Bradford Telegraph and Argus 28/11/10
Leeds United's 'Mad Max' lucky to avoid red card
By John Wray
Reading 0, Leeds United 0
Labelled ‘Mad Max’ by some Leeds fans, winger Max Gradel lived up to his nickname and was lucky to stay on the pitch as Simon Grayson’s men kept their first clean sheet since September in the npower Championship yesterday.
Gradel said in interviews before this goalless draw that he had learned the lesson of his sending off in the final game of last season, against Bristol Rovers, when he totally lost control of his temper. This time he was extremely fortunate that the card shown by referee Fred Graham in the 42nd minute was yellow and not red.
Gradel was tackled by Andy Griffin and then kicked out in anger at the Reading player while both men were on the ground. Both were cautioned.
Six minutes earlier, Gradel had been his side’s hero by clearing Shane Long’s deflected shot off the line after Leeds failed to clear Jobi McAnuff’s corner.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson said: “I saw the incident between Max and Andy Griffin on the dvd afterwards. They collided and Max probably caught him with his boot – whether it was intentional or not I don’t know.
"It wasn’t the cleverest of things to do and Max has to learn from what happened to him in the final game of last season. The referee decided what he had to do and gave them a yellow card.
“Griffin is an experienced campaigner and I am sure he was trying to wind Max up in that instance and for the rest of the game. Up to that point we hadn’t really been threatened, we kept the home fans quiet but that incident just gave them a lift.
“Max is a passionate boy who cares immensely about the football club and his career but he has to channel that in the right direction at times.”
In an untidy first half, Leeds’ only serious attempt on goal arrived on the half-hour when Robert Snodgrass had a free-kick saved by the Royals’ Australian keeper Adam Federici.
Right back Paul Connolly’s booking just before the interval was his fifth of the season and he misses the home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday through suspension, causing Grayson to make a change to his settled defence.
Grayson said: “Paul has settled into a back four that has been doing well recently, but his absence will give an opportunity to somebody else.
"I am satisfied with a point – a clean sheet has been coming over the last few weeks because we’ve looked more solid.
“We didn’t work their goalkeeper enough, but sometimes you have to sacrifice certain parts of your game against a team like Reading, who are hard to beat on their own ground.”
Reading, who included former Leeds defender Ian Harte in their ranks, had the better of the second half and put United under considerable late pressure with Kasper Schmeichel making a superb save from Noel Hunt and Jimmy Kebe giving left back George McCartney a torrid time.
Jonny Howson could have won it for Leeds in added time when put through by substitute Ross McCormack but that would have been harsh on the Royals, and Federici duly made the save. It was Leeds’ first goalless draw since the stalemate at Doncaster on September 17 and extended their unbeaten league run to six matches.
Leeds United's 'Mad Max' lucky to avoid red card
By John Wray
Reading 0, Leeds United 0
Labelled ‘Mad Max’ by some Leeds fans, winger Max Gradel lived up to his nickname and was lucky to stay on the pitch as Simon Grayson’s men kept their first clean sheet since September in the npower Championship yesterday.
Gradel said in interviews before this goalless draw that he had learned the lesson of his sending off in the final game of last season, against Bristol Rovers, when he totally lost control of his temper. This time he was extremely fortunate that the card shown by referee Fred Graham in the 42nd minute was yellow and not red.
Gradel was tackled by Andy Griffin and then kicked out in anger at the Reading player while both men were on the ground. Both were cautioned.
Six minutes earlier, Gradel had been his side’s hero by clearing Shane Long’s deflected shot off the line after Leeds failed to clear Jobi McAnuff’s corner.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson said: “I saw the incident between Max and Andy Griffin on the dvd afterwards. They collided and Max probably caught him with his boot – whether it was intentional or not I don’t know.
"It wasn’t the cleverest of things to do and Max has to learn from what happened to him in the final game of last season. The referee decided what he had to do and gave them a yellow card.
“Griffin is an experienced campaigner and I am sure he was trying to wind Max up in that instance and for the rest of the game. Up to that point we hadn’t really been threatened, we kept the home fans quiet but that incident just gave them a lift.
“Max is a passionate boy who cares immensely about the football club and his career but he has to channel that in the right direction at times.”
In an untidy first half, Leeds’ only serious attempt on goal arrived on the half-hour when Robert Snodgrass had a free-kick saved by the Royals’ Australian keeper Adam Federici.
Right back Paul Connolly’s booking just before the interval was his fifth of the season and he misses the home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday through suspension, causing Grayson to make a change to his settled defence.
Grayson said: “Paul has settled into a back four that has been doing well recently, but his absence will give an opportunity to somebody else.
"I am satisfied with a point – a clean sheet has been coming over the last few weeks because we’ve looked more solid.
“We didn’t work their goalkeeper enough, but sometimes you have to sacrifice certain parts of your game against a team like Reading, who are hard to beat on their own ground.”
Reading, who included former Leeds defender Ian Harte in their ranks, had the better of the second half and put United under considerable late pressure with Kasper Schmeichel making a superb save from Noel Hunt and Jimmy Kebe giving left back George McCartney a torrid time.
Jonny Howson could have won it for Leeds in added time when put through by substitute Ross McCormack but that would have been harsh on the Royals, and Federici duly made the save. It was Leeds’ first goalless draw since the stalemate at Doncaster on September 17 and extended their unbeaten league run to six matches.