Yorkshire Evening Post 7/10/09
Tresor does the trick for United
By Phil Hay
Leeds United 2 Darlington 1
An unnecessary hindrance or a competition worth winning?
Casper Ankergren, Leeds United's goalkeeper, took a positive view when asked to analyse the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Others, including his manager, might have begged to differ while yesterday's fixture hung over the club.
Thrown into the Football League's minor competition at its second stage, Simon Grayson's vision was blurred with complications created by the mass of fixtures thrown at his club in the first two months of the season.
Six of his players were injured last night and two others were committed to international matches.In deciding how to manage those absentees while obeying competition rules preventing token line-ups, Grayson pieced together the strongest team he could justify while topping up his bench with an untested striker in Davide Somma and a junior goalkeeper in Ryan Jones. The approach paid off but only just.
Among the small but respectable crowd at Elland Road, Jones would have been familiar only to those who followed United's reserve squad closely last season. United's losses were so severe that even Frank Fielding – signed on loan from Blackburn Rovers specifically to compensate for an injury to Shane Higgs – was stationed elsewhere with England's Under-21s, leaving Jones to deputise for Ankergren. It was, to that degree, a case of muddling through.
With every professional available to him, the demands of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy would not have bothered Grayson, but a second-round tie against Darlington in a competition of low priority was not a game his squad needed. Were it not for the postponement of Saturday's league game at Bristol Rovers, United would have been cursing it. Satisfactory, then, was the win delivered by his carefully-constructed team; less so the performance or the loss of another player – Somma – to yet another injury. United imposed themselves on Darlington with two goals claimed inside half-an-hour, scored by players who have seen little or no football this season and should feel happier this morning for the chance of acknowledgement. Not all of their team-mates will be so content.
Andy Robinson registered Leeds' first goal and Tresor Kandol their second, a source of confidence for United's winger and a red letter day for the club's striker. On the last occasion that Kandol scored in a first-team match at Elland Road, Leeds were days away from the 2008 play-off final. It has been that long.
His contribution over 45 minutes may convince Grayson that Kandol is worth more than simply a squad number, particularly while Luciano Becchio deals with an injured ankle. Robinson too enjoyed the type of lively first half he probably needed. To that end, the fixture had its uses, though Grayson made no effort to disguise how angry he was with his team's failure to kill the tie.
Despite the Trophy's meagre profile, its regulations dictated that he field six of the 11 players with most club appearances on their records this season, a requirement that Grayson was able to meet despite making six alterations to the team that drew with Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Anxious though he was to avoid incurring a fine, Grayson's options were not exactly vast. They did, however, include Kandol, a player who has been virtually anonymous at Elland Road for the past year and a half. Promoted to the starting line-up – an announcement that drew applause from the crowd – his rare inclusion spoke of the lengths his manager had gone to in fulfilling last night's match.
Perspective was still necessary against a club with more endemic problems. Darlington came to Elland Road as the Football League's lowest-ranked team and one who, until this morning, were technically without a manager.
Steve Staunton, Leeds' former assistant, was appointed on Monday with the intention of taking charge today, and while he attended last night's game, he declined the chance to watch his squad from the touchline, preferring to take a seat in the directors' box. Ken Bates, the man who ordained that Staunton should take his leave of Elland Road 10 months ago, was not there to greet him.
From that vantage point, Staunton's early viewing was not particularly pleasant. Darlington made the effort to be expansive and use possession carefully but their defence was only ever one clean strike away from being breached.
Nick Liversedge, their goalkeeper, dealt with one firm header from Kandol by touching it over Darlington's goal and did so again with more urgency when a second header from the striker dropped beneath his crossbar.
Those two efforts materialised inside 15 minutes; by the 20th, Robinson and Aidan White were pulling shots wide from positions where Liversedge would have anticipated having a save to make. No surprise, then, that the damn should burst four minutes later.
A foul on White gave Robinson his first chance to attack Liversedge with a free-kick and his low set-piece crept inside the keeper's near post, carried over the line by a very minor deflection. It should, even then, have been the beginning of a ruthless end.
In the 28th minute, Neil Kilkenny fed Kandol from the halfway line and the forward's screaming shot from the edge of the box ripped into the roof of Darlington's net. It gave Staunton much to ponder as he prepared to sit down behind his new desk. In Darlington's favour will be their reaction to United's goals and their improvement in the second half. Caretakers Craig Liddle and Neil Maddison immediately removed defender Matthew Plummer to make space for substitute and forward Mark Convery, and the change brought a goal in the last minute of the first half.
