Norwich 0 Leeds 1: Leeds on upward curve
Sunday Times
Paul Rowan at Carrow Road
FIVE games into the Championship and Leeds are well into their stride, with three wins and only one black mark against them. Their projection of returning to the Premiership within three years is now looking far less fanciful than it did at the beginning of the season.
Leeds lie fourth this morning whereas
relegated Norwich, without a win in the Championship this season, find themselves fourth from bottom.
NI_MPU('middle');
There is nothing particularly pretty about the way Leeds play, but in Rob Hulse they appear to have a centre-forward worth chanelling their energies and resources into. Hulse scored the winner yesterday and generally outmuscled the Norwich defence.
He was also booked for landing an elbow in the face of young Norwich defender Jason Shackell.
“He broke his nose with the first elbow,” Norwich manager Nigel Worthington said afterwards with a smile. “Then he straightened it with the second.”
Norwich’s Dean Ashton, who started the afternoon with a new contract in his back pocket and a rapturous reception from the capacity home crowd, also had his nose put out of joint as he was overshadowed by Hulse, his old Crewe teammate.
Despite the evidence in front of him, Worthington struck an upbeat tone. “I thought the performance today was very good and included some of our best passing of the season. We created more chances in this game but what let us down as a team is that we are snatching at them.”
Norwich were outmuscled and outfought in virtually every area yesterday and their reliance on Darren Huckerby as the only source of their creativity always looked destined to end in frustration.
Leeds should have broken the deadlock after 33 minutes through Hulse. He outjumped the Norwich defence to meet an inswinging corner from winger Eddie Lewis, but his powerful header hit the bar.
Ashton’s finishing was strictly lower-league standard when he had the chance to break the deadlock shortly before half-time.
Jim Brennan, playing in Huckerby’s normal role on the left, delivered a delightful crossfield ball to leave Ashton in the clear, but the forward allowed Ian Bennett to block.
It was Leeds who remained the more potent attacking force leading up to the interval.
Huckerby’s trickery started coming into its own in the second half, much to the bemusement of Dan Harding, but the winger’s finishing problems were again much in evidence.
On 46 minutes, Huckerby shot over after doing all the hard work and it seemed to dawn on him that others might have a better chance of breaking the deadlock.
Huckerby then put Brennan through, but the midfielder screwed wide of Bennett’s left-hand post from 15 yards.
In between Huckerby’s contributions, Hulse just failed to get on the end of a headed pass from Gylfi Einarsson, but the former West Brom player’s muscularity would soon have its rewards.
Frazer Richardson collected the ball on the right edge of Norwich’s penalty area and sent a delightful cross to the far post where captain Paul Butler met it with a firm header and Hulse showed a true poacher’s instinct to bundle the ball in.
Hulse was surprisingly substituted after 79 minutes by Jonathan Douglas, but the damage was already done. Although Norwich substitute, Gary Doherty, had a header saved by Bennett, the hosts were unable to threaten further.
STAR MAN: Rob Hulse (Leeds)
Player ratings. Norwich: Green 6, Colin 6 (Doherty 79min, 6), Fleming 6, Shackell 6, Brennan 7, Marney 7, Safri 5, Charlton 5 (McVeigh 87min, 6), Huckerby 7, McKenzie 6, Ashton 5
Leeds: Bennett 7, Kelly 6, Butler 7, Gregan 7, Harding 6, Richardson 7, Einarsson 7, Derry 7, Lewis 7, Healy 6 (Cresswell 74min, 6), Hulse 8 (Douglas 79min, 6)
Scorer: Leeds: Hulse 67
Hulse to the fore as Leeds turn corner
By Bill Edgar
Norwich City 0 Leeds United 1
The Times
THE CHANT OF “WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SEE a crowd” directed by Norwich City supporters at the visiting fans was entirely appropriate. Attendances at Elland Road five years ago during Leeds United’s Champions League heyday averaged nearly 40,000 but this season they have dipped almost to 20,000. The Yorkshire club’s fans enjoyed living the dream but almost half of them have no intention of living the nightmare.
