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Archive - December 07

Dec 26th. 2008.Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Howson (Prutton 40), Hughes, Thompson, Westlake (Flo 68), Carole (Weston 77), Kandol, Beckford.
Subs Not Used: Huntington, Kishishev. Booked: Hughes, Heath, Westlake. Goals: Beckford 12, Thompson 46. Att: 19,010 .
Ten-man Swansea held on to defeat Leeds in a breathless top-of-the-table clash. Andy Robinson's curling free kick gave the Swans the lead, Jermaine Beckford equalising superbly a minute later after Dennis Lawrence's indecision. Garry Monk's strong near-post header from a corner restored the advantage, but Ferrie Bodde was red-carded for a rash tackle on Jonathan Howson. Jason Scotland made it 3-1 at half-time after a bollocking run, Alan Thompson's free kick after the break not enough. A few minutes later Thompson rattled the woodwork with another deadly freekick. Leeds failed to break down Swansea again for the remainder of the game and frustratingly resorted to long balls when playing through the Swans may have created more results. It was a disappointing performance when a draw was the minimum we needed. We finish 2007 in third position. one point behind Forest (who were hammered at Gillingham) but six points behind Swansea who have two matches in hand over us. Disappointingly, it's no wins away from home in the league since defeating Bournmouth on November 6th. The January window comes in on Tuesday and fresh faces are definitely needed especially with the news that Jon Douglas may be out for the rest of the season.
Wise view
"Swansea played very well but overall our defending was what let us down. We gave away silly free-kicks at the wrong times, got caught at a corner, and the one that really killed us was 30 seconds before the end of the first half. I don't know what my two centre-halves were doing. They made a mess of it and it put (Swansea) in a good position for the second half. If we'd gone in at 2-1, it was a different game. It would have been very difficult for them.
The players are disappointed, but we've had 23 games and we've got 52 points. I think they've done fantastic so far. We've got to produce exactly the same in the second half of the season and if they do that then I think we'll have a fantastic chance of getting promoted."
Wise view on Howson tackle
"He's gone straight over the top of the ball and you could see how upset everyone was. My players were disgusted.
He's knows exactly what he's done, and it's very clever of him. I'm pleased that the referee was on the ball. It was a broken-leg tackle and he deserved to go. Bodde's challenge in the 38th minute sparked a scuffle between the two sets of players on the halfway line, and despite the apparent severity of his injury, Howson was booed by the home crowd as he was stretchered from the pitch. Asked whether Bodde had apologised to Howson, Wise said: "No he hasn't. He should do but will he? I don't know. He hasn't even gone over and acknowledged the boy while he's on the floor. We think that Jonny's fine but he's in a bit of a mess, his shin's a bit swollen. We're going to have to look at it."

Next Up Swansea- League leaders. "The Swans preview".  Leeds have the potential to go top of the league for the first time this season if they beat league leaders Swansea City at the weekend.
Swansea are in stunning form and are chomping at the bit to prove themselves against a side which has defied all odds by raising near the top despite the -15 points deduction. Were it not for the points penalty Leeds would currently sit 12 points ahead of the Swans, an amazing feat which many would not have predicted at the start of the season. Few can deny the incredible calibre they have exhibited in the first half of the 2007-08 season and they should prove worthy opponents for Martinez's stylish Swans. Incredibly, Leeds experienced the dizzy accolade as league leaders on Boxing day albeit for just a few hours as they completed their game ahead of the other League One teams.
Leeds' manager Dennis Wise said: "It was very nice. I don't think anyone would have predicted that, but I'd rather be at the top on May 4.
There's a long way to go. It's a nice achievement so far, but it counts for nothing. It was nice to put our toe on there, but it's what happens over the next few months that really matters."
Swansea manager Roberto Martinez said: "They are a very strong squad and just to be playing them in a competitive game shows how far we have come. It's a glamorous occasion, one our fans deserve, and the result will depend on who performs best on the day. Whenever the top three clubs in this division - Leeds, Nottingham Forest and ourselves - meet, their form won't matter. What counts is who adapts best, and we have to get ready to make things difficult for them."

