds’ only signing in what remained of the January window was a 20-year-old full-back from Tottenham Hotspur. You feared then that the situation had lost all logic and sense.  Bates was absent from Elland Road, nearing the end of a holiday in South Africa, but waited less than 24 hours to sanction the dismissal of his manager and backroom staff. Whether Grayson still held the faith of the club’s supporters is debatable but he leaves with their respect in spades, most of it owning to that fine afternoon on May 8, 2010 and the multiple occasions when his team used cup competitions to torment the great and good of the Premier League. And he leaves knowing that when Kevin Blackwell was sacked by Leeds in 2006, he walked with banners calling for his head.  The only banner at Elland Road on Tuesday night, displayed in the South Stand, called instead for the departure of Bates.  So it was that United’s chairman returned home last night to address a team with no manager and a mutinous fanbase who are no longer aiming questions at Grayson.  His dismissal was sad but strangely inevitable and he goes with his head held high.  The doubts about Leeds’ ambition, vision and financial policies now burn hotter than ever, and right beneath Bates.

Thurs Feb 2nd. Dom Matteo - YEP on Grayson and new manager. Simon Grayson is no longer Leeds United manager and talk has switched to his successor and obviously Neil Warnock is the favourite and it’s easy to see why. Looking at it, he’s the one man who knows how to get a team out of this division into the Premier League.He’s done it on numerous occasions, is vastly experienced and his track record speaks for itself and he’s definitely the no.1 contender for me. Of the other possible contenders, you’ve also got a lot of good young managers linked as well and people are talking about the likes of Lee Clark, Roberto di Matteo and Karl Robinson. Personally, I do think it’s important the board takes a little bit of time, but invariably they quickly want a manager in place and the players do need to know who the boss is. Ideally, I think if you are going to make a managerial change, it’s always good to give a month for the new manager to maybe in bring in his own ideas and players in, like with Mark Hughes at QPR.  Someone will now come in with the window closed and it’s a strange one in that aspect. But I think after the Birmingham game, the board probably thought a 4-1 defeat at home was just such a poor result and that it was the right time to do it. The performance itself actually wasn’t that bad, but unfortunately it was schoolboy mistakes which cost us again. Even though the players got a few good results last month, let’s face it, the team weren’t playing well and there seemed to be no continuity between the players. It seemed like they were all going out playing on their own. For a Simon Grayson team, it was never usually like that and we got used to them always bouncing back from bad results with a good performance or two. There were a lot of rumours going around the ground after the Birmingham game about Simon’s future and while nothing was said to me, it was clear things were getting talked about. And the rumours proved true, which was obviously disappointing. I wish Simon well. He’s a good guy who did a good job and people have got to remember that. He gave three years of good service, is a Leeds fan at heart and gave his absolute everything. I think his win ratio was the best of all Leeds managers of all time apparently and he can walk away with his head held high. He brought some good times back to the club and got them promoted and having spoken to him a few times, I really believed he thought he could get us to the Premier League this year as the league isn’t all that strong and we’re still not that far from the play-offs. It’s disappointing to see him go, but the club obviously felt it was time for a change. Maybe it was time for a change for him as well and I’m sure there will be a lot of clubs looking at him, in time, as well. He’s still a young manager and he’ll dust himself down, have a bit of time off and maybe have a holiday or something and then want to get back into it as he’s a football guy.

Thurs Feb 2nd. Gus Poyet rules himself out. The Argus - Surrey. Gus Poyet has ruled himself out of the running for the manager's job at Leeds. And the Albion boss says his old club were wrong to get rid of Simon Grayson. Poyet, 10-1 with the bookies to return to Elland Road, told The Argus: "It's a massive club and it's great place to manage, I've got no doubt. "I would go back to Leeds at any time, of course not right now. "We'll see what happens because, like I said, it's a magnificent place to manage." Poyet, who was No. 2 at Leeds to Dennis Wise, is mystified by Ken Bates' decision to axe Grayson, with the Yorkshiremen still very much in the hunt for a play-off place. He said: "I didn't understand the decision. I like Ken Bates a lot but I'm sorry Ken, wrong. "You are only able to base your opinion on the results. I've seen Simon's record at Leeds and I think it's very good, so I don't know if it is something we don't know. "Maybe that is the only situation but at the end of the day he's the chairman, he makes decisions, you live by your decisions. We'll see what happens. "I think you can analyse if it is right or not at the end of the season." Albion's next away game is at Leeds on Saturday week.

Thurs Feb 2nd. 2012. Ince in the frame - Sporting Life .Paul Ince is reportedly interested in filling the vacant managerial role at Leeds United and is being considered for the post by chairman Ken Bates. The Whites are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Simon Grayson on Wednesday. Grayson was shown the door after seeing Leeds lose five of their last seven Championship games, with a run of three successive defeats over the Christmas period dumping them out of the top six. Ince is reportedly a frontrunner to succeed him in the job and Bates is thought to be weighing up the ex-England international.The 44-year-old has not managed since leaving Notts County in April last year after an ill-fated five months at the helm, with the Magpies losing a club record nine successive games under his tenure. Ince has also spent two stints in charge at MK Dons, guiding the club to the League Two trophy and promotion in 2008, as well as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. The former Manchester United midfielder started his managerial career in charge of Macclesfield Town, while his two spells at the Dons came either side of a short and hapless stint at Blackburn, where he won just three games in 17. He is the latest name to emerge in connection with the Leeds post, with Neil Warnock, Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Bruce also reportedly in the frame. Other names to have been linked to the role are Leeds United legends Gordan Strachan, Lucas Radebe and Gary McAllister. Youth team manager Neil Redfearn has been placed in temporary charge until a new manager is appointed.

