Mighty Leeds Weblog

by Paul Robinson LEEDS United have dramatically pulled the plug on their in-house radio station. Yorkshire Radio will be going off air at 6pm today, the club announced in a statement. The statement said United wanted to concentrate their digital media output on their website and LUTV online television channel. Leeds managing director David Haigh said: “This is one of the toughest decisions we have made, and we would like to place on record our thanks to all the staff at Yorkshire Radio, who have worked tremendously hard over the years to build up a Yorkshire sports station on DAB.” Yorkshire Radio was launched in 2006, just over a year into Ken Bates’ time in charge at Leeds. Speaking at the time, he said: “This gives us a potential audience of some four to five million listeners. Since coming to Leeds I have been very impressed by the people of Yorkshire and the vibrancy of the county and I think they deserve a radio station to match.” Bates was removed as president at the end o...

Leeds boss Brian McDermott has not given up on bringing one more player to the club before the start of the new season. McDermott has signed three players during the summer, but had suggested he would have to sell in order to add anymore new faces to his squad. The former Reading boss revealed after the weekend defeat to Nuremburg however, that there had been some interest in one of his current players and this could lead to one more new arrival ahead of Saturday's opening league fixture against Brighton. "We've had a little bit of an enquiry," McDermott said. "Monday, Tuesday we'll see what happens. "Maybe that would let me do something the other way. "If someone left the building, someone could possibly come in. That's how it is." Leeds closed their pre-season fixture programme with a 4-0 win over Irish side Shelbourne on Monday evening. Winger Ryan Hall scored twice, while Noel Hunt and Ross Killock were also on the scoresheet. M...

Bloomberg 30/7/13 By Wael Mahdi Prince Abdullah bin Musaad, a former president of the Al-Hilal soccer club, is targeting a stake in Leeds United and another soccer team in the English Premier League he didn’t identify, al-Eqtisadia daily reported. * Prince says he is very close to buying a club and he will make an announcement on a deal in coming few days, newspaper says.

leedsunited.com 30/7/13 Stephen Warnock looking to season opener... Stephen WarnockUnited defender Stephen Warnock is looking to get the new season off to a flying start at the weekend when Brighton are the visitors. United lost to German outfit FC Nurnberg at Elland Road on Saturday, but although the match ended with United on the wrong side of the result Stephen feels it was worth it. "I think it was probably what we needed," said the defender. "The manager said before the games that we've had in pre-season have been tough games. "There is no point going into the season having won every game three or four nil, you need testing. "We knew Nurnberg would be a tough game, they have finished the last three seasons well in the Bundesliga, we enjoyed the test though. "We could have done a bit better but we know that. The training is still pre-season training and we had a tough session on the Thursday before the game. The training this week I'm su...

leedsunited.com 29/7/13 Hall at the double against Shelbourne.... SHELBOURNE 0, UNITED 4 (Hunt 15, Hall 28, Killock 59, Hall 79) United: Cairns, Thompson, Killock, Taylor, Drury, Austin, Hunt (Walters 60), Dawson (Coyle 70), Mowatt, Smith, Hall. Subs: Grimes, Cook, Mowatt, Parkin. Att: 2,177 The friendly trip to Shelbourne was arranged to give extra game time to some of Brian McDermott's squad, and the first half saw a real quality display across the park. Skipper Rudy Austin took the individual plaudits for his efforts in the middle of the park, both with the quality of his passing and the ease in which he broke up play and protected the back four. That said, there were good efforts everywhere. Zac Thompson delivered some great balls for Matt Smith, youngsters Alex Mowatt and Chris Dawson showed real promise, and the back four were assured. There were also first half goals for Noel Hunt, who delivered a great finish after latching on to a long pass from Austin, and for Ry...

