leedsunited.com 31/8/11
TOO BIG AN OPPORTUNITY - MAX
Max Gradel was this morning undertaking a medical with Saint-Etienne with a view to completing the formalities of his transfer to the French top division club.
The Ivory Coast international handed in a transfer request on Tuesday afternoon when he stated: "It is with a heavy heart that I have asked to leave Leeds United today.
"It was a difficult decision for me as Leeds has been a wonderful place to live and to play football. However, I have made the decision based on my career development, and the opportunity to play at the highest level in France is too big an opportunity to turn down.
"I want to thank all the Leeds United fans who loyally follow the team up and down the country as you have made my time at the club very special. I also want to thank Simon Grayson, my team-mates, and everyone at the club for all your help and support, and giving me the opportunity to play for this great club.
"I am sure t...
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leeds united.com 30/8/11
Gradel departs after transfer request
Leeds United have reluctantly accepted an offer from French club Saint-Etienne for Max Gradel.
The player, who joined Leeds for an initial fee of £200,000 when he moved permanently from Leicester in January 2010, submitted a transfer request earlier on Tuesday, stating his desire to secure a move to his 'native' France and play at the highest level for his career development.
There has been extensive interest in the player, who is out of contract at the end of the season, from both clubs in England and France, however we were reluctant to agree to a domestic transfer that could potentially harm our promotion ambitions.
The player is to undertake a medical examination on Wednesday and the fee will remain undisclosed.
Max has scored 25 goals in 81 appearances for United since joining the club, initially on loan from Leicester City in October 2009.
The player, who won his first international caps while with the...
Yorkshire Evening Post 29/8/11
Ipswich Town v Leeds United: Whites left to rue their luck
A week is a long time in football, as Ipswich Town cannot fail to realise. It is nothing like the length of the fortnight in which Leeds United will dwell on a perplexing defeat.
The charitable streak in Simon Grayson told him that of the two managers thrown together at Portman Road on Saturday, Paul Jewell was most in need of whatever luck existed. Devoid of any on a night of humiliation at Peterborough United, Jewell’s hands were suddenly full of it.
Ipswich’s manager cracked a knowing smile after their 2-1 win over Leeds, counting his blessings in full. Grayson looked crushed by a scoreline which, in his view and those of others around him, beggared belief. “No-one leaving this stadium can say we deserved to lose,” he said, a defiant claim in the face of a travesty. When it came to bemoaning his luck, United’s boss did not know where to start.
Top of the charge-sheet was a red card shown...
Sporting Life 28/8/11
JEWELL: WE WERE OUTPLAYED
Ipswich boss Paul Jewell admitted his Ipswich side were lucky to come from behind and beat Leeds.
Town went behind to a Ross McCormack goal but hit back with strikes from Keith Andrews and Jason Scotland after Leeds had defender Aidy White sent off.
After shipping five and seven goals in their previous two npower Championship games the Ipswich boss was relieved to get a win, however undeserved.
"Let us be honest, Leeds are a good team and outplayed us first half," said Jewell.
"After losing seven the players are edgy and we were on the back foot, which was understandable.
"We got a couple of decisions that went our way and a deflected goal.
"Thank Christ for that, sometimes you have to just take the victory. We needed a victory and however we got it - we will take it."
Leeds-born David Stockdale thwarted McCormack twice in the opening 20 minutes, first saving with his feet and then a block from a po...
Yorkshire Evening Post 24/8/11
Doncaster Rovers 1 Leeds United 2: Nunez double gets Whites out of jail
AN exhilarating skirmish with West Ham United on Sunday left little doubt about the make-up of Leeds United’s strongest available team. Last night’s visit to Doncaster Rovers, where Leeds staved off an early exit from the Carling Cup, all but confirmed the pecking order at Elland Road – with one exception.
The club’s outing at a half-full Keepmoat Stadium was a chance for players on the periphery of Grayson’s regular line-up to fight their corner and catch his eye, but the bulk of United’s team should pick itself in Ipswich this weekend after their scramble into the League Cup’s third round.
Nunez posed the only serious question mark by scoring twice in fine style and settling the tie in normal time.
His sublime volleys were the sum of United’s performance, coming in either half and freeing Leeds of the mediocrity that constrained them for an hour.
Doncaster’s night was troubl...