There are signs, though, that there might be some more tempting fare around the corner for the missing fans. Leeds’s fall towards oblivion seems to have been halted and they have some significant assets. Last week’s signing of Richard Cresswell from Preston North End for £1.15 million has increased the squad’s quota of senior strikers to six.
After regrouping in the Coca-Cola Championship last season, they have risen into the play-off places after successive victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich, two of the promotion favourites. If Leeds can sneak back to mid-table in the top flight, where they sat before spending wildly in the late 1990s, their fans might consider the roller-coaster era to have been worthwhile after all and preferable, perhaps, than to have supported an Aston Villa side that have finished about eighth in the Premiership almost every year in that period with no high points to speak of.
Not that the “To Elland Back” headlines can be dusted off just yet. Leeds were fortunate not to lose to a Norwich side that came to life in the final half hour but the visiting team had shown enough to suggest that they may hang on to a play-off place. Rob Hulse will hold off the challenge of the four strikers in reserve if he repeats regularly the performance he produced at Carrow Road, when he hooked in the only goal from close range having earlier thundered a header against the crossbar.
Hulse, another million-pound plus signing, outshone Dean Ashton, his former Crewe Alexandra strike partner and an opponent on Saturday, his powerful physique allowing him to retain possession well. “Not only has he got power but he has nimble feet,” Kevin Blackwell, the manager, said.
The club’s recent experience prevents Blackwell from getting carried away. “The results we have picked up so far have given us a platform,” he said, “but we don’t take anything for granted at this club. Before Ken Bates (the chairman) took over we were on the brink of liquidation so everyone here knows what football can be like.”
Nigel Worthington is certainly not saying his Norwich side will go up. Last season they won their first Premiership game at the fourteenth attempt; another agonising count in this division wasn’t expected, but they have yet to win in five games, four of them at home. The manager rightly praised his team’s passing and Darren Huckerby, a former Leeds player, tore apart the opposing defence in the second half. Jim Brennan, the midfield player, who missed a good chance, is optimistic. “We’ve got a good squad and we’re playing well,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before things go right for us.”
For Leeds, the corner already seems to have been turned.
Sunday Times
Paul Rowan at Carrow Road
FIVE games into the Championship and Leeds are well into their stride, with three wins and only one black mark against them. Their projection of returning to the Premiership within three years is now looking far less fanciful than it did at the beginning of the season.
Leeds lie fourth this morning whereas
relegated Norwich, without a win in the Championship this season, find themselves fourth from bottom.NI_MPU('middle');
There is nothing particularly pretty about the way Leeds play, but in Rob Hulse they appear to have a centre-forward worth chanelling their energies and resources into. Hulse scored the winner yesterday and generally outmuscled the Norwich defence.
He was also booked for landing an elbow in the face of young Norwich defender Jason Shackell.
“He broke his nose with the first elbow,” Norwich manager Nigel Worthington said afterwards with a smile. “Then he straightened it with the second.”
Norwich’s Dean Ashton, who started the afternoon with a new contract in his back pocket and a rapturous reception from the capacity home crowd, also had his nose put out of joint as he was overshadowed by Hulse, his old Crewe teammate.
Despite the evidence in front of him, Worthington struck an upbeat tone. “I thought the performance today was very good and included some of our best passing of the season. We created more chances in this game but what let us down as a team is that we are snatching at them.”
Norwich were outmuscled and outfought in virtually every area yesterday and their reliance on Darren Huckerby as the only source of their creativity always looked destined to end in frustration.
Leeds should have broken the deadlock after 33 minutes through Hulse. He outjumped the Norwich defence to meet an inswinging corner from winger Eddie Lewis, but his powerful header hit the bar.
Ashton’s finishing was strictly lower-league standard when he had the chance to break the deadlock shortly before half-time.
Jim Brennan, playing in Huckerby’s normal role on the left, delivered a delightful crossfield ball to leave Ashton in the clear, but the forward allowed Ian Bennett to block.
It was Leeds who remained the more potent attacking force leading up to the interval.
Huckerby’s trickery started coming into its own in the second half, much to the bemusement of Dan Harding, but the winger’s finishing problems were again much in evidence.