Jamie Devitt, who had earlier curled a wild shot over the bar after Gary Smith cut open the left side of Grayson's team, picked out Convery with a cross which Ankergren failed to reach and Convery side-footed into an empty net. Darlington's sixth goal of the season did not flatter United's defence.
Kandol was substituted at half-time after illness overcame him, and Enoch Showunmi appeared in his place, a meaningful comparison between fringe strikers with similar attributes. Forty-five stagnant minutes followed, however, and Convery was inches from equalising at Ankergren's back post with an hour gone. Grayson – aware of the decreasing intensity – was vocal in demanding better from his technical area.He gave Somma his debut as the game wore on but the contest was petering out, save only for Kevin Gall's shot at one end and a low strike from Showunmi at the other, parried with one hand by Liversedge.
Liversedge's night would later end with a red card, shown to him in injury-time for a professional foul on Showunmi. The unnecessary dismissal came so late that midfielder Jeff Smith, improvising as a keeper, had only one wayward free-kick from Robinson to worry about.
Four minutes before the sending off, United's bewildered staff looked on as Somma collapsed without a player near him and was helped from the pitch, leaving Leeds with no remaining substitutions and 10 players. Somma had appeared from the bench no more than 15 minutes earlier; Grayson could not make it up.

Clarkeonenil review of the season so far
Leeds United 2009-10 quarter season review: Introduction
October 4th, 2009
still burning in the soul.
Back in May as the third season of League One football was confirmed I penned a long, angry (although to be fair I did leave it about 10 days so it could have been even angrier) but detailed analysis of what the issues were and what also what barriers existed to our great club progressing. This early “classic” of the Clarkeonenil style can be found here:http://clarkeonenil.co.uk/front-page/contributions-on-the-leeds-united-quagmire/surveying-this-seasons-inevitable-car-crash . It is now 5 months on and for all intense and purposes we are a quarter way through the season, how are we doing and how have things changed/improved/gone backwards?
The post had 5 distinctive sections around which the then less than positive outlook was molded, they were “The Board/Ownership”, “The Football Management Team”, “The Players”, “The League we play in” and “Us the support”. Over the next five days I will be revisiting those sections to bring us bang up to date. The intention is not to point out where my perspective was accurate (or to dwell on where it was too pessimistic) but to provide a clear comparable between back then and now.
The scene in the attached photo should still be fresh in our minds, as should some of the extremes the last 5 months has brought us. One thing’s for sure, I have plenty of material.

Leeds United 2009-10, quarter season review, part 2: Board/owners
October 5th, 2009
Did I say I own the club?
Only at Elland Road could the team be top of the league, manager get lauded, players yet to hit a rough patch, support averaging above lots of CCC teams and yet have an element of permanent crises about it. In the last 7 days we have had good old fashioned investigative journalism expose the sheer scale of subterfuge and ineptitude that runs Leeds United, and do you know what, there is so much more to come.
For a few fleeting days after the play-off defeat to Millwall you could make a case that a rational businessman might look to cash in, try and rescue something from the carnage of 2006-09 (mostly of the present regime’s making) and allow a more stress free and integrity loaded ownership to come in. But we know, we have known from day one, you not dealing with a clear business rational with our glorified fund manager Chairman, Mr K Bates, no you’re dealing with a complex, ego driven, underhand, sneaky and just plain disreputable operation which constantly needs to peddle furiously. Only this Chairman at this club would have two very public court cases on the go and lose one of those in such spectacular style, would have to go cap in hand to the local authority over a land issue, would put itself at risk from Football League rules on ownership and transparency of ownership, including the “fit and proper” rule (and if being accused of ripping off savers in Ireland doesn’t fail you a “fit and proper” rule then it has no meaning at all), would spend the summer claiming “we have no need to sell” then do exactly that and let’s not forget his unique capacity for arguing with a score or more of clubs, chairmen, managers, players and this clubs loyal support. This should have been a period of quiet in terms of finance and business management, it has been anything but.