Thurs Feb 2nd. YEP - Bates takes share of blame as fans make their feelings known.THE sacking of Simon Grayson was “inevitable” and the “worst kept secret in football,” according to Leeds United supporters on the forums and message boards last night. With chairman Ken Bates always “looking over his shoulder” and the club reluctant to commit money for new signings in the January transfer window, fans felt Grayson’s days were numbered. There were mixed feelings over whether Grayson was suitable for the job, with some opting to reflect on the highlights of his three years at Elland Road – chiefly the 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round in 2010 and promotion back to the Championship later that year – and claiming he was a “scapegoat” for the board. Others said Grayson was out of his depth and pointed to a number of poor performances this season, despite Leeds being just three points off the play-offs. In tune with the recent mutinous atmosphere at Elland Road, there was nobody prepared to back Bates’s decision, with many saying the sacking was conveniently timed so a new manager could not bring in expensive new signings in the transfer window. “Only Bates could sack a manager the day after deadline day, making sure any new manager will have no money to spend as this would be one of the first questions any new manager would ask,” said one commentator. Others were more succinct: “Bates is a blinded owner who is interested only in making money. Grayson did a fantastic job with means available,” read one Tweet. “(Bates is) Doing absolutely nothing for the football part of the football club,” said another. Some took the opportunity to dissect some of the long-standing problems at the club. “In Grayson’s three years as manager, we have seen approximately 60 players come to the club... an average of 20 a season. “Look at any of the recently-promoted clubs, they have had stability in their playing staff through keeping the quality and adding to it.” Another comment read: “We have one of the highest average attendances in English football, we have loyal fans who pay more than half of what Premier League fans have to pay, we have sponsorship and commercial deals coming through all of the time, yet the invest (sic) in quality players is not there.” Views were also split on who should be brought in, with Neil Warnock the favourite.  “Warnock is our best bet for promotion and none of the other likely candidates are any better than Grayson,” one fan said, before adding intriguingly: “My 50p is on (Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer.” “Bates wouldn’t want the likes of Warnock or (Billy) Davies as manager; he wouldn’t get on with them, too much of a personality clash. “My money’s on (Roberto) Di Matteo, cheap option for Bates and he’ll fall in line, another yes man. If Bates really wants a shot at the Premier League, Warnock’s the man.”

. Thurs Feb 2nd 2012. Richard Sutcliffe YEP on Grayson's time at Leeds. EVEN when the pressure was on with speculation raging over his future as Leeds United manager, Simon Grayson was rarely someone to be fazed. Nor did he lose his sense of humour. Typical was Monday’s exchange with this reporter when, after answering questions about all manner of subjects from the January transfer window through to his own job security, there was a slight pause.  “So, are you going to ask me about Alan Smith?” The one-time Leeds United hero, a major transfer target of Grayson’s the previous summer, had joined Milton Keynes Dons on loan just a couple of days earlier so was on the list of topics to be covered.  “Okay, Simon, Alan Smith. Was he on your list of targets during this window?” The reply was succinct and to the point. “No comment.” Then, as if affronted by the question, a stern-faced Grayson stood up as if setting off towards the door before turning back at the last moment with a broad smile on his face. For the next couple of minutes, the United manager then outlined his stance on Smith and why his lack of football had deterred the club making a fresh approach for the Newcastle United midfielder. It was Grayson all over, keeping from all but his close and loyal circle of friends the undoubted pressure he was feeling after what had been a testing couple of months which had also included the enforced sale of his captain Jonny Howson. The same could be said about similarly difficult periods earlier in his 37-month reign – even the chastening home defeats to the likes of Swindon Town, Blackpool and Preston North End were unable to shatter the veneer of calmness that Grayson invariably exuded. By Tuesday night, however, something had changed. I was in the Elland Road tunnel when Grayson emerged half-an-hour or so after the final whistle had blown at the end of United’s 4-1 defeat to Birmingham City. For the first time, he looked a beaten man, his eyes betraying the emotions of a man who sensed a fatal blow had been inflicted on his tenure at the helm of a club he has supported since childhood.  Listening to the interview he then conducted with Eddie Gray for Yorkshire Radio merely added to my belief that even Grayson’s ability to ride the knocks that come every manager’s way had been stretched to the limit. He was saying all the right things about “needing to work hard on the training pitch” and taking “confidence from how we played for an hour”.  But, for the first time, Grayson’s words sounded hollow – almost as if he did not believe them himself. Less than 12 hours later, the 42-year-old’s reign was over – the final act coming via a summons from chief executive Shaun Harvey to Thorp Arch, where he and his coaching staff were told of their dismissals. Sackings are, of course, a sad fact of life for any manager. No one bar Sir Alex Ferguson in the modern game is immune from the axe, with even Arsene Wenger having come under increasing pressure at Arsenal over the past 12 months. What Grayson was able to do, however, amid the sadness of having to clear his desk yesterday morning was look back with pride on the job he has done at Elland Road. Certainly, Leeds United are in a much healthier shape than they were when he walked through the door to succeed Gary McAllister just before Christmas, 2008. During the intervening years, promotion from what to Leeds was fast becoming the wasteland of League One was secured along with the end of a near-three decade wait for a victory at Old Trafford against bitter rivals Manchester United. Battling draws at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the FA Cup were also notable, not least for allowing United’s long-suffering supporters to bask in the glow of their club being back in the spotlight for all the right reasons. Restoring that sense of pride to Leeds mattered to Grayson, a boyhood fan who went on to realise his dream by joining the staff as an apprentice. Handed his debut by Billy Bremner, Ripon-born Grayson may have then had to leave Elland Road to become an established first-team regular, but he never lost his links to Leeds. Coming back as manager, therefore, felt right. It also meant he understood the joy that winning at Old Trafford gave supporters. He also knew just how vital escaping League One was for United and that the manager who then took the club back into the Premier League would be assured a place in history. As Grayson celebrated his second anniversary in charge at Christmas, 2010, it looked increasingly like he could be that man to end the club’s exile from the elite. A 2-0 victory over runaway leaders QPR at Elland Road on the final Saturday before the festive season had nudged Leeds up to second in the table. They were there on merit, too, with the manner in which Neil Warnock’s side had been comprehensively beaten suggesting United had the artillery to rein in even the Londoners during the second half of the campaign. Coming on the back of a thrilling fightback at Burnley a week earlier that had seen a 2-0 deficit at half-time turned into all three points come the final whistle, the sky really did seem the limit for Grayson. With hindsight, however, that win at home to QPR was, even allowing for United’s 1-1 draw at Arsenal a couple of weeks later, to be the last true high point of his reign.On Boxing Day and eight days after QPR had been dismissed, a two-goal lead at Leicester City was squandered and Leeds had to settle for a point. It was the same story two days later when Portsmouth escaped with a point despite seeming down and out at 3-1. The defensive frailty that had peaked in the autumn when Preston North End became the first side to score six goals in a league game at Elland Road had returned. And, despite wholesale changes in personnel at the back over the past year and a switch of goalkeeper in the summer, it never really went away, culminating in the four-goal salvo from Nikola Zigic that brought the curtain down on Grayson’s reign.

