Yorkshire Post 1/9/09
Boyhood fan Bromby can go 'home' to play big part for Leeds United
By Ian Appleyard
SHEFFIELD United have completed the sale of defender Leigh Bromby to Leeds United with manager Kevin Blackwell admitting that it would have been wrong to stand in his way.
Dewsbury-born Bromby, a boyhood Leeds supporter, was frustrated by his lack of opportunities with the Blades after returning for a second spell at Bramall Lane, initially on loan, eight months ago.
"Unless it was going to be to the detriment of this football club, I would not deny anyone an opportunity to speak to Leeds United," said Blackwell. "Leigh has found it hard to break into the side because of Matt Kilgallon and Chris Morgan and was getting frustrated."
Leeds manager Simon Grayson, who is paying around £300,000 to acquire the 29-year-old, said: "We're delighted to get things agreed with Leigh.
"He has good experience in the Championship and he will become a valuable member of our squad."
With centre-backs Patrick Kisnorbo and Rui Marques both away on international duty, Bromby is likely to make his debut against Stockport County at Elland Road.
Yorkshire Evening Post 31/8/09
Whites roll up their sleeves for victory
By Phil Hay
Colchester 1 Leeds United 2
One of Colchester's recognised traits is inhabitants who know how to look after themselves.
Joe Dunne, caretaker of the army town's football club, describes Colchester as a place "built on fighting spirit", insinuating that any Colchester United team should naturally follow suit.
In a match of seven yellow cards and an underlying mood of friction, his players were scarcely found wanting on that front, but he is not the first coach to discover that spirit alone is a meagre weapon with which to attack Simon Grayson's Leeds United.
On occasions last season, Leeds were justifiably viewed as a softer touch among the more ambitious clubs in League One, but that accusation is no longer levelled at Elland Road, at least by anyone with first-hand experience of the squad that Grayson has constructed.
Colchester did not go so far as to pick a fight on Saturday but they made plain their intention to examine what Dunne might have perceived to be a weakness in Leeds, an inability to outwit opposition who give as good as they get.
Unlike Tranmere Rovers, whose attempt at expansive football at Elland Road last weekend was suicidal, Colchester made a contest of United's visit to Essex. But if that was a moral victory of sorts, it was as much as Grayson afforded his counterpart at the end of another game which whispered the promise that Leeds will be let loose from League One in May.
Winning ugly is a difficult skill to explain but Saturday's victory came fairly close to defining that talent.
As a performance, United were lacking the cohesion exhibited against Tranmere and missing the flair responsible for their most conclusive victory of the season. The winning goal relied as much on shambolic defending as it did on the instinct of Jermaine Beckford, who settled the match in the 64th minute. And for all that, Grayson can be nothing short of delighted.
United's defeat of Colchester was scruffy, but League One as a whole is a scruffy division. If their opposition thus far – Colchester, Tranmere, Walsall, Wycombe Wanderers and Exeter City – have had one constant, it is a prevalence of elbow grease and a lack of gold-plating. Grayson has the rare distinction of being able to see both qualities within his squad.
More difficult fixtures await – though it is likely that Colchester will forego relatively few points at the Community Stadium – and United's game at home to Charlton Athletic on October 3 already looks significant in the context of the championship and automatic promotion.
But with five league victories and seven in total behind them at the end of August, Leeds have fully exploited what some observers might have described as a favourable month.
The club's form is on a par with the finest start ever produced by a United squad, far back in 1973 when the Don Revie era was drawing to a close and 15 points taken from five games is progress that Leeds should consider invaluable, if not priceless.
Statistically, the club have covered enough ground to lie a sixth of the way towards promotion, though their manager for now would rather not see it in those terms.
When Leeds are in full flow, the team controlled by Grayson does not differ drastically to that managed by his predecessor, Gary McAllister. Both have been capable of inspiring consummate performances on their day.
Where Grayson has succeeded is in teaching his players to smash their way through the belligerent obstacle presented by a club like Colchester, one who will not go quietly. Many managers have argued that it is entirely possible for a team to play their way out of League One; on the evidence of United's last two seasons, the value of unflattering victories is significantly higher.
Beckford's goal epitomised Saturday's game, coming while confusion and disorganisation took hold of Colchester's defence with slightly more than an hour played.
The striker saw his chance when a bouncing free-kick aimed into the box by Andrew Hughes dropped in front of him and his natural reaction was to prod the ball into the net. Beckford’s fifth goal of what is shaping into another season of reliability was a strike that Colchester could not reply to.