Before we explore the headline stuff from the last few months we need to backtrack a little because the one thing that is always constant under this regime is the inconsistency of its public uttering’s. There are a million and one allegations/preconceptions/speculative notions that cloud the issue around Bates, this fog was made 1000x worse by KMPG and the blatant administration con (lest we forget how hundreds of local businesses lost out with that stunt). So we need to list what we now know/have had confirmed/can no longer be denied. So here goes, follow the points as they blend into each other, things could get circular:• Bates hasn’t invested a penny into Leeds United; we know that because he told a judge that in a court case (the non Levi one). In order to make that statement Bates had to contradict a previous statement that he owned Leeds United.• Leeds United is owned by Forward, no-one will tell anyone, including the FL who owns them. Bates is a fund manager; he has “a management share”. The FL requires all “significant” ownership shares to be publically known.• Bates hasn’t got any liquid assets; he told a judge that in another court case.• There was once a business and ownership relationship between Forward and Astor, that was confirmed by the club. Only an idiot accepts the line about that link being fully severed. Interestingly KPMG still deny their ever was any evidence of a link….• A judge in his judgement of the Levi case says he finds it “strange” that Astor gave away £17m to the club to spend over 9 months in 2006-07 (a period when the clubs liabilities went from a public stated £5m to £30m) and then allowed the club to disregard that for coming out of administration purposes, only so long as Forward won the bid to take over the club.• Forward took £7m out of the club last season; we know that because it’s in the accounts (in the small print). The club claimed to have made £4.5m pre-tax profit.• Fabian Delph left for £6m up front and “extra’s”, we received since coming out of admin, £5m for two kids from Chelsea, £1m from Spurs for a kid, and also £600k plus from Everton for Garbutt, and we will be getting a bit off Manchester City.• Leeds United told Leeds City Council that we could not find the £7m or so required to meet the October 09 deadline for purchasing Thorp Arch, despite Mr Bates constantly informing fans via his programme notes that the club would do so. The club admits no banks will do business with us because of a low credit rating caused by the 2007 administration.• Thorp Arch and Elland Road (both sold by the Krasner/Levi consortium) are valued at about £35m, the cost of repurchase is £18m.• The cost of the Levi case is £1.5m and counting, the cost of appealing (as yet no legal route to do so have been found) would be to double that cost, all to save £50k damages. Remember, Mr Bates has no liquid assets.• The Judge in the Levi case criticised Bates, Harvey and Taylor for contradicting themselves with their court statements and evidence…which brings us back to where we started!As I have said, this is just the tip of the iceberg, the Guardian have clearly got the bit between their teeth and we may be looking at some interesting revelations around who actually does own Forward and this Leeds United.
Of course one aspect of the confused ownership tangle yet to be resolved is this: is Bates the glorified fund manager liable personally for the £1.5m costs accrued making a fool of himself over Levi? Well if you look at his statements on the subject he tends to use club channels to indicate “we are going to appeal”. The clear implication being that come what may (and at the moment leave to appeal is unlikely) the club will cop for the costs (and of course the £50k damages). Well we all wanted to know that the Delph money has gone somewhere useful!
The other court case (Weston) has also provided us recently with some perils, I have referenced the admission around ownership already but the real meat in the Channel Islands case is the stuff around why Bates/the Owners sent us into administration. You will recall all the nonsense about removing the yoke of the Ridsdale’s years (which the £25m rise in debts in 2006-07 puts the lie to), well now, from the court papers we know it was actually an attempt to avoid paying back a loan the club took out under Krasner that Bates/the owners agreed to repay when purchasing the club. The inter-connections between the two court cases means that the judge who criticised Bates, Harvey and Taylor also praised the evidence provided by the other side in the Channel islands case. That case is ongoing and is likely to yield more information about some of the present regimes business practices that don’t seem to winning any ethical awards.
As an aside nothing quite takes my breath away as some of the dysfunctional shite some people will write/say in defence of Bates and co, despite the evidence and despite those apologists (and I make no apology for the use of that term) having no real interest in such a position, it borders sometimes on mass hysteria, leads to intellectual contortions being performed but much more importantly distracts from the scrutiny required of this regime. I will be expanding on this in the 6th instalment of this review; I will not be very restrained in my distaste of it all.
It goes without saying that if the mainstays of the present regime had spent more of the last 6 months dealing with income generation ideas rather than court cases they might have been able to conclude the Thorp Arch deal with ease. However as we know, because the club has told us, they don’t have the resources alone to achieve this, this statement, an indictment in itself of the last 4 years, opens up an whole new set of issues. Factually not even Bates’s biggest fan can deny that isn’t pretty, the owners Bates fronts for knew in 2005 that they had till October 2009 to repurchase our training academy (but minus the first team training pitch), at below the expected market rate, a very simple thing really, find £7m acquire a £15m asset, simples, ah no not for George, Zippy and Bungle, no instead they repay a similar amount to Forward then go cap in hand to Leeds City Council for a loan, get the offer of a “novate” instead and finish up (on the assumption Alder don’t find a rational to refuse to accept the repurchase, something I wouldn’t put money against happening) getting a new landlord. Of course you can extrapolate some marginal benefits for the club (apparently the club saves between £1k and £3k a year on rent increases, the equivalent of 1% of the court costs over Levi) but as indicated here:http://clarkeonenil.co.uk/front-page/contributions-on-the-leeds-united-quagmire/thorp-arch-2-the-implications%20there are also some dangers for the club.