Leeds will take to the skies and fly south for the top-of-the-table clash against promotion rivals Swansea on Saturday 29th at the Liberty Stadium. United have arranged to fly to Bristol Airport and will then drive to south Wales in a bid to reduce the fatigue of the exhausting 270 mile journey. The entire trip by coach would normally take up to 5 hours, but by air it's less than an hour, with a further 1 hour and 30 mins coach ride from Bristol to Swansea. The Leeds players were given the day off today but begin preparing for the Swansea match on Friday, with particular attention given to defending set-pieces.
It seems Dennis Wise is pulling out all the stops in an effort to clinch those valuable three points in what is shaping up to be a tight league this season. Leeds' manager Dennis Wise said: "We will probably play better against Swansea than we have in our last couple of games. This is a top-of-the-table match, which will suit us. There will be a big crowd, it's a huge game for both clubs and hopefully we will come away with the right result."

Thurs Dec 26th. St Stephen's Day. Hartlepool 1-1 Leeds United. Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes, Prutton (Carole 57), Howson, Westlake (Flo 77), Beckford, Kandol, Kishishev (Thompson 57). Subs Not Used: Huntington, Constantine. Booked: Thompson, Howson. Goals: Beckford 90 . Att: 7,784. Leeds staged another late late show as Jermaine Beckford's 14th goal of the season earned a point at Hartlepool. Hartlepool had merited the lead they held from the 21st minute when Michael Nelson headed in Robbie Elliott's free-kick at the far post. The side which dominated leeds for long periods at Elland Road back in September must be wondering how they didn't achieve all three points. Leeds had nothing to show for the first half except a frustrating Kandol effort when he may have scored. Hartlepool were on top until Beckford struck a low angled shot inside the far post in the dying seconds. Leeds then went for broke and could have wrapped up the three points when Hartlepool were put to the sword in the remaining minutes. "It's not the first time it's happened. Scoring so late is a Leeds habit this season, it must be a great belief they have,'' said Pools boss Danny Wilson. They have done it on plenty of occasions. They have that consistency which the best teams have - they keep going. They believe they aren't going to lose when they go out for every game. It's the same as we were last season. We have again played well against one of the division's best teams. We keep saying it, but there's only a handful of games this season in which we haven't deserved anything. Overall we have defended well when we had to, limited them to few chances and it was a pleasing performance. We raised our game well and now we have to find that consistency and hopefully this performance will give us confidence to press on.'' Leeds boss Dennis Wise said: "In the first-half and we did not play at all. We conceded a sloppy goal which annoyed me. But we try to go for it, we always do. If we are drawing or losing we have nothing to lose and go for it. We scored one, yet it was probably the hardest chance Jermaine has had.''