Yorkshire Post 29/7/13 by Richard Sutcliffe LEEDS UNITED were last night facing up to a possible legal battle after Ken Bates insisted the reasons given for his sacking as president had “no validity”. The 81-year-old, who stepped down as chairman at the end of last month, was dramatically removed from the post on Friday night by owners, GFH Capital. At the time, no reason was given for the decision but it has since emerged a number of issues were raised by GFH Capital in a letter hand-delivered to Bates while on holiday in Italy last week. These include Bates, when still chairman, committing United to a three-year contract with a private aeroplane company, 247 Jet, to ferry him to Yorkshire from his Monaco home. A similar deal had been in place throughout his eight-year stint at the helm. Bates, who is due back in West Yorkshire tomorrow following the end of his holiday, insists the new travel contract was covered by the agreement signed when he sold the club last December but GF...

YEP 29/7/13 by Phil Hay Brian McDermott poured cold water on claims that he is looking to sacrifice El-Hadji Diouf from Leeds United’s squad as he crossed his fingers for transfer developments in the next 48 hours. United have fielded an enquiry for one of their senior players, raising McDermott’s hopes that a departure from Elland Road will allow him to complete his fourth summer signing before Leeds kick off their Championship season against Brighton on Saturday. McDermott, who has been told to reduce United’s wage bill before bringing new players in, revealed the approach after his side rounded off pre-season with a 2-0 defeat to German Bundesliga club Nuremberg. But the Leeds boss reacted cooly to suggestions last week that Diouf is on the list of names he is ready to move on. Diouf has a year to run on his £10,000-a-week contract and McDermott said: “Whatever suggestions there are about him didn’t come from me. All I know is that he’s got to get himself training and he’s got ...

YEP 28/7/13 by Phil Hay A new season awaits and the old broom has gone. Elland Road was free of Ken Bates for the first time in eight-and-a-half years on Saturday and most who were there seemed glad of it. Symbolically, his chapter at Leeds United is over, even if legal battles lie ahead. The club’s former chairman lost his influence many months ago, but the abrupt end to his reign as president on Friday banished him completely. Saturday’s defeat to Nuremberg should have been his first home game in the role, but the divorce came through 24 hours earlier, 25 days into a three-year term. The question of whether Bates had been pushed was answered by the incredible revelation that Leeds’ owner GFH Capital sacked him for committing the club to an expensive contract to fly him by private jet to and from Monaco over the next three years. The club will say nothing beyond the fact he has left, but Bates planned to attend this weekend’s game against Brighton and many others besides. His ...

YEP 28/7/13 Ken Bates claims he was sacked as Leeds president after a disagreement over travel expenses. It was reported that former chairman Bates, 81, renewed a contract with a private jet company without the approval of the Sky Bet Championship club’s owners GFH Capital. Bates, who was on holiday in Italy when he received a hand-delivered letter informing him of his dismissal, insists he attempted to get in touch with the Whites’ hierarchy to inform them of his actions, but to no avail. Explaining his view of the situation, he told talkSPORT: “Basically I had a chance of renewing that travel expense contract at a price that is cheaper than existing and at the same time, more importantly, it was in sterling and protects Leeds’ (accounts) because all gas is bought in dollars and most of the handling charges are in the EC. “So, I checked, very interestingly, with the solicitor who wrote me the letter when I met him socially and he confirmed that a director had the authority to com...

So it seems that the only question in Ken Bates' mind when it came to signing THAT contract was whether he could do it, whether as a director he COULD commit the club to a half million contract, for his personal expenses. For most ethical people the question would have been whether he SHOULD do it, whether it was morally right to do so. The first duty of directors, as most of them will readily acknowledge, is to the good of their organisation and they would know with every fibre of their being that serving their own interests at the expense of the firm is wrong. It's impossible for the outsider to know whether Bates was actually a director at the time (chairman doesn't automatically confer that privilege) and it is interesting that Bates chose to take the decision in the final few days before he moved into the honorary role of president. But aren't we glad that the ties are now severed?