Thursday Feb 2nd 2012. Eddie Gray on Leeds. YEP - Former Leeds United manager and player Eddie Gray has urged the club to appoint a young manager as Grayson’s successor after former QPR and Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock emerged as an early favourite. “I don’t know if the club have their mind on anybody,” Gray said. “I think they will be looking for somebody youngish but with a bit of experience. “Everyone has put two and two together because he is available and he has a track record of getting people up. But I don’t know if they will go for Neil just because he is available. “Simon is clever and would probably have known he would be under pressure. “He is still a young manager and he will get another job and he will bounce back. “He can walk for the job he has done with his head held high. “Getting promotion was a great moment and he brought the fans a lot of joy at Old Trafford (when Leeds beat Manchester United in the FA Cup) and there were some good moments for him.”

Weds Feb 1st 2012. Betting on manager to succeed Larry. Neil Warnock ranges from 4/9 with Skybet to 4/5 with Paddy Power. Steve Bruce ranges from 3/1 with Ladbrokes to 6/1 with Boyle Sports. Roberto di Matteo ranges from 4/1 with Ladbrokes to 8/1 with Skybet. Gary Kelly (are you having a laugh) ranges from 4/1 with Paddy Power to 14/1 with Skybet. Others that range from 12/1 out as far as 30/1 are Lee Clarke, Mick McCarthy, Neil Redfearn, Alan Curbishly, Billy Davies, Dan Petrescu, Gus Poyet, Dennis Wise, Dave Jones, Gordan Strachan, JF Hasselbaink, John Sheridan, Nigel Worthington, Keith Hill, Carl Robinson, Paul Dikov,  Ginafranco Zola, Eddie Gray, Andy Ritchie, Darren Ferguson  and @ 10,000/1 Greg Tipping with Betfair after sticking needles in Simon Grayson dolls for the past six months. 

Weds Feb 1st. Mister Chairman speaks out.  Ken Bates has been giving his reasons why Larry got the chop. "We have to acknowledge the previous three seasons Simon got us to the League One play-offs then promotion and then we finished seventh (in the Championship) and we have backed him all the way,” Bates told Yorkshire Radio. “At 30 players, we have one of the largest squads in the Championship and bigger than some in the Premier League. Bates forgets that a number of these players are young kids who came through the ranks at Elland Road and would be on very low money. “We spent over £12m on wages so why are people blaming me for the recent results? “All the money we have received has gone back into the squad. The manager decides who he wants to buy, we as the board just pay for it. I only said no once.” Not true. This famous 30% over budget (which was 22% a few weeks ago and we lost Howson) doesn't count the income from Gradel, Schmeichel, Howson and Kebbe - circa £5M.  Bates believes that a fresh start could see Leeds still remain in the promotion hunt. “Simon told me in November we were going to win promotion. I am a little bit disappointed he mentioned last night he has been working under financial constraints. “We are over 30% over budget on players wages. What I don’t understand is why we are where we are with what we have spent. “Since the present system wasn’t working we want something fresh. “Having said that, thanks to Simon, but we have to move on. “We have got 18 games to go and we can still get into the play-offs but we need a fresh start, fresh look and fresh attitude. “We are building a club first and a team second and we are making progress when so many people are having financial difficulties.” We have spent £20M on the Ground (as per programme notes v Ipswich) on a ground that we allegedly don't own. Give me a break. and  "Contrary to some of the nutters on twitter we backed him all the way. The first time I said no to a player that Simon wanted to buy was last Thursday when he wanted to sign a player who was going to cost us £600,000 a year. I said, 'you`ve already got six centre backs` all of whom he has signed. Very little defence here in the quality of central defenders brought to the club. However, Peterboro had a £1.9M bid turned down for two Crawley Town last night. Peterboro are 17th in the Championship and 7,555 fans at their laast home game. When did Leeds last pay £1.9M for two players ?"At 30, we have probably got one of the largest squads in the championship and a bigger squad than many clubs in the Premiership. Our wage budget was £9.5 million this year and we have spent over £12 million. So these people who are blaming me for the results do not know what they are talking about. "Every penny we have made from transfer fees as gone back into team on transfer fees or wages. Not in a million years is this statement true. "If you sign a player on a free transfer on £500,000 a year on a three year contract you are committing up to £1.5 million, which is a tremendous amount of money. "We have six strikers and six centre backs and all of a sudden I cannot understand why any of them are not good enough. We have three teenagers in the back four. "He is the manager and he decides who he wanted to buy. We as a club and me as chairman just authorise it. We just pay for it. The facts of the matter are we have conceded more goals than almost any other club in the championship has. Therefore we have reached as far as we can and the present system isn`t working. "We have got eighteen games to go, nine at home and nine away. We can still get into the play offs. I think automatic promotion is looking a bit remote. I think we need a fresh start, fresh attitude and we will move on." Simon told me in November we were going to win promotion. These players have not become bad players overnight. "There is a problem somewhere and we do not know what it is. I am a little bit disappointed what Simon said after last night, when he said he was working within financial constraints, Jesus, he has spent nearly 30% over budget on players wages. Some people are banging on about loan players. Who scored the winner against us when played at the Emirates? It was a loan player wasn`t it. Thierry Henry. - There is a big difference between Henry and Townsend and Smith. "It is not a question of money we spend on transfer fees, it is the quality of player you get. He is a free player, free transfer. Do we pay £35 million for Carroll or £50 million for Torres? So money itself doesn`t mean anything. The important thing is the quality and value for money. What I do not understand is why we are where we are with what we have spent. "Don`t forget, when we were beaten by Barnsley 4-1. Their wage bill was £4.5 million and ours was £11.5 million, so we were clearly not getting value for money are we. So seeing as the present system is not working we need a fresh look. Having said that, thank you to Simon for what he has done and his two assistants but we have to move on." If that's the case Leeds shouldn't have beaten Leicester or Ipswich, both of whom have bigger budgets. Paul Jewell lost nine homes in a row but was backed in the transfer market with decent finance.....and what happened last night...Ipswich Town 5-1 West Ham. Going By Bates logic Big Sam and Jewell shold be unemployed. As I sign off Jermaine Beckford has just equalised for Leicester v Boro. Bates laughed at the player being offered to us a few weeks ago. Ken's right because Ken is always right. Gobshite !