Sunday December 21st. Eddie Gray's verdict on Leeds winning title. Former Leeds United manager Eddie Gray believes Dennis Wise will deliberately limit his spending in the January transfer window – and save an all-out attack on the market for next summer. Wise's mid-season recruitment will begin in earnest after the club's clash with Oldham Athletic on New Year's Day, but Gray expects the possible challenge of preparing for a return to the Championship to dictate the club's enthusiasm for sanctioning new signings next month.
But Gray feels United's manager should concern himself with fine tuning his squad next month, and claimed the pressure of succeeding in the transfer market will become more apparent if United guarantee their promotion from League One in May.
Gray said: "I've no doubt that Dennis will bring a couple of players in next month, but the major spending will wait until next summer. That's when the serious work starts in terms of improving his squad."I've said since the start of the season that Leeds will be promoted, and I think they'll win the league. But Dennis will have to make a lot of changes before next summer if his team are going to play in the Championship, and play well. You have to plan in advance and I'm sure he's thinking about that quietly already. He's been at the club long enough to know that the supporters and everyone else would expect Leeds United to be leading lights in the Championship as soon as they go up. It's a tough position for a manager to be in, but that sort of expectation comes with a club of this size. Leeds can't go into the Championship and start messing about at the bottom of the table. There's no way that Dennis would want to do that anyway, he's an ambitious guy. And, if Leeds do get promoted, he'll be looking to pick up some top professionals next summer. How many of the current players could make the step up is obviously for him to decide. I'm sure he'll give them a chance, but from what I've seen of him so far there's no doubt that he'll be ruthless. The decisions he makes seem to be taken in the interests of taking the club forward, whatever that means for some of the players. You won't see him doing anyone any favours or keeping on players he doesn't need because he can't afford to do that.
Wise has pushed a policy of recruitment which has substantially reduced the average age of the squad he inherited at Elland Road last season, and his apparent commitment to younger professionals has appealed to Gray, who committed several years as a manager and a coach to protecting and advancing the club's academy.
Fox and Michalik are both beneath the age of 25, and Sorsa is a 23-year-old winger making his first step into English football. Barnet's Jason Puncheon – another of Wise's targets – turned 21 in June but would bring the experience of more than 100 appearances to Elland Road.
Gray said: "I like the fact that he's looking at younger players, but you have to get the right type of youngsters. It's okay talking about their age, but the question is whether or not they can play.
"That doesn't just come down to talent or ability – it's more a case of can they perform consistently. Do they have the temperament to play at first-team level – especially at a club like Leeds - and can they cope with playing at Elland Road? You need the whole package. Dennis has a few good youngsters from the academy to work with, but the likes of Jonathan Howson still needs to prove that he can perform on a regular basis, and especially at Elland Road. He could be a big player in the future and he's still young but the game against Bristol Rovers passed him by a little bit. It's very difficult to ease yourself into a team like Leeds – you need lads who are capable of doing it here and now. I think Dennis is right to be using Howson, and he'll be gaining confidence from this little run of games. But, at the same time, along with the kids you need match-winners and players who regularly make the difference and get you points. "That's what Dennis will look for next month, and in the future."
Gray was one of the few people who, in the wake of United's 15-point deduction, predicted that the club would be promoted regardless this season.
His confidence was based on two assumptions – that Wise's squad would be more talented and consistent than the rest of the division, and that opposition teams would find Elland Road an impossible stadium to prise points from.His opinion of United's squad has been subjective, but their results at home have confirmed his suggestion that visiting players might struggle to cope with the biggest and best-attended venue outside of the Premier League.
Saturday's victory over Bristol Rovers was their 10th home win of the season, and the 16th successive league game at Elland Road without defeat, a record which began last season. Goalkeeper Casper Ankergren, meanwhile, has never lost a league fixture on United's ground; he will celebrate a year with United next month.
Gray said: "I wouldn't say that Leeds have played particularly well this season, but there's no team like them at grinding out results and producing late goals.
At times you can say they've been a little lucky but, in reality, when you score late goals regularly you start to expect them. Every time Leeds are drawing or losing, the players must feel that a goal is on the way because it always seems to come. Psychologically, that's massive.I also think that visiting teams do feel the pressure of Elland Road. It's not that they come here and sit back, and a number of clubs have actually come to Elland Road and outplayed Leeds this season.But whenever they start to sense that they're heading for a result, you can notice a change in their attitude. I saw it with Bristol Rovers on Saturday – they were very comfortable until the last 15 minutes when they began to sit deep and soak up pressure unnecessarily. They seemed to realise how close they were to getting a very good point, and that invited Leeds to score late on. That's the second time in the last two games that Leeds have got more than they probably deserved, and I came out of Elland Road thinking 'sometimes your name's on the title'. It will take a very consistent side to stop Leeds from winning the league."

Sun Dec 21st. Players Leeds are chasing. Leeds have already lined up a January deal for Finnish winger Sebastian Sorsa, who earned himself a move to Elland Road during a successful trial at Thorp Arch earlier in the season, while the club made an unsuccessful approach for Walsall left-back Daniel Fox last week.
Walsall immediately turned down United's offer of around £300,000, but Leeds are expected to test the resolve of both the player and his club by submitting an improved bid. Fox, 21, is out of contract at the end of this season and is understood to be seriously interested in linking up with United. Wise is also pursuing Bolton defender Lubomir Michalik, and he is likely to find Gary Megson receptive to a realistic offer for the Slovakian.