On 46 minutes, Huckerby shot over after doing all the hard work and it seemed to dawn on him that others might have a better chance of breaking the deadlock.
Huckerby then put Brennan through, but the midfielder screwed wide of Bennett’s left-hand post from 15 yards.
In between Huckerby’s contributions, Hulse just failed to get on the end of a headed pass from Gylfi Einarsson, but the former West Brom player’s muscularity would soon have its rewards.
Frazer Richardson collected the ball on the right edge of Norwich’s penalty area and sent a delightful cross to the far post where captain Paul Butler met it with a firm header and Hulse showed a true poacher’s instinct to bundle the ball in.
Hulse was surprisingly substituted after 79 minutes by Jonathan Douglas, but the damage was already done. Although Norwich substitute, Gary Doherty, had a header saved by Bennett, the hosts were unable to threaten further.
STAR MAN: Rob Hulse (Leeds)
Player ratings. Norwich: Green 6, Colin 6 (Doherty 79min, 6), Fleming 6, Shackell 6, Brennan 7, Marney 7, Safri 5, Charlton 5 (McVeigh 87min, 6), Huckerby 7, McKenzie 6, Ashton 5
Leeds: Bennett 7, Kelly 6, Butler 7, Gregan 7, Harding 6, Richardson 7, Einarsson 7, Derry 7, Lewis 7, Healy 6 (Cresswell 74min, 6), Hulse 8 (Douglas 79min, 6)
Scorer: Leeds: Hulse 67
Hulse to the fore as Leeds turn corner
By Bill Edgar
Norwich City 0 Leeds United 1
The Times
THE CHANT OF “WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SEE a crowd” directed by Norwich City supporters at the visiting fans was entirely appropriate. Attendances at Elland Road five years ago during Leeds United’s Champions League heyday averaged nearly 40,000 but this season they have dipped almost to 20,000. The Yorkshire club’s fans enjoyed living the dream but almost half of them have no intention of living the nightmare.
There are signs, though, that there might be some more tempting fare around the corner for the missing fans. Leeds’s fall towards oblivion seems to have been halted and they have some significant assets. Last week’s signing of Richard Cresswell from Preston North End for £1.15 million has increased the squad’s quota of senior strikers to six.
After regrouping in the Coca-Cola Championship last season, they have risen into the play-off places after successive victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich, two of the promotion favourites. If Leeds can sneak back to mid-table in the top flight, where they sat before spending wildly in the late 1990s, their fans might consider the roller-coaster era to have been worthwhile after all and preferable, perhaps, than to have supported an Aston Villa side that have finished about eighth in the Premiership almost every year in that period with no high points to speak of.
Not that the “To Elland Back” headlines can be dusted off just yet. Leeds were fortunate not to lose to a Norwich side that came to life in the final half hour but the visiting team had shown enough to suggest that they may hang on to a play-off place. Rob Hulse will hold off the challenge of the four strikers in reserve if he repeats regularly the performance he produced at Carrow Road, when he hooked in the only goal from close range having earlier thundered a header against the crossbar.
Hulse, another million-pound plus signing, outshone Dean Ashton, his former Crewe Alexandra strike partner and an opponent on Saturday, his powerful physique allowing him to retain possession well. “Not only has he got power but he has nimble feet,” Kevin Blackwell, the manager, said.
The club’s recent experience prevents Blackwell from getting carried away. “The results we have picked up so far have given us a platform,” he said, “but we don’t take anything for granted at this club. Before Ken Bates (the chairman) took over we were on the brink of liquidation so everyone here knows what football can be like.”
Nigel Worthington is certainly not saying his Norwich side will go up. Last season they won their first Premiership game at the fourteenth attempt; another agonising count in this division wasn’t expected, but they have yet to win in five games, four of them at home. The manager rightly praised his team’s passing and Darren Huckerby, a former Leeds player, tore apart the opposing defence in the second half. Jim Brennan, the midfield player, who missed a good chance, is optimistic. “We’ve got a good squad and we’re playing well,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time before things go right for us.”
For Leeds, the corner already seems to have been turned.