WEds Feb 1st. The Sabotage Times. Today’s sacking of Simon Grayson from his position as manager of Leeds United has seemed inevitable since mid-December and is symbolic of the prevailing bad mood that has completely enveloped the club from top to bottom. My prevailing mood right now is one of sadness, because Grayson was clearly operating with both hands tied behind his back, having no power to keep his current players or bring in the players he would want to fulfil his dream, as a Leeds born player and fan, of managing the club in the Premiership. For this reason I would forgive Grayson for the constant reliance on short term loan players (for which he had a very poor success rate) and I would also partially forgive him for the continual plethora of ‘dead wood’ we seemed to collect each season, and can only shift from the books with a mutual termination of a contract. Grayson had an immediately positive effect on Leeds upon his appointment in December 2008, and was the trigger required in getting us out of the murky depths of League One, albeit at the second attempt. He has overseen a gradual improvement in the team’s fortunes year on year until, sadly, this season. With jewels in the form of Max Gradel and Jonny Howson sold from under him, Grayson has seen a squad that over-achieved last season slowly dissembled into a mixed bag of over the hill short term contracts, loanees and promising but unfulfilled youngsters. To what extent you can blame Grayson for the development of this situation is the key question. Debates are raging amongst Leeds fans, and whilst there can be no doubt that the finances and long term strategy are not in place to firstly attract and then retain players of sufficient quality to get us in to the Premiership, the fact remains that we still have a talented first eleven (if not squad). This, unfortunately, is the only change in the hierarchy of the club we are likely to see in the immediate future .This was showns last night against Birmingham. For the first 45 minutes Leeds played fluent attacking football for the first time at home all season, and should have been at least a couple of goals clear at half time. It was all set up for a rousing victory in the second half, despite Birmingham drawing level, but instead the fans were treated to Grayson’s Achilles heel once again; the art of defending. The worm began to turn for me this season as I realised that, after three years, we still simply couldn’t defend. The points thrown away by sloppy defending are laughable, but the stark reality raises serious flaws about Grayson’s management. The frequent chopping and changing of the back four screamed out that the Manager had little belief in his players, and little structure to his game plan for defending. How much of this is down to his backroom staff is always open to debate, and personally I think Messrs Snodin and Miller are as culpable in this situation as Grayson himself. But like the players, the staff are Grayson’s appointments. In summary, the sacking of Simon Grayson today is the pinnacle of the ongoing doom that is surrounding the club. I feel deep sadness for him because every Leeds fan wanted him to succeed and he was doing the best with what he had, but what he had wasn’t good enough, in terms of players and management skills. Too many times this season I have walked away from Elland Road thinking ‘I don’t think Grayson can lift these players’, and that comes down to management. His hands have been tied to a large extent, and you wonder how close he has come to ‘walking’, but he is also culpable of never solving the defensive issues, meddling with formations and substitutions with baffling frequency and ultimately not delivering in a results business. Simon Grayson delivered some good times to Elland Road, but whilst the current regime remains in place today was inevitable. This, unfortunately, is the only change in the hierarchy of the club we are likely to see in the immediate future, and it was clear that we had gone as far as we could under Grayson. It will be interesting to see how a different Manager (the fifth under Ken Bates Chairmanship) performs with the squad Grayson has left him, and that will answer many searching questions that Leeds fans ask themselves. Maybe that will shape our immediate future and change the mood? Good luck Simon and thanks.

Weds Feb 1st 2012. Larry gets the axe.YEP - Simon Grayson has been relieved of his duties as manager of Leeds United. The club have acted swiftly following their 4-1 defeat to Birmingham last night. Chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have 18 games to go this season and are still within touching distance of the play-offs, but felt with the transfer window now closed we needed to make the change at this time in the belief that a new managerial team will be able to get more out of the existing squad of players and make the difference. Simon and his staff have given the club over three good years service and we would like to place on record our thanks and wish them all the best for the future.” Neil Redfearn, the club’s youth team manager, has been placed in temporary charge.Grayson, 42, who replaced Gary McAllister as manager of his boyhood club in December 2008, has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks as Leeds have fallen out of the top six in the npower Championship. Last night’s home defeat was the final straw for chairman Ken Bates, who is now in the hunt for his fifth Leeds manager during his seven years at the club. Former Blackpool boss Grayson, who began his playing career at the club, steered Leeds to promotion from npower League One in 2010 and missed out on the Championship play-offs by three points last season, but so far the club have failed to mount a serious promotion challenge this time around. Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, who has just lost his job as boss of QPR, and Chelsea assistant manager Roberto di Matteo are among the early front-runners to replace Grayson. From the dozens of texts coming in it's clear that most Louth Branch members want Neil Warnock to replace Larry. I've read the statement and ask why was he not sacked three weeks ago to allow the new manager funds and some time  to bring in new players. I had thought that Shaun Harvey had left the club because he's been as quiet as a church mouse except when requesting Max Gradel and Jonny Howson's agents numbers. I'd like to hear Larry's side of things because it looks like that he has received no backing what so ever financially. He definitely alluded to one or two things on YR after the match. To lose arguably two out of his best three players in August and January and replace them with loan signings was never going to be helpful. Unfortunately the bargain buys and loan signings have been well off the mark and last night's result prompted the gun to be fired. In truth the gun was loaded weeks ago but Bates was was waiting for February first to pull the trigger. Grayson has a huge love for Leeds United and reminds me of Ally McCoist at Glasgow Rangers. Both have had their best players sold from under them and have had little or no support to replace that quality. Both should have walked away a long time ago, but may have been blinded by their love for their respective clubs. Some say that Bates is next to go. I don't see it that way. Our new manager will inherit a side that is just three points off the play offs and with 18 games to go there should be no reason not to reach the play offs if he is tactically more astute than Larry. Call it the Martin O'Neill effect if you like. Snodgrass, Delph, McCormack, Becchio, Lees, Lonergan and others possess quality. Maybe the new man can get more out of them than Larry, and succeed with some additions in the emergency window. Don't depend on Ken Bates to make an astute appointment.  Dennis Wise inherited a side with just one point  from safety in the Championship  but succeeded in getting the team relegated to the third tier in the following 30 plus games. Gary McAllister got Leeds knocked out of the FA Cup at non league Histon. I wish Larry well. We have had some good times to remember him by. I just hope the next manager arrives on his own terms and not the just chairman's and preferably without a Chelsea connection. 