One aspect of the club’s board/owners I can’t criticise over the last 6 months is its ability to keep trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes. When you get more information from the Guardian than KPMG, Leeds City Council and the Yorkshire Evening Post can muster (the Phil Hay article over the weekend on Leeds being “in no rush” to find investors was one of the most obvious and sickly soft PR jobs I have read for years) you either believe the latter’s are all in cohorts with the present regime (which is possibly true for one of them) or you have to accept that this kind of machiavellian behaviour is a core life skill for the clubs representatives. In some respects you can’t blame them, they know it works, witness the lead up to administration, the coming out of administration and all the public utterances since. The Leeds United covering media seem still to have a difficulty noticing the contradictions between statements of financial success and those telling the world they “have no other feasible source” for TA purchase money. Similar to the Yorkshire Radio issue back in 2007, Bates brags about the money it generates for the club but fails to remember telling us all it wasn’t club owned when it suited over the bids to take us out of administration!
What Leeds United needed over the last few months was an administrative and finance side that reflected the team, if it couldn’t quite match that at least is quiet and dutiful. Instead we have had controversy after controversy with as many questions opened up as resolved. There is almost an element in which it looks like somebody is losing their touch (having never really been touched by losing libel cases or proper investigative journalism before), and if that is the case, what are the implications for the future? Could we win this division just in time to be told the owners inability to come clean about who they are jeopardises our position? Will we spend another £1.5m to fail to save 50k, who will Bates fall out with next? All these questions remain as difficult to answer as they always have (but are a dam sight easier than trying to concoct a rational that places Bates and Forward as open, transparent drivers of a successful and respected Leeds United). What isn’t however difficult is to make the following prediction, Conn hasn’t really started yet, a man of his integrity will burrow away until that Astor-Forward smoking gun is exposed and when it is, life will get interesting!

Leeds United 2009-10, quarter season review part 3: Football Management Team.
October 6th, 2009
The manager and the unofficial coaching staff.
This section should be sub-titled “what more do I need”? Simon Grayson’s coaching team, and let us be clear modern football management is a coaching team situation with one man taking the lead role, it’s far too complex, even at L1 level to be one man and some assistance, are sitting pretty, top of the table, the only defeat coming against PL opposition and a feeling around that Leeds could and should be wrapping up automatic promotion come next May. Is it really that simple with us this season, are Grayson’s team the new messiah’s?
As the season was about to start I penned the following: http://clarkeonenil.co.uk/front-page/contributions-on-the-leeds-united-quagmire/new-dawns-i-see-one-of-them-every-morning, basically a plea for the support to restrain the pressure on Grayson’s team. This was a sort of balance for my views back in May where I felt the management team had shown a timid side in the play-offs and that reflect a limited ambition. I didn’t place their win percentage in any great reference, pointing out that each of the previous 3 managers had managed a similar run of results at some point in their tenure. I suggested that the win percentage was unsustainable (and it probably still is but no point wishing it away) and I also implied that the jury was out on his transfer choices (notwithstanding the Williams influence on such matters). The SG believers (those who see things around one man rather than a coaching team) will have you believe all those concerns have been answered, and they would be half right.
We need to start with transfers and specifically those who “team SG” have brought in and those they wanted to sell (so not point referencing Delph). Binning Douglas was as a good a start as it was possible, the dispatching of Richardson and Lucas felt right. Where perhaps you could raise a minor grumble is the keeping of some of our fringe players where it’s difficult to see how they would ever get a decent first team run or sufficient evidence exists to call them superfluous, an example of the former being Prutton and a couple of examples of the latter being Kandol and Showunmi. In terms of signings well its so far so good, Higgs has been great, Kisnorbo a real find, Crowe has done ok, Doyle still needs to show a bit but isn’t letting anyone down, Bromby is a mixed bag of defensive solidity and ball-playing tosh and Somma, well anyone’s guess but time will tell. Equally important has been the faith the coaches have shown in players already at Elland Road, Howson getting the captaincy, Johnson back in with a bang, Parker first choice before injury, can’t fault it.
The results have been excellent so far this season, where points have been dropped you can make a case that mostly the sharing of the spoils was a true reflection of the game. We have won games we in the previous 5 seasons might have slipped down to draws and taken points where performance wasn’t particularly impressive. You can’t argue with that, we have played decent teams and potential promotion challengers in Charlton, MK Dons and even Colchester and we have done well. We will still have stern tests to come with the likes of Norwich, Southampton and Huddersfield but we don’t seem to be letting the “lesser” clubs upset progress, it’s all very encouraging. The question is how much of it is down to the coaching team?
