Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Phil Hay There was fight at Elland Road: the most convincing display of it in the West Stand, where a steward tried to confiscate an inflatable doughnut but fell foul of a crowd ready to scrap for its survival. On the pitch? Not so much. And the twitching vibe which has infiltrated Leeds United’s dressing room was there to see as the last embers of automatic promotion cooled to nothing on the regular season’s final day. Those who stayed behind after full time tried to rev it up as the players walked around the pitch, a constructive rocket up the a***, as if to remind them the race wasn’t run. Because Leeds had not given the impression that they were nicely primed to go again. Smile, it’s the play-offs; the time of year when Leeds find reality imitating nightmares. With the numbers in attendance dwindling as the clock ticked towards the end of a 2-1 home defeat against Southampton yesterday, what other thought except that thousands were going home to dig out their brown trous

Leeds United and Daniel Farke's first promotion bullet is gone. It missed. The play-offs put another in the chamber, locked and loaded. The question is whether or not they still have it in them to pull the trigger. By Graham Smyth For months the last game of the season at home to Southampton had the potential to be massive, season-defining even. By the time it arrived it held no more than a smidgen of potential for the miraculous. Even for the most optimistic of Whites, the potential of underwhelm was overwhelming. Prayers were being said in Tokyo, while at Elland Road itself the atmosphere was weird. When only a miracle would do and when the worst case scenario was still a chance at glory, it was understandable that no one quite knew what to think or feel. Whites all over the world trained one eye on events in Leeds and the other on Portman Road, just in case. In the end neither eye got so much of a glimpse of what it wanted, Southampton's relatively comfortable 2-1 win an

BY SAM TABUTEAU Giuseppe Bellusci's controversial stint at Leeds became symbolic of owner Massimo Cellino's tenure. Giuseppe Bellusci's time at Leeds United was marked by controversy and disciplinary issues, overshadowing any positive contributions he made on the pitch.  Despite being a regular feature in Leeds' squad, Bellusci's chaotic performances, disciplinary problems, and controversial incidents alienated fans and led to his contract being terminated.  Bellusci's tumultuous tenure at Leeds, characterised by suspensions and clashes with fans, reflected the chaotic atmosphere during Massimo Cellino's ownership. Giuseppe Bellusci arrived at Leeds United ahead of 2014/15 with a controversial reputation. During his time with Serie A side Catania, the centre-half consistently served suspensions for red and yellow card offences and this continued during his time in West Yorkshire. After missing his first two games as a Leeds player due to being

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke conceded some of his young players have lost confidence of late after the 2-1 defeat to Southampton. By Tom Coates Farke’s men went into the final day of the regular season with a slim chance of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, Ipswich Town’s victory over Huddersfield Town ensured Leeds will have to battle it out in the play-offs. Some of Leeds’ most influential figures have struggled in recent weeks, a contributing factor in the club’s stumble over the finish line. Speaking after the defeat against the Saints, Farke said: “We have a really young side and some of my young players have lost a bit of their momentum, their confidence. "You could sense this today in the game. It's important right now to have time to prepare, to give them good moments on the training pitch to find their confidence back, their rhythm back, their momentum back. Obviously, there will be tough games upcoming. "We need to be a

Leeds United were condemned to the Championship play-offs as they fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Southampton. By Tom Coates Adam Armstrong and Will Smallbone struck either side of a Joel Piroe goal, although not even a win would have sent Leeds up automatically. Ipswich Town cruised to a victory over Huddersfield Town, taking the second automatic promotion slot for themselves. As the Tractor Boys enjoyed their day in the sun, Leeds underwhelmed in the grey and must now do battle in the end-of-season festival of drama. After being welcomed to the pitch by a vociferous Elland Road crowd, Leeds immediately took the initiative as they hunted an early opener. Wilfried Gnonto made an early dart into the box, only to slip and handle the ball to bring the move to an abrupt end. Southampton proved quick to bite into challenges in and around the box, leading to some early set-piece opportunities for the hosts. Crysencio Summerville found Joe Rodon six minutes in but the defender headed o

Leeds went into the final day needing both a victory against Southampton and a Huddersfield win at Ipswich. By Lee Sobot Leeds United's quest for an immediate return to the Premier League rests on the play-offs which Daniel Farke's Whites will approach following back-to-back defeats after Saturday's 2-1 loss against Southampton at Elland Road. Leeds went into the regular season's final day sat in third place and needing both a victory against Southampton plus a Huddersfield Town win at second-placed Ipswich Town to finish in the division's second automatic promotion place. Yet instead the Whites got the total opposite, Southampton leaving Elland Road with a 2-1 victory and Ipswich sealing automatic promotion in style with a 2-0 win against the Terriers. Ipswich have ultimately finished six points clear of Leeds who will now face Farke’s former side Norwich City in the semi-finals of the play-offs, the winners facing either Southampton or West Brom in the W