WEds Feb 1st. Brendan Ormsby on sacking. PONTEFRACT Collieries’ former Leeds United captain Brendon Ormsby believes Neil Warnock could be the right man for the Leeds United job following the sacking of Simon Grayson. Warnock, now out of a job after being sacked by QPR last month, has been immediately installed as the bookies’ favourite to take charge at Elland Road and Colls boss Ormsby reckons he could give the club a shake-up it may need. Speaking on Talksport about Grayson’s departure, he said: “It’s not really a surprise. There were a lot of rumours this might happen. “The fans are not happy. They might be only one win off the play-offs, but Leeds have always had big expectations and the fans want them back in the Premier League as soon as possible. “They can see the ground being rebuilt and the work going on there, but they’d rather that money was spent on players. “People have been upset over the last couple of seasons at the number of loan players brought in and a lot of them are just young boys in football terms. “It’s annoying the fans that other clubs are buying players, yet we seem to be selling our best players and brining in youngsters on loan. “They need a bit more experience throughout the team. Then when the going gets tough, they can stand up and be counted. “Warnock’s name has been bandied about and he would shake the club up. I’d like to think he would do that and bring in regular signings and not just loan players and kids.”

Weds Feb 1st 2012. Taken from to Ell and Back. To Ell and Back. His win rate was 50%. He was the first Leeds boss to win at Old Trafford since Allan Clarke in 1981. He led United out of the wilderness of the Third tier of English football. Yes, the history books should be very kind to Simon Grayson's three-year stint at Leeds. Despite Ken Bates' manipulation of the figures, Grayson has worked micracles this season. I honestly thought there was an element of truth in Adrian Durham (Talksport's) August prediction that we were heading back to League One given the fact that under the current fiscal regime. After all, any team losing the likes of Neil Kilkenny, Bradley Johnson and Max Gradel would struggle to match the previous season's achievement where we more than consolidated our return to the Championship. Sure, Grayson was not without his faults. In the riposte to the critics who have blasted his sacking, Ken Bates has pointed out that the absence of transfer-fees does not necessary mean expenditure on players reduces to nil - wages etc need to be factored in. Even some of Grayson's free transfers, Im thinking along the lines of Forsell, Valrynen, Connolly etc have been poor but still clog up the wage bill. His over reliance on the loan-market, something like 37 loans in the last three years is another criticism for those who wanted him removed. However with his hands effectively tied and his pockets picked, really he was forced to shop in the bargain basement for Bosman's and free-agents. Those who have commanded a fee have generally performed well such as Lonergan, McCormack, Pugh.... Even the greats drop clangers, I am not anti-Man U blinkered enough not to acknowledge Ferguson as a great - even though I loathe the man, but is David De Guea really worth £17.8m and then there was Juan Sebastian Veron... Bates yet again is out of touch with the Leeds fans, who he dismisses as the "vocal minority" - Simon is nothing more than a scapegoat for his and Shaun Harvey's gross mismanagement of the club.

Weds Feb 1st 2012. Paul Martin on transfers. Another transfer window closes and more disappointment for us Leeds fans. I was expecting a couple of decent signings especially when we sold Jonny, but when we didn't sign anybody before the weekend I didn't think much would happen in the last couple of days.We needed a couple of good experienced defenders in [the last three years] as was evident tonight against Birmingham when Zigic scored four with just four touches. Young White got skinned twice for Burke to set up two goals and O Dee and Lees got caught out for three headed goals by Zigic.Grayson was lamenting on Yorkshire Radio after the game about the young an inexperienced players across his back line, why the hell didn't he do something about this during the last month.When I was over at the Ipswich game recently I couldn't help notice how small a team we are, we have no big powerful players in the squad either in defense or attack.The Emergency Transfer Window opens next week whether we bring anyone in is anybody's guess, we definitely needs a good center half.On tonight's game Leeds actually played very well for the first hour, we should have scored three goals in the first twenty minutes,Becchio could have had a hatrick and Snodgrass missed a sitter in the first few minutes and with our defense we were made pay big time later on. Before the new-year I thought if we strengthened the team with a bit of experience and quality we could finish in the top six around fourth. but after this lost opportunity I think we will be lucky to finish 10th or better, I hope im wrong.I know people might not be thinking about going over for a game after tonight but Ryanair have a good deal for the Forest match on Tuesday 20th March for 26euro return, you wont get over for the rest of the season any cheaper than that.
Regards Paul Martin