Yorkshire Evening Post 24/8/11
Ramon’s in the frame
SIMON Grayson admitted he was under pressure to hand Ramon Nunez a regular starting place at Elland Road after a brace of goals from the Honduran international carried Leeds United into the third round of the Carling Cup.
Nunez earned Leeds a 2-1 victory at Doncaster Rovers last night with two brilliant volleys, increasing his tally of goals for the season to five in six appearances.
The midfielder scored on 30 minutes, levelling an early strike from Doncaster’s James Hayter, and he struck again seven minutes from time to pull United through a tie which Rovers dominated.
Nunez made his first league start for Leeds during last week’s 4-1 rout of Hull City, a match in which he found the net, but he returned to the bench for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham United.
His performance last night put him in firm contention for inclusion against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday, and Grayson, who named Roberts Snodgrass and Max G...
Yorkshire Post 22/8/11
West Ham United 2 Leeds United 2: Impressive Leeds play their part in superb encounter
By Richard Sutcliffe
WHEN the case was being made in favour of West Ham United moving to the Olympic Stadium after next year’s Games, all manner of reasons were put forward by the club’s board.
A need to bring more matchday income into the coffers courtesy of a 60,000 capacity venue was the most persuasive, while it being much easier to get to Stratford than Upton Park on weekends when the tube system in the East End is left near paralysed by engineering works also won over many of the doubters.
Upton Park being something of a graveyard for the Hammers when Leeds United come to the capital is, admittedly, unlikely to have been in anyone’s thoughts.
However, after United yesterday extended their amazing run to just two defeat in 18 trips up the District Line since 1975, the home fans could be thankful that come 2013 West Ham are likely to be kicking off the season in new ...
Guardian 21/8/11
Adam Clayton's late strike earns Leeds a deserved draw at West Ham
Championship - West Ham 2 Leeds United 2 Jonny Weeks at Upton Park
Adam Clayton pounced in the 90th minute as Leeds twice fought back from a goal down to earn a point from a colourful clash at the Boleyn Ground. But in a game riddled with penalty appeals, Max Gradel's failure to score the only spot-kick that was awarded might have cost Leeds dearly.
The Ivorian dragged a tame effort wide in the first-half, with Leeds trailing to Carlton Cole's early strike, but second-half goals from Ross McCormack and Clayton rescued a deserved draw for the visitors.
Gradel's abundant talents had attracted the West Ham manager, Sam Allardyce, earlier in the summer, though Leeds refused to part with their player of the year last season for the £2.5 million the Hammers offered.
Allardyce's may now reconsider the need for such a player but much, of course, will depend on his ability to retain ...
Yorkshire Evening Post 19/8/11
Leeds United reaping fringe benefits - Hay
Andy Keogh rarely features in laments about the looting of Leeds United’s academy. Flogged to Scunthorpe for the price of a Mercedes, his transfer caused none of the hell raised by other Thorp Arch sales. Perhaps it should have done.
In his own way, Keogh upheld a sorry trend – Leeds’ academy working to the benefit of other clubs. Scunthorpe paid £50,000 to sign him and United pulled in twice that sum through a sell-on clause when he joined Wolves in 2007, but both of those clubs relied on Keogh during seasons in which they were promoted. There were times in the intervening years when Leeds would have made better use of him.
The explanation at the time of his sale was that Leeds were unable to promise Keogh more than a seat in the stands. It is often the way with aspiring professionals and a recent reality at Elland Road. For the past two seasons, academy representation in United’s first team has been virtua...
Telegraph 16/8/11
Leeds United 4 Hull City 1: match report
Read a full match report of the Championship game between Leeds United and Hull City at Elland Road on Tuesday Aug 16, 2011.
By Chris Brereton at Elland Road
Few chalices in English football can turn out to be as poisonous as one involving Leeds United. When the club’s fans are with you, they are really, really with you. When they are not? Well, just consider former manager Brian Clough, or, latterly, chairman Ken Bates.
Bates has a long reputation for agitating fans, and his current standing among the denizens of Elland Road will not bother him one iota following the recent demonstrations regarding his boardroom incumbency and the lack of funds available.
The seeds of a tough season have been sown by a summer transfer window that has seen a dearth of new attacking talent arrive, save for Andy Keogh’s loan signing from Wolves. However, Bates, who has a unique spin on the current gloom surrounding Elland Road, on Tuesday ...