Sky 28/7/13 Sacked by Reading less than a year after guiding the club to the title, Brian McDermott is preparing for another assault on the Championship with Leeds United. Adam Bate caught up with McDermott to discuss his hopes for the new season. The atmosphere is good at Thorp Arch. Making your way through the main entrance at Leeds United's training ground, young defender Sam Byram is strolling around in his flip-flops trying to get a signal on his mobile phone and exchanging pleasantries with the ladies on reception. His manager also has a spring in his step. But don't let this relaxed environment fool you. Brian McDermott is a man in determined mood. As recently as January, McDermott was the Premier League's manager of the month after guiding newly-promoted Reading to come-from-behind wins over West Brom and Newcastle before earning a dramatic point at home to Chelsea. Four league games after collecting the award, he was sacked and replaced by Nigel Adkins. It's...

Leeds United boss Brian McDermott reiterated the fact that no-one will be coming into the club until someone leaves after Leeds latest defeat in pre-season. Leeds went down to a 2-0 defeat at Elland Road against German Bundesliga side Nurnberg on Saturday, their fourth defeat in seven pre-season games. So far, McDermott has brought in just three players this summer and he is still desperate to add to his squad with just under a week to go until the new season starts. He has admitted recently that he cannot afford to bring in any fresh faces until players leave the club, something he reiterated to Eddie Gray when speaking on Yorkshire Radio after the defeat on Saturday. "If somebody leaves the football club this week then I will try to get somebody into the football club. It is that simple," the frustrated sounding McDermott told him.

Abrupt departure as Leeds United president brings to an end an often controversial five decades in the sport David Conn Ken Bates was famously portrayed in the 1960s classic The Football Man, by the Observer's Arthur Hopcraft, as the epitome of a new, dynamic, commercial club chairman – raising prices at Oldham Athletic, urging football to see itself as a business. If his abrupt departure one month into an agreed three-year stint as president of Leeds United on Friday finally brings his five decades in football to an end, Bates's extraordinary career can be said to trace the arc of the game's changed relationship with money. A tax exile in Monaco – having sold Chelsea to Roman Abramovich in 2003 and Leeds to the Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House (GFH) in December – Bates received the news that his presidency had been terminated by hand-delivered letter, while on holiday in Italy with his wife, Suzannah. Speaking to the Observer from there, Bates said he had been sacked b...

Guardian 27/7/13 Bates says he 'did it in the best interest of the club' Cost of jet thought to be £500,000 over three years Abrupt exit brings to an end five controversial decades David Conn Ken Bates says he was abruptly sacked from his tenure as the Leeds United president by the new owners, GFH, after he entered the club into a contract with the private aeroplane company 247 Jet that could be used to fly him to Leeds from his Monaco home. The cost of this contract to which Bates committed the Championship club, which is under financial strain, is thought to be £500,000 over three years. Previously Bates has been flown by private jet. The costs of use of a private jet to the club is understood from sources who have seen the Leeds accounts to be around £120,000 a year. He told the Observer that his expenses had not changed for the eight years he was Leeds chairman, and that GFH were well aware of them when they bought the club in December. He declined to cover the d...

leedsunited.com 27/7/13 Ginczek double secures victory for Nurnberg... UNITED 0, NURNBERG 2 (Ginczek 3, 69) United: Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Warnock (Drury 63), Green (Tonge 63), Murphy, McCormack, White, Varney (Hunt 63), Poleon (Smith 75). Subs. Cairns, Pugh, Brown, Norris, Thompson, Hall, Lenighan. FC Nurnberg: Schafer, Pogatetz, Balitsch, Feulner, Gebhart, Ginczek, Yikotake, Mak, Dabanli, Pinola, Chandler. Subs. Angha, Stark, Frantz, Crmic, Plattenhardt, Rakovsky, Mendler, Esswein. Referee: A Haines Att: 9,455 Leeds United welcomed FC Nurnberg to Elland Road for the final pre-season fixture before the Championship opener against Brighton and Hove Albion just one week away. United manager Brian McDermott had the services of Ross McCormack for Nurnberg's visit after the striker recovered from the knock he sustained in the midweek victory at Stevenage to make the starting line-up. Luke Varney kept his place in the United starting eleven after scoring a hat-trick at S...

leedsunited.com 26/7/13 Former chairman's departure announced... Leeds United today confirmed that Ken Bates has ceased to be club President. Leeds United MD David Haigh said: "Ken Bates has ceased to be President of Leeds United Football Club. Mr Bates will now no longer have any role within the football club."