Tuesday Jan 31st. Leeds 1-4  Birmingham. 01 Lonergan, 22 Lees, 28 White, 29 Thompson, 48 O'Dea YC, 15 Clayton, 17 Townsend, 25 Delph, 10 Becchio, 23 Snodgrass, 44 McCormack. Unused Substitutes :24 Taylor, 04 Bruce, 08 Brown, 16 Pugh, 20 Nunez Ref: DeanAtt: 19,628.  The early evening talk surrounded the possible withdrawal of Robert Snodgrass as Blackburn were allegedly making a late bid. Grayson called for the crowd to get behind his team and they certainly did as United came out of the traps on fire. Becchio missed two easy chances but McCormack fired Leeds deservedly ahead. Birmingham equalised against the run of play through Zigic and that’s how it finished in the first half. United should have been ahead. When Leeds don’t score, they lose. The second half was the Zigic show as every ball that came into the box United couldn’t defend. This is a guy who scored only 4 goals before tonight all season. And we haven’t been able to defend since Adam was a lad. The transfer window has come and gone and we paid out peanuts, £500K for Danny Pugh, a couple of Spurs Reserves and the decent Fabian Delph. Our club is dying. Maybe Grayson should go, and maybe he shouldn’t go. You could probably give either argument a decent airing.  But, the problem is and always will be Bates and until he goes there will be no Leeds United. YEP report : Nikola Zigic scored all four goals at Elland Road as Birmingham cranked up the pressure on their promotion rivals with a sixth straight win. The beanpole Serbian striker cancelled out Ross McCormack’s 19th-minute opener with a first-half header and struck three times in seven minutes in the second period as Chris Hughton’s rampant Blues ran riot. Zigic headed home his fourth in the 68th minute and was forced off after landing awkwardly, but the damage was done as Birmingham extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches. Luciano Becchio and defender Aidan White returned for Leeds, but there was no place in the squad for deadline day loan signing Adam Smith, from Tottenham, while another recent recruit, USA international Robbie Rogers, was not included. Birmingham, beaten only once since exiting the Europa League in December, made three changes, with goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, midfielder Keith Fahey and Zigic recalled. Leeds twice threatened to take the lead in only the second minute when Becchio’s goalbound header and then McCormack’s shot were both blocked on the goalline.Becchio then wasted another golden chance to give Leeds a flying start, sidefooting wide with just keeper Boaz Myhill to beat after being played through by McCormack. But McCormack gave the Elland Road crowd a huge lift in the 19th minute when skipping too easily past Blues defender Curtis Davies and arrowing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. Leeds’ hard work was undone by a soft equaliser in the 31st minute. Wade Elliott was afforded too much space to cross from the left and Zigic slipped his marker to steer home an easy header. Becchio was denied a spectacular goal from 30 yards only by Myhill’s acrobatics in the 57th minute. But just as Leeds began to force the issue Zigic blasted Birmingham into a 61st-minute lead. Chris Burke raced on to a crossfield pass and turned left-back White inside out before cutting the ball back for Zigic to fire high into the net. Three minutes later the Serb headed home his hat-trick. Morgaro Gomis crossed from the left after another swift passing move and Zigic was free to regally head home the visitors’ third goal. Elliott forced Andy Lonergan into a fine save with a header as the Blues smelt blood and from the resulting corner Zigic rose highest to power home his fourth and all but seal another win for Hughton’s rampant side. Zigic fell awkwardly and left the field to tumultuous applause from the travelling Blues fans. The phone in afterwards all to a man were having a go at Bates and Eddie Gray defended saying that money was spent on Connolly, Bromby, Bruce, and others who can’t get in the team. The following sums it up for me. Peterboro United, a side that are lucky to get 8,000 paying punters in at London Road offered £1.9M to Crawley Town for two players. The bid was rejected but the ambition was evident. Here’s what Larry had to say : “We started the game ever so well. We talked all week about getting a positive start. Luciano should have had a hat-trick (interjection by Eddie Gray).  We worked them and pressed them and Zigic got four opportunites and he scored them all. We didn’t deal with the threat.  We have all young boys. They were playing against men tonight. You could see the difference in the mentality and physique.(Re experienced ball winning centre half query by Eddie Gray) We’ve tried to do those deals. We are fully aware we have a young team but we are trying to fill an expectancy level of this football club. Our players will learn from this. We got to work hard in the playing pitch. We are trying to bring players and the emergency loan opens next week and maybe one or two like Bruce, Bromby and O’Brie can come back in. Eddie Gray asks :Is the budget strong enough ? It’s going to be lower than a lot of other clubs. We have got to make the best of it. Re Window were you disappointed – Eddie Gray again ? We’ve tried to bring in players and earmarked players but obviously we would have looked and tried to have gotten experienced players in. Bruce, Bromby and  OB can come back but we’ve been unfortunate. This team has taken 7 points from the last 9 but there was a big gulf in experience and quality. We’ve got a game against Bristol City and that’s a game that we can win. For 60 minutes we played as good as we have all season. Stats show we have had twice as many crosses but we conceded 4 and they were strong in their box. The young lads have given their all, but they are 18, 19 and 20 year olds but we do need experience. We have worked hard but the difference in the box was determined by a guy who is on £50 grand  a week. All the goals were due to  inexperience. Tom should have been closer, Aidy could have stopped a cross, but these lads have given their all. We have to pick ourselves up and we’ll keep working on the training ground. Look at the West Ham result tonight. They’ve gotten beat 5-1at Ipswich and they have bought half of the country today”. –Louth men send me in your comments and as always I’ll post them all. But remember I don't pick the team.

Tues Jan 31st 2012. O'Brien back. Andy O’Brien is to resume training this week with Leeds United and will be available for selection the club has announced. The Whites brought disciplinary action against the player following his refusal to play against Burnley on November 19 last year. It was announced at that time that the player’s future would be determined after a full investigation. The investigation has led to a fuller understanding of the issues that the player has faced since the start of the season, which has seen him seek specialist medical treatment at the Sporting Chance Clinic for depression. It is felt he is now ready to recommence training and the club will facilitate any further treatment that is required. The club said: “We were exceptionally disappointed when Andy refused to play before the Burnley game and felt let down. It is now apparent that there were a number of issues that he was dealing with at that time which affected him in a way we could not imagine and he was not in a right state of mind to make such decisions. On this basis we believe he deserves a second chance and we will do everything we can to assist him.” The club would appeal to its fans to support the player on his road back to first team action. Nobody likes to see anyone suffer from depression, but Bates after crucifying the player in his programme notes last week will now claim him as a new signing. Meanwhile Blue Square Bet Premier side Barrow AFC have signed Leeds United goalkeeper Alex Cairns on a one-month youth loan. The 19-year-old has made one first-team substitute appearance for Leeds this season. He will provide competition for Bluebirds keeper Shaun Pearson, while Danny Hurst recovers from a head injury. Meanwhile, Joe Jackson's youth loan stay at Barrow has been extended until the end of the season.