Sat April 20th. 2007. Leeds United 1-0 Bristol Rovers.Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes, Prutton (Carole 65), Thompson, Westlake (Flo 65), Howson, Beckford (Kishishev 84), Kandol. Subs Not Used: Huntington, Constantine. Booked: Marques. Goals: Howson 84.Att: 27,863  It took another late, late show at Elland Road to give Leeds three priceless points against a spirited Bristol Rovers.The result brings Leeds into third position as Carlisle and Swansea had their match called off. Leeds sit just one point off the summit of the old third division, all be it with extra matches played. To the neutral a draw may have been a fair result as Leeds once again went long ball. Thompson and Howson were almost redundant in the centre as ball after ball was fired up to Kandol to try and win flick ons for Beckford. The twin central defenders dealt with this all too easily. Beckford missed a couple of glorious chances in the second half but Rovers too had their chances. Leeds threw on Flo, Carole and Kishishev, and scrambled a winner with just six minutes remaining on the clock. Carole claimed the goal, Howson claimed the goal but it looks like it may be an OG. Next up it's Hartlepool at mid-day on St Stephens day, followed by a Christmas cracker away to Swansea on December 29th. 

Thurs April 19th. 2007. Leeds manager Dennis Wise has confirmed Finnish winger Sebastian Sorsa is a January transfer window target for the Whites. Wise said: "He's a winger who caught our eye and did well. We've spoken with him and I'll be looking to bring him in. "He's got a lot of pace and good ability. What we've seen we liked and I'm hoping to sign him in January." Wise also confirmed he was hoping to bring Bolton defender Lubo Michalik back to Elland Road as cover for Rui Marques, who will be on duty with Angola in the African Nations Cup next month. Wise added: "I'm after a centre-back and I think everyone knows who. I've been chasing Lubo for a long time and it would be nice if we could make something happen there." Leeds United skipper Jonathan Douglas has been ruled out of action for a minimum of three months with damaged knee ligaments. Manager Dennis Wise said: "We're hoping to have him back before the end of the season. He will see the surgeon on Monday and it all depends what he says. "It's a real blow for us and for Dougie. He's a strong character and he's been leading well as captain. I've been really pleased with him."

Tues 18th of December. It looks very much like Jonathan Douglas will be out for a couple of months when he twisted his knee against Walsall in the final moments of the match. It's a good opportunity for Jonny Howson to fill the void but one would hope that Shaun Derry would be recalled from Crystal Palace. Knowing Wise, I doubt it but we'll see. 

Sat 15th of December. Walsall 1-1 Leeds United. Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes, Prutton (Howson 79), Douglas, Kishishev (Thompson 79), Westlake, Beckford, Constantine (Flo 69). Subs Not Used: Lucas, Huntington. Booked: Douglas, Hughes, Thompson. Goals: Thompson 90. Att: 10,102 (2,891 Leeds fans)

It was the late, late show again today for Leeds as we grabbed perhaps an undeserved draw in the Midlands. Walsall, unbeaten in ten came at Leeds with all guns blaring and with a physical approach. The well travelled Tommy Mooney lead the line and in fairness they were the better side in the first half as Leeds struggled to create any chances. This was probably a game we really needed the gangly Kandol as Constantine and Beckford were no match for the physicallity of the Walsall rear guard. Walsall had a goal disallowed in the first half but went ahead with fifteen minutes to go through a Mooney tap in that Ankergren should have done better with on the first attempt. Wise should have taken off Kishashev at half time but chose to leave the player on. The changes did come in the last twenty minutes. Flo replaced Constantine and offered more threat and help for Beckford. Howson and Thompson came on with eleven minutes to go for Prutton and Kishashev. Howson earned us a free in the last minute and Thompson fired home the winner with a deflected shot off Westlake. Leeds lost Douglas to what may be a serious injury in injury time but it was vial that below par Leeds got something today to keep our mini run going and not lose too much ground from the front two.What is also a concern is that Leeds have won just once in their last five away matches.

 It is worth noting that with the influential Douglas injured for possibly some time, now is a good opportunity for Wise to recall Shaun Derry from Crystal Palace where he has excelled in the past few weeks. It is no coincidence that since his arrival at Selhurst Park, Palace have been undefeated in all six games that he has featured. No excuse now for Wise regarding his alleged lack of fitness. He made a mistake not recalling Beckford last season. It would be foolish at best to let lightning strike twice especially during a busy Christmas period.