Dunne’s players had possessed the conviction to fight back from one concession, levelling Bradley Johnson’s opening goal with a Kevin Lisbie penalty, but the speed of Beckford’s riposte regained United’s initiative as swiftly as it was lost.
The only threat to Leeds in the last half-hour was the unpredictability that comes with the closing minutes of a game as tight and edgy as that at the Community Stadium and Grayson’s elated reaction at full-time was an admission that the result had been in the balance through four minutes of injury time.
Such tension was almost unimaginable in a first half which had a fractious edge and suffered because of it.
The performance of referee David Phillips and his linesman did little to soothe the atmosphere and three bookings in the space of a minute in the run-up to half-time – each one for confrontations involving Beckford, Johnson and former United defender Alan Maybury – was an admission of the mild discord between the teams.
It was also down to Phillips’ assistant, Michael McCoy, that United did not carry a 1-0 lead into the interval. McCoy correctly flagged for offside when Beckford rolled Jonathan Howson’s pass into the net in the seventh minute, but his judgment erred when the striker struck again eight minutes later, apparently legitimately.
Luciano Becchio’s gentle touch played Beckford in behind Colchester’s defence and McCoy’s decision to disallow the goal was dubious in real time and patently wrong when reviewed later. An early goal might have encouraged the more open contest which eventually developed in the second half.
Shane Higgs, United’s goalkeeper, produced the only save made in the first half, beating David Fox’s 20-yard shot to the left of his goal, but the second half was only 60 seconds old when Johnson scored.
Phillips had changed his shirt at the interval, wearing green as he left the pitch and re-appearing from the tunnel in blue, but his contentious performance remained unaltered.
The Sussex official sided with Snodgrass when the Scot tangled with Magnus Okuonghae on the far left-hand side of Colchester’s box and Snodgrass’ curling free-kick reached an unmarked Johnson six yards from goal. The midfielder applied the finishing touch, nodding home a header he could not have missed.
Higgs was powerless to protect United’s lead after Lisbie danced around Rui Marques and teased the Angolan defender into clipping his heels. Lisbie’s 56th-minute penalty, driven high to Higgs’ left, was beautifully placed.
Colchester sensed an upset, but they reckoned without Beckford and without the bloody-mindedness of Leeds, typified by Patrick Kisnorbo throwing himself in front of Anthony Wordsworth’s injury-time shot on the edge of United’s box.
At this rate, the club’s first defeat will come over dead bodies.
Boyhood fan Bromby can go 'home' to play big part for Leeds United
By Ian Appleyard
SHEFFIELD United have completed the sale of defender Leigh Bromby to Leeds United with manager Kevin Blackwell admitting that it would have been wrong to stand in his way.
Dewsbury-born Bromby, a boyhood Leeds supporter, was frustrated by his lack of opportunities with the Blades after returning for a second spell at Bramall Lane, initially on loan, eight months ago.
"Unless it was going to be to the detriment of this football club, I would not deny anyone an opportunity to speak to Leeds United," said Blackwell. "Leigh has found it hard to break into the side because of Matt Kilgallon and Chris Morgan and was getting frustrated."
Leeds manager Simon Grayson, who is paying around £300,000 to acquire the 29-year-old, said: "We're delighted to get things agreed with Leigh.
"He has good experience in the Championship and he will become a valuable member of our squad."
With centre-backs Patrick Kisnorbo and Rui Marques both away on international duty, Bromby is likely to make his debut against Stockport County at Elland Road.
Yorkshire Evening Post 31/8/09
Whites roll up their sleeves for victory
By Phil Hay
Colchester 1 Leeds United 2
One of Colchester's recognised traits is inhabitants who know how to look after themselves.
Joe Dunne, caretaker of the army town's football club, describes Colchester as a place "built on fighting spirit", insinuating that any Colchester United team should naturally follow suit.
In a match of seven yellow cards and an underlying mood of friction, his players were scarcely found wanting on that front, but he is not the first coach to discover that spirit alone is a meagre weapon with which to attack Simon Grayson's Leeds United.
On occasions last season, Leeds were justifiably viewed as a softer touch among the more ambitious clubs in League One, but that accusation is no longer levelled at Elland Road, at least by anyone with first-hand experience of the squad that Grayson has constructed.
Colchester did not go so far as to pick a fight on Saturday but they made plain their intention to examine what Dunne might have perceived to be a weakness in Leeds, an inability to outwit opposition who give as good as they get.
Unlike Tranmere Rovers, whose attempt at expansive football at Elland Road last weekend was suicidal, Colchester made a contest of United's visit to Essex. But if that was a moral victory of sorts, it was as much as Grayson afforded his counterpart at the end of another game which whispered the promise that Leeds will be let loose from League One in May.