I think what continues to raise questions in my mind is the contrast in how the team approaches home and away games. At fortress ER we are almost cavalier sometimes, certainly attacking and bristling with intent and yet away we can be stiflingly restrained, tending to lower our footballing standards to the level of the opposition and never really taking other teams on in their own backyard. It has happened too consistently to be co-incidence and as such brings out the old concerns of timidness. I suppose to be fair I could call it pragmatic, if that is what it takes to get out of the pit of a division L1 is, but having watched it unfold from the away ends it feels like a mistake. Not only must it confuse the players as swift ball passing in Yorkshire gives way to slugball in Buckinghamshire but it also invites teams to believe in themselves and if there is one opponent clubs don’t need encouragement against it is us!
My other minor gripe is our bench and specifically the lack of balance: Michalik seems to be the only defender ever on the subs list, I assume that will change once Parker is fit again and Hughes will become a main-stay, but it looks a dangerous ploy given how our fullbacks are dropping like flies to injuries. If I’m brutally honest I hate seeing Robinson in the 16, don’t see what he brings either in the team or as a sub but I suppose the options for the flanks are limited.
As the season has developed so has a feeling we are slowly replacing the amount of skill the team posseses with a more physical approach, not in large lumps but small bits game by game. I understand this is considered a good thing by those on the Kop that think all Leeds teams should be as hard as nails, the return of Naylor reinforcing that creep. Maybe team SG prefer it that way, certainly any analysis of Grayson’s time at Blackpool suggests so, and again the shout of pragmatism is flouting around. Personally I would rather that Howson, Becchio, Kilkenny and Snodgrass were added to rather than subtracted from but as they are still part of the mix I can’t really criticise.
The one aspect where team SG gives way to the aura of Mr Simon Grayson is in the PR stakes, our local Skipton boy is in demand as an example of “a young manager making his way in the football world”. Obviously any publicity strategy is affected by the over-bearing shadow of Bates and his cohorts but to be fair to Grayson he seems to handle it all well. This is even more surprising given that his accent can give a false impression of a limited vocabulary. In this personality obsessed media world perhaps it’s fitting someone like Grayson has come through to public notice on something a little more substantial.
Regular readers will have noticed the usual Clarkeonenil half pint empty approach hasn’t been used in this section, mainly because its self-defeating if I write something even I recognise as counter-intuitive. Grayson and his team still are not my idea of football management of choice, the present win ratio is unsustainable, the away style is mind-numbingly frustrating, the blackpoolisation of Leeds United is still apparent to me but it seems to work for him and them, little I say otherwise.
I have long ago recognised two things in life, the first is that my bar when it comes to football managers is raised excessively high but I am used to that now and accept it for what it is. The second is that heroes are a waste of time and effort, they inevitably disappoint. Grayson and his team are the first Leeds United managerial team in 7 years to be the lucky recipients of those two truths coming together. I want to see more before I am convinced they can even get us out of L1 never mind take us back to the promised land of the Premier League, but if they repeat in results terms (in a results business) over the next 12 games what they have already this season, I will be able to have some faith and trust in them rather than feel the need to elevate them to something more.

Leeds United 2009-10 quarter season review part 4: Players.
October 7th, 2009
happy with things lads?
“You have all done very well”, the temptation to just say “14 games, 10 wins, 3 draws and a solitary defeat at the hands of PL Liverpool, what else is there to say” is great. But would that really reflect the way the individual components of our squad have contributed since the season started? Yes and no, whilst a certain appreciation of a good well done is valid there is a sense in which now is the time to reference flaws and future potential difficulties.
If you class Hughes as a midfield player and Bromby as predominately a right-back you can make the case that we have at least two players for all 11 positions (and in fact in attack we have at least 3 for each striker place), the vast majority of which you could make a case are as good as if not better than a template L1 automatic promotion player. Obviously we could do with the odd addition; another ball-passing midfielder wouldn’t go amiss, but all in all the squad should be good enough to go up (yes this is not what I was saying back in May but hey, time matches on).
So given that we have established the football management team seemed to be on a roll we can only conclude that any failure to secure that promotion will be down to the players, form, mood, attitude, selflessness/selfishness etc. I see no point in just lauding a long list of players (like Higgs, Kisnorbo, Howson, Johnson, Snodgrass, Becchio etc) for how they have performed since August, that is after all what they get paid to do, nor do I see a point in listing the players that constantly cause concern whenever they venture near the team (like Hughes, Robinson, Showunmi, Kandol etc and to a lesser extent Doyle) instead what I think would be of more use is to identify 5 players who if they can just add a little to what they are and have shown recently will bring that little bit extra that could make all the difference when the business end of the season comes around. That 5 for our consideration are Ankergran, Michalik, Kilkenny, Grella and Beckford (yes Beckford!)
