Leedsunited.com 23/8/06
HARD WORK WAS KEY
Match-winner Eirik Bakke cited hard work as the key as United edged past League Two outfit Chester City in the first round of the Carling Cup.
The Norwegian's 57th minute goal proved enough to book Leeds a place in the second round, but Kevin Blackwell's men were made to fight until the end to secure their progress.
"The manager wasn't happy at half-time," revealed Eirik.
"We didn't play well in the first half and we needed to move up a level.
"You have to work hard against sides like that because if you don't, you get dragged down to their level.
"We had to perform better in the second half otherwise it would have been a long night."
The winning goal had an element of good fortune about it. Chester defender Paul Linwood contrived to shoot against his own post before Eirik's follow-up shot crept over the line after grazing the same upright.
"We've not had any luck this season, but it was good to get a goal and hopefully there'll be more luck to come now," added the goalscorer.
Yorkshire Evening Post 23/8/06
SEAN HINTS AT A MOVE
Lack of action unsettling for ace Gregan
by Phil Hay
Leeds United defender Sean Gregan is set to seek a transfer out of Elland Road if his exile from Kevin Blackwell's first team continues.
Gregan captained Leeds during last night's Carling Cup first-round tie against Chester City – his first appearance of the season – but he will expect to return to the fringes of United's squad when the club travel to Hillsborough for Sunday's Championship fixture with Sheffield Wednesday.The former West Brom player is behind the first-choice centre-back pairing of Paul Butler and Matthew Kilgallon, and the competition for selection has been increased by the recent signing of Australian Hayden Foxe.Foxe's arrival on a five-month deal was widely expected to create an excess of defenders in Blackwell's squad, and both Hull City and Preston are thought to be interested in signing Gregan.The 32-year-old has made 73 appearances during his two years at Elland Road and could yet find a route back into Leeds' starting line-up, but he will seek talks over his future in the coming weeks if Butler and Kilgallon continue to occupy the centre of Blackwell's defence.Gregan said: "First-team football's not what I want – it's what I need."I need to be playing regularly at my age and making the team week in, week out. I'll have to see what happens over the next few weeks."I want to stay here and I want to compete, but if I'm not playing then we'll have to sit down and see what's going to go on."It was nice to get the shirt back on again and I want more of that."Foxe made his debut for United last night and his first competitive appearance since 2003, alongside Gregan and the pair were allowed a comfortable evening by Chester's toothless attack.United claimed a 1-0 victory through Eirik Bakke's second-half goal to take their place in the second round and the importance of the result over their scrappy performance was shown by an eventful evening which saw nine Championship clubs eliminated by lower league opposition.Cardiff, Coventry and Sunderland were among those knocked out at the first hurdle.United's starting line-up contained 11 first-team squad members last night and assistant manager John Carver insisted the Carling Cup would not be pushed towards insignificance by Leeds' desire to rejoin the Premiership.Carver said: "If you look at the side we put out, we didn't make many changes to it. We do respect the competition and I know there's a little bit of finance to be had in there.Believe"But why not believe you can win the League Cup? Any competition I go into, I want to win it. We should aim to go as far as we can."The result pleased me more than the performance because we had to be patient. But we said at half-time that we needed to be more positive – there wasn't a lot of penetration during the first half."There were one or two good performances from certain individuals, and we did say to them before the game 'go out, stake your claim and try and get into the side'. I think a couple of them have done that."United's attention will turn quickly to Sunday's game at Hillsborough when Blackwell's players return to training tomorrow.A victory would send Leeds into the international break with seven points from five games and Carver said: "We're aware of how important it is."We've got a couple of days to prepare and we'll go there with the right intentions."Blackwell had hoped to see Geoff Horsfield's three-match suspension expire after Sunday's fixture, but the striker will now miss the meeting with Wolves on September 10 after having the ban increased by one game by a Football Association disciplinary hearing yesterday.Horsfield admitted a charge of using abusive and/or insulting language towards linesman Phil Sharp during Leeds' 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace and was also fined £500.
Sporting Life 22/8/06
CARVER RELIEVED AT CUP WIN
By Ross Heppenstall, PA Sport
Leeds assistant manager John Carver admitted his side's 1-0 Carling Cup first-round victory against Chester came as a "massive relief" to the Elland Road club.
While the likes of Sunderland fell victim to a cup upset, Eirik Bakke's fortuitous second-half strike handed lacklustre United a safe passage into the second round.
Norwegian midfielder Bakke tucked away a low shot from eight yards in the 57th minute after Paul Linwood's attempted clearance rebounded off a post.
And Carver, whose side had not won since the opening day of the season, said: "It was a massive relief to be honest.
"I'm delighted with the result and although the performance wasn't great it's still a win.
"I got back in the changing room and saw that there has been six or seven clubs in the Championship who have gone out to lower league clubs, so I'm absolutely delighted to be in the second round."
Yet Leeds were far from impressive and rarely penetrated a resolute Chester side who lie 42 places below them in the Football League.
Mark Wright's team were physical, imposing and well organised, and should have taken the tie into extra-time with 20 minutes remaining when Gregg Blundell fired wastefully wide when completely unmarked.
Carver added: "Let's give a bit of respect to Chester. They got amongst us and unsettled us and we had to be patient.
"In the first half we kept the ball but didn't keep possession, but after the break we got a bit braver without going on to win the ball convincingly.
"In fairness they had the best chance of the game through Blundell but that was about their only chance of the game."
Chester boss Wright said: "I was proud of my players.
"We had a plan but I thought the goal we conceded was just a mess."My boys are disappointed they haven't got more out of the tie and Blundell probably had the best chance of all."