With Leeds United boss Brian McDermott still struggling to add to his squad he says he doesn`t want to bring in loan players unless it is with the view to bring the player in on a permanent deal. McDermott`s hands seem to be tied until he can offload players, having signed just three players so far this summer. The Leeds boss released six players in the summer with first team experience last season but with time running out until the new season kicks off his thoughts might turn to the loan market, something he is not keen on. Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, McDermott said, "I would consider it but it is not something I like doing. "I would sign a loan player if there was a chance that we could sign him permanently. "If you sign a player for six-months it can destabilise the squad. I like to have Leeds United players, so if it is a loan player with a view to a permanent deal, then that would be my ideal scenario."

YEP 26/7/13 by Phil Hay Brian McDermott is facing up to the prospect of starting the new season with his existing squad after admitting he has “no idea” if Leeds United will pull off any more signings before August 3. The United manager was unable to offer encouragement about new arrivals at Elland Road with his transfer targets still dependent on players leaving the club first. McDermott has been asked to reduce the wage bill at Leeds before adding to the three signings completed this summer. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s friendly against Nuremberg, United’s last pre-season friendly, the Leeds boss said: “We’ve nothing to report.” United are a week away from the first day of the Championship season and their opening match at home to Brighton next Saturday. Luke Murphy, Noel Hunt and Matt Smith are the club’s only deals to date and a projected fourth signing – identified by McDermott as a “key player” many weeks ago – has been delayed by the financial situation at Elland Road. Mc...

Mail 26/2/13 By John Edwards Leeds are ready to sacrifice El Hadji Diouf to help finance manager Brian McDermott's plans for a major overhaul of his under-performing squad. McDermott knows he has to offload players to free up funds for his recruitment drive and is anxious to remove top earner Diouf from the wage bill to clear the way for more signings in time for the new season. Controversial former Liverpool and Bolton forward Diouf is paid between £10,000 and £12,000 a week and could be heading out of Elland Road after attracting interest from Championship rivals QPR, as well as Qatar. His departure, with 18 months left on his contract, would give McDermott the means to continue a rebuilding programme that has already added Oldham target man Matt Smith, Crewe midfielder Luke Murphy and vastly-experienced former Reading striker Noel Hunt to a squad that flirted with relegation towards the end of last season. Moves for two other players he managed at Reading, Kevin Doyle and ...

leedsunited.com 25/7/13 Leigh Bromby joins coaching staff full-time... Leeds United defender Leigh Bromby has announced his retirement from playing - but he is set to remain in the game as Under-16s coach at Leeds United. The 33-year-old has not played since he suffered a serious knee injury during Leeds United's Championship clash with Cardiff City in April 2012. "I've been advised by the surgeon Andrew Williams to retire from the game," said Leigh. "It's become clear over the last 14 months that I wouldn't be able to continue in a playing capacity and it's with a heavy heart that I've decided to formally retire as a player. "People say as one door closes another opens, and I'd like to thank Leeds United for giving me the opportunity to take my first steps in coaching with the Under-16s. "The club were good enough to allow me to gain experience last season by working with young players and I'm delighted to have the opport...

YEP 25/7/13 by Phil Hay Brian McDermott has left the door ajar for forgotten Leeds United winger Ryan Hall by denying that the 25-year-old’s Elland Road career is already over. McDermott told Hall to “get his head down” and fight for a place in United’s plans as he clarified the position of a player who has failed to feature once during the club’s pre-season schedule. Hall was left out of Leeds’ travelling party for their recent tour of Slovenia with his partner due to give birth but his continuing absence from McDermott’s line-ups appeared to indicate that he had no future under the United manager. McDermott cast further doubt over Hall’s situation after last weekend’s defeat to Walsall by failing to mention the former Southend United and Crystal Palace player while bemoaning the current shortage of wingers at Elland Road. Hall was missing for the sixth game running during Tuesday’s night’s 3-0 win at Stevenage and he is not expected to feature in Saturday’s friendly at home to...