Before I examine their season’s so far and what might be to come perhaps I should expand on why this is no standard review; being top, unbeaten and with no over-riding sense of grievance (except where it should be directed, Bates) has distorted the judgement of some of our support. Unable to cope with the idea that you enjoy the results while you can we have witnessed this season a machine-gun mentality when it comes to players criticism, one weeks its Marques, next week Howson, week after Johnson, then its Becchio’s turn then Snodgrass isn’t the golden boy anymore and this week it is Ankergran. Now in all of those cases that criticism has been delusionary garbage to put it mildly, but blogs have to be written and forums given content! At best some low level mutterings about Hughes being out of position might be valid, or irritation at Robinson’s inability to impose himself in league appearances or even Showunmi’s touch, but even them we are talking about players who are unlikely to be first choice in a fully fit squad. I know old habits die hard but given the additional presence of Kandol, Sheehan, Prutton and Huntingdon (and I’d be more than happy to see them all come good in a Leeds shirt again) in our squad I see no rational for criticising the better players!
What the dullards on the kop were thinking when they started ironic cheering of Casper’s kicks I do not know, price you pay for having 30k+ crowds it seems to me. Ankergran has played in 5 games this season (counting his sub appearance at Franchise FC), he has conceded 2 goals, that to me is decent enough given how it adds to Higgs stunning record. Yes he has kicking and box commanding issues but his shot-stopping and reactions, as witnessed against Charlton, is still top-notch. He would commend a first team place in any CCC side, which is why the recent questioning of him grates so much. We are going to need Casper at his best if Higgs is injured or not, giving that position real competition and cover for injuries and suspensions. In order to ensure that might i humbly suggest people get off his back.
I have to admit that in the case of Ludo I thought the die was cast, lacking in confidence, probably fifth choice at the start of the season it was difficult to see how he could work his way back. Well he has, doing extremely well when brought on (usually early on) and in the pressure games. I think he has been superb, against MK Dons and Liverpool, I am surprised that wasn’t rewarded with a start against Carlisle, his form has certainly been noticed by his country as he is back in the fold again. Michalik is a decent player and will contribute significantly to our season given a chance to, a little encouragement, from team SG and us the fans, could go a long way.
Kilkenny isn’t a difficult issue, he is better than Doyle, brings more to the table, he should be in the team. Granted the early season injury didn’t help him but given he has become established on our subs bench one can only assume he is now fit enough to start games. Killa is consistent in his passing and all round game, apart from some bottler criticism he gets from idiots there is very little to fault in his contribution to the club, he looks like he could play with ease at higher levels, if we don’t fully utilise him soon we might find in January he is doing just that.
When you see a player who his stretching every muscle to contribute to the team and you notice a bit of skill to go with it that is always a good sign for a player still working his way into the picture. Grella has really impressed me with his cameo’s this season, works hard, seems to have decent control, wants to try things occasionally, the only issue seems to be confidence in the penalty box (hang on where have I seen that issue before, oh yes 2006-07 and a chap we bought from Wealdstone). I think he has what it takes to overcome that issue and start to contribute in the goals department and we are going to need him to do that, mainly because we can’t continue to over-rely on the next player from my little list.
I don’t care how many goals you get in a season, if you don’t have an all round game or an understanding of the teams needs you next to useless in my book (insert own example of this type of player). Jermaine Beckford hasn’t changed a dot since he returned from his confidence boosting spell at Scunthorpe, he still needs far too many chances to get his goals, always missing more than he gets, his passing and lay-offs are still erratic, his work-rate indulgent, his attitude and temperament suspect, we have had all this over the last few months and the usual redeeming supply of goals. One issue that has changed, it has gone from theory to confirmed, is his big-game mentality, it’s got worst, no point his fans denying it, we now have nearly 20 examples from the last few seasons to show for it. This is where Beckford can give more, if he isn’t prepared to improve his team game that’s fine, just do what he does when the big games come along and that will be fine, after all if he wants that transfer he is going to have to earn it!
As we approach the next 12 league games what seems to me as the core issue for the players is how much do they, individually and collectively, want to win this division? To me I’m indifferent to which players contribute, if the team that takes us up includes Martin, Huntingdon, White, Prutton, Robinson, Kandol and Somma, who am I to complain? There is no scope for taking the foot off the gas, team SG have options which should ensure no complacency. There is a lot of talk when discussing tactics about “whatever it takes” well that is a two way street and if it takes dropping Beckford or Kisnorbo later in the season so be it, no sacred cow players this season please.