 Walsall defeated Notts Forest last week and will be difficult to beat on their home turf. Elswewere Carlisle and ten men Swansea City both won. Forest grabbed a late equalizer at home to Northampton, and both Southend and L Orient lost. We're still in fifth just three points off Carlisle United and four off top placed Swansea City. Lots of points to play for over Christmas. Next week Leeds take on Bristol Rovers (there'll be another six Louth Branch members present). First and second take on each other with Swansea travelling to Carlisle United. Forest are at home to Port Vale and L Orient take on Yeovil at home. Hopefully we will move up at least one place and maybe even two. 

 Sat Dec 7th. Leeds United 4-0 Huddersfield Town. Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes, Prutton, Kishishev (Howson 46), Douglas, Westlake, Beckford (Flo 83), Kandol (Carole 90). Subs Not Used: Huntington, Thompson. Booked: Kishishev, Kandol. Goals: Douglas 24, Beckford 49, 69, Flo 87. Att : 32,501. Leeds continue to break records and the crowd of 32,501 was their biggest of the season and the highest at this level since 1979 and could have been closer to 40,000 had Huddersfield been granted the allocation they requested. In truth Leeds were second best in the first half even though a long range effort from Clones man, Jon Douglas put Leeds ahead at the interval. It was much better in the second half with the introduction of Howson for Kishishev and Beckford scored four minutes after the break and again on 69 minutes. Three nil was harsh on Huddersfield and harsher still when Flo scored his customary goal when he came on with seven minutes to go for Beckford and netted with three minutes remaining. Kandol was foolish to pick up his fifth booking of the season and misses the match at Walsall. Leeds are up to third, just two points off Swansea City whose game was called off due to the inclement weather conditions. It really is an incredible voyage for Leeds this season and with seven goals in the last two games with none conceded, confidence is high riding into the Christmas period.