Yorkshire Evening Post 15/8/11
Keogh raring to get going INTERVIEW
By Leon Wobschall
Andy Keogh can’t wait for his second coming at Leeds United to get underway, with the Irishman in line for his home debut against Hull City tonight – nine years after joining the club.
The 25-year-old Wolves forward has returned to the Whites, the club where he started his career as a scholar in 2002, on loan until January 2 and is expected to be thrown straight in against the Tigers this evening.
After two successive Championship defeats, United are desperate for lift-off as they aim to avoid a third consecutive league loss at the start of the season for the first time in exactly 75 years, since 1936-37.
And Keogh may not be the only arrival on the strikers’ front this week, with United running the rule over free agent Mikael Forssell, with the former Chelsea and Birmingham City frontman, 30, currently training with the club.
For Republic of Ireland international Keogh, it’s very much a case o...
Yorkshire Post 15/8/11
Keogh on way as Leeds United look to ease early-season injury problems
By Richard Sutcliffe
LEEDS UNITED have signed Wolves striker Andy Keogh on loan until January.
The 25-year-old started his career at Elland Road as a trainee and has been drafted in to plug the gap in Simon Grayson’s squad left by injuries to Luciano Becchio, Davide Somma and Andy Paynter.
Keogh was at Thorp Arch today to complete the signing in time to face Hull City tomorrow night.
Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey confirmed Leeds’ interest in the striker. He said: “We are of the view that we would prefer a sale for his sake but Leeds need some help more than anything, so this loan is a good arrangement for everyone.”
Grayson told the club’s official website: “Andy will strengthen our striking options. He’s got plenty of experience, having played a lot at this level and in the Premier League.
“He’s also returning to the club where he started his career so he knows what it’s like her...
Sporting Life 13/8/11
GRAYSON BAFFLED BY RED CARDS
Leeds manager Simon Grayson declared himself "bewildered" after his nine-man side were beaten 1-0 by Middlesbrough in the npower Championship match at Elland Road.
With fans protesting about chairman Ken Bates off the field, referee Anthony Taylor dominated proceedings on it by sending off three players - two from Leeds - while Marvin Emnes struck a second-half winner.
Max Gradel and Tony McMahon, both booked in the fifth minute following a minor skirmish, saw red before half-time, with Leeds captain Jonny Howson following them down the tunnel on the hour following a controversial incident involving Emnes.
Howson had already been booked after an almost unavoidable foul on Emnes following a Michael Brown error, and, when the two collided as they raced towards a vacant Leeds half, Taylor gave the decision in Howson's favour.
But, as Emnes lay on the floor, Grayson claims Taylor was told to change his initial verdict ...
Yorkshire Post 11/8/11
Leeds United 3 Bradford City 2: Nunez at the double to stun battling Bantams
By Richard Sutcliffe at Elland Road
IN a week when revolting (in every sense of the word) natives have left the country burning, perhaps it was inevitable that the simmering resentment among Leeds United fans should last night boil to the surface.
Simon Grayson’s side may have eventually earned a place in the Carling Cup second round courtesy of a rousing fightback that saw two goals by Ramon Nunez and a header from Ross McCormack eventually account for neighbours Bradford City.
But that did little to ease the unrest among supporters, many of whom could be heard chanting ‘Bates out’ and ‘where’s all our money gone?’ even as they disappeared into the Leeds night.
Tellingly, the home fans had not turned on their manager once during a thrilling 90 minutes despite United going so close to being humbled with chants of ‘there’s only one Simon Grayson’ indicating where they feel the bla...
Telegraph 6/8/11 Southampton 3 Leeds United 1: match report Cowes Week began on Saturday and across the Solent the forecast for these two teams was similarly mixed. Goals from Dean Hammond, Adam Lallana and David Connolly for a vibrant Southampton made this match plain sailing for the newly-promoted team. But for Leeds, there are choppy waters ahead. Porous in defence and just poor in attack, they appear far less well-equipped for the challenge of returning to the Premier League which their fans and boardroom demand. While the confidence their hosts have shown in recruiting sparingly over the summer while retaining their best players, Leeds’ failure to bring in much new blood and the loss of some key players is likely to cost them dear. It would have been preferable to experience a happy occasion at a stadium which has already had its share of grief in its short history. But it was obvious even from watching on television that the momentum is very much with Southampton. For the last se...