Leeds United 2009-10, quarter season review part 5: League 1.
October 8th, 2009
What we want.
The essence of good competition is a vital part of the sporting experience, hence why the supporters of the so called “big 4” have such limiting excitement in their life, same old, same old. Yet whilst it is true that the range of opportunity improves the further down the food chain you go with modern English football there is an element of sameness about L1 this season that you can either see as a threat (i.e. we are destined to repeat the last two seasons with play-off heartache) or as an opportunity (we are the exception in a league of similar), as they say in “A” level exams (gosh best part of 30 years ago) “discuss”.
So far no-one in L1 has pushed us, we have let some teams drag us down a little but no-one has really exposed any limitations our rose tinted outlook has missed. The nearest to being turned over (in points sense) was Southend where the penalty save from Higgs ensured a reasonable return on a turgid night in Essex. Charlton competed with us but again showed no signs of dominating, could be a interesting test at their place late on in the season.
Of course we still have significant tests to come, Norwich, Millwall, Huddersfield, Southampton (just about starting to find some form) and the surprise kid on the fringes of promotion block, Swindon! It is also true that despite us seemingly having resolved not to lose to the “poxy” clubs on the usual basis that threat remains. I have indicated in part 3 how the tendency to lower our standards away to reflect the opposition isn’t a tactic that I believe will work for ever.
Of the teams we have played so far Charlton are clearly the nearest to competition for the title, next, not so much in terms of how they played but on how they responded to our win at their place is Colchester, I wasn’t too impressed but I can see already what Boothroyd is doing to turn them into contenders. As an aside its good to see that Exeter are holding their own so far, I do like a small club with a positive footballing attitude, should god forbid Grayson fall under a passing Blackpool tram I’d suggest Paul Tisdale as the man to get!
So other than admitting that the competition is yet to come up to the standards expected of it every little else is let to ponder, except the old debate around “footballing playing sides” verses “hoofballers” in terms of how you get out of a league like L1. You won’t be surprised to learn not only do I support the former approach I also point out that evidence from recent seasons also supports that approach (well partly, the clubs I point to were 75% football and 25% physical at most and that’s a divide I can live with) with Doncaster, Peterborough, Swansea all in the higher division.
Life is never going to be simple at this level, injuries, appalling refereeing (special shout to Durso for that this season but also to Mr Phillips for the Colchester game), shocking playing surfaces or the sheer slog involved might all conspire to make the next few months a bit stressful. Personally i think we have “sorted enough nuts” to survive a bad patch, we could go through all of October without a win and still be top 2 at the end of it. This is an unusual experience for us and we should be aware someone always comes out of the pack (well outside the PL) but let’s saviour it first. L1 where is thy sting?
Additional: I did say I would do another section on “us the fans” but having thought about it as this series has progressed I have come to the conclusion that a) what would I say, the two extremes of good and bad don’t change in that short a time scale and b) it’s probably worth a whole series of its own sometime.


Guardian 3/10/09
Leeds and Charlton draw a blank as the leading pair settle for stalemate
Barney Ronay at Elland Road
Leeds United continue to march on at the top of League One – with a slightly stuttering stride, perhaps, but with great spirit and the support of a brilliantly committed 31,838 crowd, Elland Road's biggest of the season so far. A point at home to Charlton Athletic left Leeds still three points clear of their second-placed visitors, confirming their status as muscular and persuasive autumn pace-setters. And in truth it was the muscular side of their game that was to the fore as for long periods the visitors played the more constructive football in a match they might easily have won.
Not that anyone inside Elland Road really minded. "We're all in this together," Simon Grayson wrote in his programme notes, and togetherness has been the key: this week Leeds fans were being offered the chance to purchase "an evening with Simon Grayson" (cost £25), and tomorrow afternoon Elland Road will host a wedding fair, with Ken Bates, the chairman, promising to offer himself as godfather to the first born of one lucky prize draw winner. Presumably there is also an opportunity to decline.
Home support has been a real source of strength for Leeds. Last week's 1-1 draw with Carlisle had been preceded by five straight home wins. They started on the front foot here, although much of their early pressure consisted of hopeful punts in the direction of Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio, twin strikers in a 4-4-2 formation. It was just such a pass from Neil Kilkenny that gave Beckford the match's first chance on 10 minutes, but he shot narrowly wide under no real pressure.