Saturday Dec 7th.Billy Bremner is dead ten years today. You gave us memories of a Giant and when you passed away part of our childhood died with you. RIP Billy. Louth Branch - Dundalk. Dec 6th.
Taken from The Scotsman - Saturday Dec 7th. Scotsmen are dour, Yorkshiremen are miserable. But this afternoon, at Elland Road, dour Scots and miserable Yorkshiremen will unite in celebration. Doubtless there will be a few tears, but there will mainly be celebration, as before, during and after the West Yorkshire derby, the fans of Leeds United and Huddersfield Town mark the tenth anniversary of the death of the legend that was Billy Bremner. The wee man was the epitome of the Scottish footballer: small, red-haired, fiery-tempered, combative, but possessed of the vision to see the killer pass and the ability to make it. He came out of the Raploch, that Stirling housing estate which is a bye-word for working-class toughness. The boy might have been taken out of the Raploch, but the things he learned growing up in Stirling stayed with him throughout his life, until a heart attack so cruelly claimed him on 7 December, 1997 - two days before his 55th birthday. I first saw Bremner playing for Stirlingshire Schools against East Ayrshire Schools, at Auchinleck Talbot's Beechwood Park in the mid-Fifties. They appreciate hard but skilful midfielders at Beechwood and some of those who witnessed the wee ginger-topped boy, the smallest player on the park, run that game, still rave about him. That schoolboy Bremner hardly changed over the next decade, by which time he was running the midfield for the full Scotland team. But, it could all have gone wrong for him. He was dreadfully homesick when he left school and joined Leeds United. He almost quit and returned to Stirling but, after marrying childhood sweetheart Veronica, he settled down. Bobby Collins, another wee Scot with a big heart and skill to match, arrived at the club to inspire him, while the careful handling of manager Don Revie, who made the decision to trust Bremner with the captaincy after Collins suffered a career-ending injury, gave Bremner's game new focus. In the decade from the mid-Sixties to the mid-Seventies, the Bremner-led, Revie managed Leeds set the benchmark for English clubs. They didn't win everything, in fact they quite often self-combusted, but, when United were at the top of their game, with Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter shutting the back door, Allan Clarke and Mick Jones scoring for fun, full-backs Paul Madeley and Terry Cooper rampaging forward, Eddie Gray tormenting defenders with his exquisite ball skills - they were unstoppable. At the heart of everything were Bremner and Johnny Giles, arguably the best pair of central midfielders ever to play together, pulling the strings, making the bullets, even refereeing the game. Few outside the West Riding liked Leeds, but everyone respected them. Football terminology was changing in the mid-Sixties. There were no more wing halves or inside forwards - only midfielders and Scotland was well-served at the time, Paddy Crerand, Jim Baxter, Dave Mackay, Frank McLintock, John Greig, John White, Jimmy Gabriel, Collins, Charlie Cooke and Willie Hamilton were all in contention for a place in the national side. Bremner's fiery reputation did him no favours with the powers-that-be either, but he couldn't be overlooked and, after three Under-23 matches, the third a barnstorming Man of the Match-winning performance against England at Pittodrie in February, 1964, he won the first of his 54 Scotland caps in a 0-0 Hampden draw against Spain in May, 1965. He sat out the next two internationals, but for a decade thereafter, unless he was injured or club commitments prevented him from playing, his was one of the first names down on the Scotland team sheet. Bremner and Jim Baxter formed a formidable midfield alliance at international level. Denis Law to this day regrets he couldn't make the gallus pair see the sense of scoring as many goals as possible in beating World Champions England at Wembley in 1967. "I wanted to hammer them by five or six goals, Baxter and Bremner wanted to humiliate them 1-0 and their argument won the day," says Law. As Scotland's "Golden Generation" of the sixties - Baxter, Mackay, Law, Greig and so on faded, Bremner carried the torch into the seventies. He was untouchable as captain, but responsibility didn't temper his wilder side. He and the equally small, equally red-haired but no less talented Jimmy Johnstone were at the centre of some harum-scarum escapades in the build-up to the 1974 World Cup finals - but this didn't stop Bremner from being one of the players of the tournament as he led the unbeaten Scots to glorious failure to qualify. In the process, after subduing Pele at Hampden, eight years previously, he reminded Brazil of what a special player he was, giving arguably his finest international performance in a 0-0 draw in Frankfurt. But, just over a year later, his international career was over, one game shy of equalling Law's then appearance record - banished into exile after some late-night shenanigans in what became known as "The Copenhagen Affair." After nearly 800 games, his Leeds career ended too. He moved on to play out his career with Hull City, before moving into management with Doncaster Rovers. At Belle Vue, he proved to be a master at developing young players and, with Leeds desperate to recapture the faded glory days, he was a popular choice to return as manager. Sadly, he couldn't bring back the good times at Elland Road and was sacked. He went back to Doncaster, then moved into media work as a popular after- dinner speaker and a trenchant and knowledgeable broadcasting match analyst. He appeared to have found contentment, then, sadly, he died far too young. However, such was his legend that, in 2000, he was voted Scotland's Greatest Captain in a Scotland Team of the Millennium - it was no less than he deserved. This afternoon his statue outside Elland Road will be bedecked by scarves and tributes and surely, in that great players' lounge in the sky, Baxter will raise a glass to his friend and say: "Here's tae you wee man!"

Tues Dec 2nd. Leeds v Port Vale. 20,301 Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes, Prutton, Douglas, Kishishev (Howson 73 mins), Westlake (Thompson 80 mins) , Beckford (Flo 66 mins), Kandol. Subs :  Carole, Huntington, . Leeds were poor in the first half but went ahead following a good run and cross by left full back Andrew Hughes and it was met by Prutton's head. Beckford scored after 55 minutes to ease Leeds worries a little. Flo replaced the injured Beckford on 66 minutes and scored the final goal on 83 minutes to put bottom placed Port Vale to the sword. It wasn't a great performance by any means as we struggle to pass our way though teams and our width is non existent. Elsewhere, Forest lost at Walsall, and L Orient lost at home to Millwall. Swanswas won again as did Carlisle so we remain in fifth but are just three points off second placed Carlisle United. 

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