Yorkshire Evening Post 21/10/09
Whites cool on Becks deal
By Phil Hay
Leeds United say Jermaine Beckford's contractual position at Elland Road remains "unchanged" amid talk that QPR plan to bid for the striker in January.
The Championship club have been heavily linked with a move for Beckford in the forthcoming transfer window, and the 25-year-old's future is as unclear as ever with his dwindling deal at Elland Road yet to be extended.Contract talks between Leeds and Beckford broke down during the summer, leaving the forward on the transfer list for several weeks, and United are not believed to be in active discussions with his agent, Nick Rubery.
Leeds are presently running the risk that Beckford will leave Elland Road on a free transfer when his existing three-year deal – signed in October 2007 – expires in June of next year, a gamble the League One club opted to take before the start of this season by reversing their decision to transfer-list him.
United's board were understood to have subsequently rejected offers from Coventry City and Sheffield United, while West Bromwich Albion were also seriously interested in signing the striker for around £2million ahead of the 2009-10 term, and Leeds remain adamant that Beckford will not be sold before the end of this season, regardless of whether an agreement is reached over a new deal.
Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "The situation with Jermaine is unchanged.
"His winning goal against Norwich City on Monday night was his eighth of the campaign, and QPR are said to be showing enough interest in Beckford to be lining up a seven-figure bid in January for a player who could be available for nothing five months later. A flood of offers are expected to reach him next summer.
Beckford was offered a new three-year deal by Leeds after the end of last season but the proposal was swiftly rejected by the forward's agent, prompting Leeds to transfer list their top scorer.
He was removed from the list during pre-season and remained at Elland Road while Leeds sold midfielder Fabian Delph, the other prized asset whose future had been the subject of intense speculation throughout the summer.
United would be highly unlikely to consider offers for Beckford in January with the club presently leading League One and bidding confidently for promotion.
His goal on Monday night inflicted a 2-1 defeat on a major rival in Norwich, earning Beckford glowing praise from a manager in Simon Grayson who has counted on the striker's reliability on many occasions in the past.
Grayson said: "Jermaine can have average games and miss chances but one thing he doesn't do is shy away from any opportunities.
"Credit to him for that because there've been a number of occasions this season and last season when I've been thinking 'should I take him off?' because it doesn't look like it's going to be his night. But I have to leave him on because he's a major threat."

Mail 20/10/09
Leeds 2 Norwich 1: Jermaine Beckford nets to clinch last-gasp victory for Leeds
By MICHAEL WALKER
Jermaine Beckford produced one of those good, bad and ugly performances, presumably of the sort that has stopped anyone taking him away from Leeds United.
But, like a showman, Beckford saved the good until last with a composed finish in injury-time that gave Leeds a win their previous 90 minutes and more did not deserve.
They did not care at Elland Road about that. Less than 60 seconds after Beckford had missed an open goal, Norwich goalkeeper Fraser Forster scuffed his clearance straight to the Leeds talisman.
Clincher: Beckford punishes Forster's error with the late winner
Beckford raced 20 yards into the area and chipped the advanced goalkeeper. The ground erupted like the old times. On the touchline, Norwich manager Paul Lambert could not believe it.
His side had pushed and pulled Leeds all over their home turf with a creative, energetic performance, but once Simon Grayson introduced Max Gradel late on, the game’s momentum changed.
Gradel, a sprightly 21-year-old attacker, only arrived on loan from Leicester yesterday, but his vim lifted Leeds.
Instead of a worrying draw, they had a morale-boosting win that took them two points clear at the top of League One with a game in hand. As a consequence, Leeds remain the only unbeaten club in England’s top four divisions.
They take that record to Millwall on Saturday.
‘We looked dangerous in the second half,’ Grayson said, ‘but I thought Norwich were excellent. We played Liverpool a few weeks ago and weren’t given those problems.
'But we were better in the second half and one thing we have got is the desire to keep going. And one thing Jermaine doesn’t do is shy away from chances.’
Lambert said: ‘I might be biased but we deserved to win it. We never deserved to lose it. I thought we were brilliant. I’m pretty sure Leeds had a fright tonight.’
Bouncing back: The beach ball craze hits Leeds
Norwich’s long journey home will have felt sickening, but once the pain dims there will be the consolation that they played with confidence and fluidity.
Wes Hoolahan and Darel Russell were prominent throughout, while Grant Holt’s equaliser shortly before half-time was his fifth goal in six games.
Norwich were undefeated in six games beforehand and they could have taken the lead on two occasions before Bradley Johnson scored for Leeds in the 15th minute. Hoolahan and Russell had the shots.
Both efforts were saved by Shane Higgs, but not particularly comfortably, and Higgs, who has just returned from a thigh injury, was replaced on 17 minutes. That was two minutes after Johnson had headed the home team in front.
Beckford’s spirited run earned Leeds a corner which was struck by Robert Snodgrass to the far post. Johnson climbed highest to nod in from two yards. Beckford was close to doubling the lead on the half-hour and Leeds could have done with it.
Norwich were unperturbed by their deficit and continued to probe. It was no less than they deserved when Holt ran on to Stephen Hughes’s sweeping inswinger six minutes before half-time to poke a shot beyond Higgs’s stand-in Casper Ankergren.
The goalkeeper was rooted to his line. Ankergren redeemed himself with a save from Holt on 67 minutes but then Leeds began to drag themselves back. Forster made a flying save from Snodgrass’s free-kick, then blocked superbly from Beckford when one-on-one. Then came Beckford’s glaring late miss.
It seemed that Leeds just could not win. Then Beckford came again.


Sky 19/10/09
Grayson hails Leeds desire
Leeds boss delighted with his side's willingness to go to the death
By Richard Bailey
Simon Grayson hailed his side's desire after they snatched victory at the death against in-form Norwich at Elland Road on Monday.
Jermaine Beckford profited from a mistake from Canaries goalkeeper Fraser Forster to run through on goal and dink the ball over the young shot-stopper to earn Leeds a 2-1 win to send them back to the top of League One.
The result was harsh on Norwich who dominated possession for much of the match, but it was the hosts who took the lead through Bradley Johnson on 15 minutes.
Grant Holt equalised for Norwich seven minutes before the break but Beckford had the final say when he ensured all three points in injury time.
"I think you have to give credit to Norwich they passed the ball around and caused us a lot of problems," Grayson told Sky Sports 1.
Norwich credit
"But we had a number of chances first-half but Norwich are a very good team so you have to give them credit.
"We had to alter things tactically at half-time to get back into the game and we did that.
"Second-half we were better, we kept going. For all the possession that Norwich had they didn't have too many great opportunities to win the game but what I will say about this group of players is they have this great desire to go to the very end and we have got players who can win the game for us."
Grayson admitted his side had been second best for long periods throughout the game and stated that he did feel sorry for Forster in the Norwich goal.
"You certainly do feel sorry for Norwich," he added."Their keeper made some great saves and it is a horrible way to lose a game but Jermaine Beckford is always a handful. We have won the match today when maybe we didn't deserve to."

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