Sam Sodje was making his debut in central defence for Charlton and he caught the eye with some meaty headed clearances. "We brought him in because we needed another physical presence," Phil Parkinson, the Charlton manager, said afterwards, and Sodje was certainly game, repeatedly hurling himself into the path of the Leeds barrage.
Leeds' attempts to impose themselves were not helped by a nasty swirling wind that decorated the pitch with a scurf of litter, but by the time Becchio had left the field on 35 minutes, injuring his ankle treading on the ball, Charlton had begun to dominate quietly, with the composed and elegant Jonjo Shelvey to the fore. "For a 17-year-old kid coming into this environment I thought he put on a really good display," Parkinson noted, and for much of the first half Shelvey looked the most interesting player on view in a withdrawn attacking position behind the lone striker Deon Burton.
Leeds may be desperate to escape this division, but so are Charlton, another of League One's contingent of the formerly buoyant. The last time these teams met was on the last day of the Premier League season five years ago, a game that saw Alan Smith chaired off in his final appearance for his home-town club.
Leeds' team that day contained nine international players, plus Frazier Richardson, who played right-back for Charlton here, and for a while either side of half-time he was a potent threat from the flank as Charlton gave Leeds, if not a footballing lesson, then a brief informal tutorial.
With Jonathan Howson tucking in on the right there was a distinct lack of width about Leeds. They were not helped greatly by Becchio's replacement, Enoch Showunmi, a striker with considerable bulk but the deft first touch of a croquet mallet. Still, roared on by an unquenchably noisy support they pressed and fought and harried after the break. On the hour Showunmi turned neatly on to Johnson's pass and drew a smart low save from Rob Elliot.
It was a lack of precision rather than willing that undermined their efforts. Beckford received very little service, while a Showunmi stepover inside the penalty area that left him sprawled on the turf drew howls of anguish and some laughter.
Charlton flickered: Shelvey had a shot from 25 yards and later Izale McLeod looked lively as Parkinson introduced another striker with 15 minutes remaining. But gradually the game closed up as both teams scented the compromise of a point.
Grayson was asked if he was disappointed his team had not pressed harder for victory: "You don't want to be the one that makes a mistake in that sort of game, but why would I be disappointed? We're the only unbeaten team in the League after 11 games." Norwich City won 5-1 today and are the next visitors to Elland Road. The race to escape from League One, you feel, has a great deal of life left in it.




Sunday Times 4/10/09
Ken Bates lifts spirits at Elland Road
Leeds 0 Charlton 0
Barry Flatman at Elland Road
ON A DAY that was supposed to exemplify the endeavour, quality and entertainment value of two resurgent clubs who believe they belong in or close to the top flight, it fell to unlikely wit Ken Bates to provide a little levity. Leeds United may have failed to score at home for the first time this season but today the club stage a wedding fayre. As a special incentive to prospective customers, Bates, the Leeds chairman, has offered to be the godfather to the first child of whoever wins a special raffle.
Unfortunately for Bates, the Leeds strikers lacked the same entrepreneurial qualities and against their nearest challengers Charlton, they can count themselves fortunate to have gathered even a point.
Had goalkeeper Casper Ankergren not been so alert in the last 20 minutes as the south Londoners repeatedly threatened, this would have been another black date to rue.
Watched by Leeds’ biggest crowd of the season — more than 31,000 — it was a perfect day for Simon Grayson’s team to show why they are destined for better things. Instead, Charlton manager Phil Parkinson was the happier. He said: “This was an excellent performance. After being under pressure for the first 10 minutes we stood up really well for the rest of the match.”
Two Charlton players had something to prove. After 10 years at Leeds, Frazer Richardson was offloaded at the end of last season. Charlton snapped him up and his tireless performance down the flank emphasised Leeds’ glaring lack of width.
Sam Sodje played for Leeds, on loan from Reading, in last season’s playoffs but was not offered a permanent deal. Charlton took him on and they were rewarded with a commanding display that largely thwarted the highly rated Jermaine Beckford.
Star man: Sam Sodje (Charlton)
Yellow cards: Leeds: Bromby Charlton: Sodje
Referee: S Mathieson
Attendance: 31,838
LEEDS: Ankergren 7, Kisnorbo 7, Naylor 7, Bromby 6, Doyle 6, Kilkenny 5 (Grella 79min), Howson 5, Johnson 6, Hughes 5 (Robinson 65min), Beckford 5, Becchio 5 (Showunmi 36min, 4)
CHARLTON: Elliot 6, Richardson 7, Youga 6, Sodje 8, Dailly 7, Bailey 6, Shelvey 7 (McLeod 76min), Racon 6 (Basey 89min), Sam 6, (Wagstaff 45min, 5), Spring 6, Burton 6

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