Tuesday Jan 31st. No Wilson but Smith arrives (not Alan). The deal to bring Mark Wilson to Leeds has fallen through and the player appears to be bound for Bristol City. Leeds United have completed the signing of Tottenham Hotspur defender Adam Smith ahead of the transfer deadline. The 20-year-old right-back has joined Leeds on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal. Smith spent the first half of this term on loan at MK Dons but he was recalled from the League One club yesterday with another opportunity in the pipeline. Leeds are once again being linked with Coventry City midfielder Sammy Clingan, with cash-strapped Coventry ready to listen to offers for their captain, and the Elland Road club are looking to extend Fabian Delph’s loan from Aston Villa until the end of the Championship campaign. Larry : "Adam is an Englan U21 international with a bright future and he is a great addition for us". For one so young he has a fair few games behind him : 3 games for Wycombe Wands, 16 for Torquay United, and 17 for MK Dons. Hopefully it's bye bye Connolly.

Monday Jan 20th 2012. Wilson to arrive from Celts. Celtic’s Mark Wilson is poised to sign a loan deal with Leeds United until the end of the season - according to reports in Scotland. The 27-year-old right-back was signed from Dundee United five years ago by Gordon Strachan for £500,000, but has been plagued by injury throughout his Hoops career. He played for the Hoops in a behind-closed doors friendly with Leeds last week. Whilst I'm unhappy regarding United's continued practice of cheap loan signings, I'm surprised that Celtic let Wilson go. He's a decent bright full, a lot better than Connolly (which doesn't say much) and recently scored the only goal in Celtic's 1-0 win v Rangers. 

Monday January 20th 2012. Larry on Smudger. Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has said he will be monitoring the progress of Alan Smith during his loan spell with MK Dons. The former United captain linked up with the League One side this weekend on loan from Newcastle United amid the ever-present speculation that he could be set to return to the Whites. Grayson told the club website: Alan Smith's lack of match activity was the reason Leeds United failed to make a move for the striker ahead of his loan switch to Milton Keynes Dons, according to manager Simon Grayson. The 31-year-old was wanted by the Elland Road club last summer but agreement could not be reached with Newcastle United over a move that would have involved the Premier League club paying a significant percentage of his £60,000-per-week wage. Since then, Smith has managed just five minutes of first-team action in two appearances from the bench for Alan Pardew’s side and was earlier this month made available for transfer. MK Dons subsequently made a move for Smith over the weekend and the former England international is in line to make his debut in tonight’s League One game with Sheffield Wednesday. Leeds manager Grayson said: “There was a lot of speculation about Alan over the summer. He was a player that we thought about many times but, purely from a football point of view, we had to ask if it was worth doing. “Alan has not played many games so it would be difficult to bring him back. Put that against the financial aspect and it would have been a big gamble.” MK Dons’ capture of Smith is seen as something of a coup, not least because the League One outfit will only contribute £2,500 of Smith’s weekly wages during his loan stay at stadium:mk until the end of the season. Asked if such a deal would not have made Smith a gamble worth taking, Grayson replied: “Believe me, we would not have got Alan Smith for £2,500 per week. I think you could add an extra nought on the end.  “I saw the MK Dons manager (Karl Robinson) on Saturday and he was buzzing to have someone of Alan’s calibre. But, in terms of ourselves, it didn’t get far enough to think about that. “Our first target in midfield was getting Fabian (Delph) back. We didn’t discuss (Smith) to that length. We discussed it more in the summer.” Smith will be out of contract in the summer and Grayson has not ruled out a future move for a striker who made 172 appearances for his hometown club before leaving to join Manchester United in 2004. Grayson, whose own side take on Birmingham City tonight, said: “The best thing he can do is go out and get games. He wasn’t someone we went back in for but it is also something we will keep an eye on over the next few weeks and months.”Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Megson says Smith is a player he has always admired but never been able to afford. “He’s had a fantastic career and I remember being asked, when I was manager at West Bromwich Albion, if there was one player in the country I could sign who would it be? I said him (Alan Smith) because I thought he was a fantastic player and I really like his drive and desire. “He was at Leeds and a great player. But I could never afford him,” Megson added. “Now he’s gone to MK Dons and he will be joining a good squad of players.”Wednesday striker Gary Madine revealed that Smith had been one of his favourite players when growing up as a teenager in the North East. He owns one of the striker’s Newcastle United shirts which he had asked for after a Championship game with Coventry City three years ago. “I am a big fan of his but he’s playing in League One against us now so he’s no different to the rest of us,” said Madine, who spent three months on loan at Coventry from Carlisle United in the 2009-2010 season. “I asked for his shirt when I played against him at Coventry and I have still got it,” he added. “He’s a good player and his work rate is second to none. He runs around, puts himself about, and has a good first touch.” Madine is set for a recall tonight as the Owls look to move nine points clear of MK Dons, who are currently fifth in League One. A victory would also lift the Owls back into second spot in the table above Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United.