HARD WORK WAS KEY
Match-winner Eirik Bakke cited hard work as the key as United edged past League Two outfit Chester City in the first round of the Carling Cup.
The Norwegian's 57th minute goal proved enough to book Leeds a place in the second round, but Kevin Blackwell's men were made to fight until the end to secure their progress.
"The manager wasn't happy at half-time," revealed Eirik.
"We didn't play well in the first half and we needed to move up a level.
"You have to work hard against sides like that because if you don't, you get dragged down to their level.
"We had to perform better in the second half otherwise it would have been a long night."
The winning goal had an element of good fortune about it. Chester defender Paul Linwood contrived to shoot against his own post before Eirik's follow-up shot crept over the line after grazing the same upright.
"We've not had any luck this season, but it was good to get a goal and hopefully there'll be more luck to come now," added the goalscorer.
Yorkshire Evening Post 23/8/06
SEAN HINTS AT A MOVE
Lack of action unsettling for ace Gregan
by Phil Hay
Leeds United defender Sean Gregan is set to seek a transfer out of Elland Road if his exile from Kevin Blackwell's first team continues.
Gregan captained Leeds during last night's Carling Cup first-round tie against Chester City – his first appearance of the season – but he will expect to return to the fringes of United's squad when the club travel to Hillsborough for Sunday's Championship fixture with Sheffield Wednesday.The former West Brom player is behind the first-choice centre-back pairing of Paul Butler and Matthew Kilgallon, and the competition for selection has been increased by the recent signing of Australian Hayden Foxe.Foxe's arrival on a five-month deal was widely expected to create an excess of defenders in Blackwell's squad, and both Hull City and Preston are thought to be interested in signing Gregan.The 32-year-old has made 73 appearances during his two years at Elland Road and could yet find a route back into Leeds' starting line-up, but he will seek talks over his future in the coming weeks if Butler and Kilgallon continue to occupy the centre of Blackwell's defence.Gregan said: "First-team football's not what I want – it's what I need."I need to be playing regularly at my age and making the team week in, week out. I'll have to see what happens over the next few weeks."I want to stay here and I want to compete, but if I'm not playing then we'll have to sit down and see what's going to go on."It was nice to get the shirt back on again and I want more of that."Foxe made his debut for United last night and his first competitive appearance since 2003, alongside Gregan and the pair were allowed a comfortable evening by Chester's toothless attack.United claimed a 1-0 victory through Eirik Bakke's second-half goal to take their place in the second round and the importance of the result over their scrappy performance was shown by an eventful evening which saw nine Championship clubs eliminated by lower league opposition.Cardiff, Coventry and Sunderland were among those knocked out at the first hurdle.United's starting line-up contained 11 first-team squad members last night and assistant manager John Carver insisted the Carling Cup would not be pushed towards insignificance by Leeds' desire to rejoin the Premiership.Carver said: "If you look at the side we put out, we didn't make many changes to it. We do respect the competition and I know there's a little bit of finance to be had in there.Believe"But why not believe you can win the League Cup? Any competition I go into, I want to win it. We should aim to go as far as we can."The result pleased me more than the performance because we had to be patient. But we said at half-time that we needed to be more positive – there wasn't a lot of penetration during the first half."There were one or two good performances from certain individuals, and we did say to them before the game 'go out, stake your claim and try and get into the side'. I think a couple of them have done that."United's attention will turn quickly to Sunday's game at Hillsborough when Blackwell's players return to training tomorrow.A victory would send Leeds into the international break with seven points from five games and Carver said: "We're aware of how important it is."We've got a couple of days to prepare and we'll go there with the right intentions."Blackwell had hoped to see Geoff Horsfield's three-match suspension expire after Sunday's fixture, but the striker will now miss the meeting with Wolves on September 10 after having the ban increased by one game by a Football Association disciplinary hearing yesterday.Horsfield admitted a charge of using abusive and/or insulting language towards linesman Phil Sharp during Leeds' 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace and was also fined £500.
Sporting Life 22/8/06
CARVER RELIEVED AT CUP WIN
By Ross Heppenstall, PA Sport
Leeds assistant manager John Carver admitted his side's 1-0 Carling Cup first-round victory against Chester came as a "massive relief" to the Elland Road club.
While the likes of Sunderland fell victim to a cup upset, Eirik Bakke's fortuitous second-half strike handed lacklustre United a safe passage into the second round.
Norwegian midfielder Bakke tucked away a low shot from eight yards in the 57th minute after Paul Linwood's attempted clearance rebounded off a post.
And Carver, whose side had not won since the opening day of the season, said: "It was a massive relief to be honest.
"I'm delighted with the result and although the performance wasn't great it's still a win.
"I got back in the changing room and saw that there has been six or seven clubs in the Championship who have gone out to lower league clubs, so I'm absolutely delighted to be in the second round."
Yet Leeds were far from impressive and rarely penetrated a resolute Chester side who lie 42 places below them in the Football League.
Mark Wright's team were physical, imposing and well organised, and should have taken the tie into extra-time with 20 minutes remaining when Gregg Blundell fired wastefully wide when completely unmarked.
Carver added: "Let's give a bit of respect to Chester. They got amongst us and unsettled us and we had to be patient.
"In the first half we kept the ball but didn't keep possession, but after the break we got a bit braver without going on to win the ball convincingly.
"In fairness they had the best chance of the game through Blundell but that was about their only chance of the game."
Chester boss Wright said: "I was proud of my players.
"We had a plan but I thought the goal we conceded was just a mess."My boys are disappointed they haven't got more out of the tie and Blundell probably had the best chance of all."