Winning ugly is a difficult skill to explain but Saturday's victory came fairly close to defining that talent.
As a performance, United were lacking the cohesion exhibited against Tranmere and missing the flair responsible for their most conclusive victory of the season. The winning goal relied as much on shambolic defending as it did on the instinct of Jermaine Beckford, who settled the match in the 64th minute. And for all that, Grayson can be nothing short of delighted.
United's defeat of Colchester was scruffy, but League One as a whole is a scruffy division. If their opposition thus far – Colchester, Tranmere, Walsall, Wycombe Wanderers and Exeter City – have had one constant, it is a prevalence of elbow grease and a lack of gold-plating. Grayson has the rare distinction of being able to see both qualities within his squad.
More difficult fixtures await – though it is likely that Colchester will forego relatively few points at the Community Stadium – and United's game at home to Charlton Athletic on October 3 already looks significant in the context of the championship and automatic promotion.
But with five league victories and seven in total behind them at the end of August, Leeds have fully exploited what some observers might have described as a favourable month.
The club's form is on a par with the finest start ever produced by a United squad, far back in 1973 when the Don Revie era was drawing to a close and 15 points taken from five games is progress that Leeds should consider invaluable, if not priceless.
Statistically, the club have covered enough ground to lie a sixth of the way towards promotion, though their manager for now would rather not see it in those terms.
When Leeds are in full flow, the team controlled by Grayson does not differ drastically to that managed by his predecessor, Gary McAllister. Both have been capable of inspiring consummate performances on their day.
Where Grayson has succeeded is in teaching his players to smash their way through the belligerent obstacle presented by a club like Colchester, one who will not go quietly. Many managers have argued that it is entirely possible for a team to play their way out of League One; on the evidence of United's last two seasons, the value of unflattering victories is significantly higher.
Beckford's goal epitomised Saturday's game, coming while confusion and disorganisation took hold of Colchester's defence with slightly more than an hour played.
The striker saw his chance when a bouncing free-kick aimed into the box by Andrew Hughes dropped in front of him and his natural reaction was to prod the ball into the net. Beckford’s fifth goal of what is shaping into another season of reliability was a strike that Colchester could not reply to.
Dunne’s players had possessed the conviction to fight back from one concession, levelling Bradley Johnson’s opening goal with a Kevin Lisbie penalty, but the speed of Beckford’s riposte regained United’s initiative as swiftly as it was lost.
The only threat to Leeds in the last half-hour was the unpredictability that comes with the closing minutes of a game as tight and edgy as that at the Community Stadium and Grayson’s elated reaction at full-time was an admission that the result had been in the balance through four minutes of injury time.
Such tension was almost unimaginable in a first half which had a fractious edge and suffered because of it.
The performance of referee David Phillips and his linesman did little to soothe the atmosphere and three bookings in the space of a minute in the run-up to half-time – each one for confrontations involving Beckford, Johnson and former United defender Alan Maybury – was an admission of the mild discord between the teams.
It was also down to Phillips’ assistant, Michael McCoy, that United did not carry a 1-0 lead into the interval. McCoy correctly flagged for offside when Beckford rolled Jonathan Howson’s pass into the net in the seventh minute, but his judgment erred when the striker struck again eight minutes later, apparently legitimately.
Luciano Becchio’s gentle touch played Beckford in behind Colchester’s defence and McCoy’s decision to disallow the goal was dubious in real time and patently wrong when reviewed later. An early goal might have encouraged the more open contest which eventually developed in the second half.
Shane Higgs, United’s goalkeeper, produced the only save made in the first half, beating David Fox’s 20-yard shot to the left of his goal, but the second half was only 60 seconds old when Johnson scored.
Phillips had changed his shirt at the interval, wearing green as he left the pitch and re-appearing from the tunnel in blue, but his contentious performance remained unaltered.
The Sussex official sided with Snodgrass when the Scot tangled with Magnus Okuonghae on the far left-hand side of Colchester’s box and Snodgrass’ curling free-kick reached an unmarked Johnson six yards from goal. The midfielder applied the finishing touch, nodding home a header he could not have missed.
Higgs was powerless to protect United’s lead after Lisbie danced around Rui Marques and teased the Angolan defender into clipping his heels. Lisbie’s 56th-minute penalty, driven high to Higgs’ left, was beautifully placed.
Colchester sensed an upset, but they reckoned without Beckford and without the bloody-mindedness of Leeds, typified by Patrick Kisnorbo throwing himself in front of Anthony Wordsworth’s injury-time shot on the edge of United’s box.
At this rate, the club’s first defeat will come over dead bodies.