Monday Jan 30th. Gary Speed inquest. Former Leeds United star Gary Speed sent a text to his wife days before he died in which he “talked in terms of taking his life”, an inquest heard today. But the coroner ruled there was no evidence to suggest he intended to take his own life. In a narrative verdict, Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg gave the cause of death as hanging but said “the evidence does not sufficiently determine whether this was intentional or accidental”. Mr Rheinberg said Speed may have “nodded off” while sitting with a rope around his neck on the stairs in his garage. The inquest at Warrington Coroner’s Court heard that Speed texted his wife days before his death and “talked in terms of taking his life”. The couple also “had words” on the night before he was found dead after they had been to a dinner party at a friend’s house. Speed, who played for Sheffield United, Everton, Newcastle, Leeds and Bolton, was found hanged at his Cheshire home on November 27 last year by his wife Louise. Mrs Speed told the inquest her husband had talked in terms of taking his life in the text exchange days earlier but that he “dismissed it”, saying that he was “excited” about the future with his wife and two sons. Mrs Speed said the text referred to their “ups and downs” but went on about “how important the boys were” and about “moving forward”. “We walked in the house and we had an exchange of words about something and nothing,” Mrs Speed said. She said she suggested she go for drive but her husband blocked the door and told her she “wasn’t going anywhere”. “I went upstairs and lay on the bed for probably about five or ten minutes,” she said. “Then I decided to go for a drive, to clear my mind (and for) space to think.” Questioned further by Mr Rheinberg, she said she only drove to the “top of the road” before she stopped to ring her husband’s mobile phone. After getting no reply, she returned to the house and tried, unsuccessfully, to ring him again. “I decided to keep the car running and stay there until I could get into the house,” she explained. After getting some sleep in the vehicle she told the hearing she woke up at about 6am and went to the outside bathroom. She said she noticed some shed keys missing which were usually stored there and went to the shed to see if Gary was there, before moving to the garage. Blinking away tears she said: “I went to the window and there I saw him.” She nodded as Mr Rheinberg asked: “Could you see Gary on the stairs?” He continued: “Was it apparent that Gary was hanging?” “Yes,” Mrs Speed told him. She said she then woke the children to open up the house and called the emergency services. On their advice, she cut her husband to the ground as paramedics were sent to the scene. The sportsman was hanging from a bannister with a piece of television aerial, the court has heard. Mrs Speed confirmed there was no note or message left by her husband before his death. In a statement read out after the inquest, Mr Speed’s family said the day of his death was the “worst day of our lives” but his memory “shines brightly in our thoughts”. Earlier Mr Rheinberg told the hearing the couple had clearly been going through a “difficult time”. Mr Speed was appointed as manager of the Welsh team in December 2010 and Mr Rheinberg said: “It’s clear that with the appointment as manager came responsibilities.” He said Mrs Speed “talked in terms of some stresses, including some stresses within their relationship, partly brought about by forced absences, and clearly the couple were going through something of a difficult time. “But nothing that couldn’t be sorted out.” He said “nothing abnormal” had happened in the days leading up to Mr Speed’s death. He appeared on BBC1’s Football Focus programme and met up with his friend and former Newcastle United teammate Alan Shearer, who was in Salford recording Match of the Day, before going home to Huntington Hall, Chester. He and his wife then went to a dinner party where at one point Mr Speed was pushed into a swimming pool. Mr Rheinberg said he joined in “with gusto”. Asked if the Wales job was forcing him to spend more time away from his family, Mrs Speed said: “I think he was spending more hours there than he thought he would do initially.” Mr Rheinberg then asked if it was difficult for both of them “spending long periods apart?” Mrs Speed responded: “Yes.” Mr Rheinberg asked if this had “put some degree of stress” on their relationship. She responded: “I would say so, yes.”Mrs Speed said they had been “working through” their “ups and downs”. The inquest heard that investigators believed Mr Speed had been sitting on the stairs in his garage with the ligature around his neck. Mr Rheinberg said: “It seems likely that Mr Speed was sitting for some time with a ligature around his neck. “It may have been that this was some sort of dramatic gesture, not normally in Mr Speed’s character, but nonetheless, a possibility.” Mr Rheinberg said it was a “possibility” he was sat there for some time and he “nodded off to sleep” with the cable around his neck. Carol Speed spoke movingly in her statement about her son’s successful footballing career. She said he “loved his sons completely” but described him as a “man of few words”. Speaking about the back injury which led to his move from playing to coaching, she said: “The feeling I got was that he felt it was the right thing to do.”And on his appointment as Wales manager, Mrs Speed said: “Gary said there was no greater honour than to manage his country in the game he loved.” Mrs Speed and her husband Roger had urged their son to use a driver for the long drive from their Chester home to Cardiff, where the Welsh FA is based. But he told her the drive was “his thinking time”, she told the court. “He had a job and he was striving to make changes. “Although Gary enjoyed his job he did not enjoy the high profile nature of it. “Gary always said he was not a celebrity.”She said her son’s death left herself and her husband in “complete shock”. “Looking back, Gary was always a glass-half-empty person, certainly no optimist,” her statement added. Detective Inspector Peter Lawless, who led the investigation for Cheshire Police, told the coroner there were no suspicious circumstances. He said there was no evidence of forced entry into the garage or evidence of second party involvement. Speed was hanging from the banister of the garage staircase, the officer said. GARY Speed’s family today said his death was one of the darkest days of their lives but said they had sought solace in the support offered from family and friends. In a statement released after the inquest into his death, they also thanked the Football Association of Wales for supporting the family after the death, and have arranged a memorial match against Costa Rica in his honour.Here is the family statement in full: “Gary’s death and the manner of it, made Sunday 27th November 2011 the worst day of our lives. Throughout the nine weeks since, there have been some very dark moments, which we have all had to find our own different ways to endure. “Now, we have to adapt to the future without a husband, a father, a brother and a son; but Gary’s memory shines brightly in our thoughts and we will forever remember the wonderful times we shared with him and the deep love and affection he offered so freely within our close knit family. “Thankfully, out of tragedy some good often emerges, and we feel blessed to have such true friends who are helping each of us come to terms with the circumstances of our bereavement. “Gary’s funeral was an occasion of great sadness and grief for everyone concerned but it was also a day where we were able to say farewell to him in our own personal and private way. “At this time we wish to reiterate our deep appreciation for the very generous and clearly sincere accolades paid to Gary and his memory by the public and all forms of the media. We remain especially grateful for the sympathetic way that the media has respected the family’s privacy. “The help and encouragement we have received from so many special individuals and organisations leading up to today’s inquest has been truly breathtaking and we must recognise publicly some of those concerned. “The thoughtful way we have been treated by the Cheshire constabulary, which has been represented here today by Detective Inspector Peter Lawless. The considerate way today’s hearing has been conducted by HM Coroner Mr Nicholas Rheinberg. “The practical help given in abundance by Melissa Chappell, whose support and friendship has been so much more to us than simply Gary’s professional agent. “The invaluable life-line provided by the League Managers Association which has been there for us throughout. “We are immensely thankful to all of you and greatly appreciate what you have done for us. “Finally, our thanks go to the FA of Wales which has arranged the Gary Speed Memorial Match against Costa Rica at the Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday 29th February. This will give everyone whose lives were touched and enriched by Gary’s achievements the opportunity to attend, celebrate his life and pay their final respects. We look forward to seeing you there.”

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.

For what you think of Leeds, click here to send in your rants and I'll include them in the "Rants" page.