YEP 25/7/13 After successfully reverting back to a striking role at Stevenage, Luke Varney has targeted a big season. Phil Hay reports. There can be few more enthusiastic members of Luke Varney’s army than his manager, Brian McDermott. Only twice has McDermott felt the wolves at Leeds United’s door and on both occasions he was indebted to Varney for seeing them off. The forward’s hat-trick at Stevenage on Tuesday was less significant than the two headers which ended fears of relegation during McDermott’s first game in charge last season but it mattered nonetheless. McDermott, after all, described Saturday’s loss to Walsall as his “worst day as manager” of Leeds. The friendly at Stevenage was one he wanted to win. Victory was slipping away until, with half-an-hour of a goalless contest left to play, he summoned Rodolph Austin and Ross McCormack from the bench and allowed Varney to drift into a lone position up front. Varney buried a header on 71 minutes, scored again in the 75th m...

leedsunited.com 24/7/13 Luke Varney on Stevenage performance… Varney and PoleonUnited striker Luke Varney said earlier in the week that the players were looking to put things right on Tuesday night and after a 3-0 victory he feels the squad can now move on. The striker secured the victory for United with a nine minute hat-trick in the second half but Luke was quick to praise the whole squad for a much improved showing at Stevenage. "It was a good team performance," said a delighted Luke. "They were a strong team but we were expecting that. "The talk before the game was to battle it out and stick in there and our football will come through. "Towards the back end of the first half we started to get a bit of space and then fortunately for me Rudy managed to put a great cross in the box and I managed to get a good connection on it and saw it go in. "I suppose after that I grew in confidence and Browny put a great ball through, and I scored again. ...

Sky 24/7/13 Leeds United's new owner has stated that the club are targeting promotion to the Premier League within two years. Managing director David Haigh, who is also the deputy chief executive of GFH Capital ltd, insisted that Leeds were English football's 'last sleeping giant', and committed to returning the club to the top tier of English football for the first time since 2004. Leeds have already signed talented youngster Luke Murphy from Crewe, and Brian McDermott will look to add to a squad that finished in 13th position under Neil Warnock last season. "Our ambition is to be back in the Premier League in two years and we think that's a realistic goal, it's what we are aiming for," Haigh told The Sun. "We have said we want to build a sustainable future for Leeds and bring the last sleeping giant in English football out of its slumber. "There's so much untapped energy at this club. I have been at Leeds when there has been 9,000...

YEP 24/7/13 by Phil Hay Luke Varney hammered Stevenage with a nine-minute hat-trick to draw a line under Leeds United’s lame defeat to Walsall and stake his claim for a starting place on the first day of the season. The forward produced a flurry of goals late in the second half as United ended a run of three successive pre-season defeats with a 3-0 win at the Lamex Stadium last night. Manager Brian McDermott made eight changes to the side beaten by Walsall on Saturday – a result which drew scathing criticism from United’s boss – and Varney’s rapid treble put the forward in line for another opportunity against Nuremberg this weekend, Leeds’ final friendly before they begin the Championship term at home to Brighton. Varney has faced constant criticism since his £200,000 transfer from Portsmouth last summer but the forward’s finishes last night – coming in the 71st, 75th and 80th minutes, the latter scored from the penalty spot – gave his manager something to ponder with the new camp...

YEP 23/7/13 by Phil Hay Watford went to Stevenage on Saturday and wiped the floor with them, despite the story a 2-0 scoreline told. An easy afternoon was had by last season’s play-off finalists, a club who are gathering in numbers again for a second attack on the Championship’s top end. Leeds United will soon find Watford and their ilk where Stevenage stood last night and a visit to the Lamex Stadium asked more of Brian McDermott’s players but Luke Varney’s hat-trick earned them a heavier win. Stevenage, McDermott hoped, would right the wrongs of Saturday’s sorry defeat to Walsall. The second half did just that. Prior to the interval, United’s manager was finding more questions than answers and wondering where to turn next. He has 72 hours to draw his conclusions before Leeds meet Nuremberg – the final friendly of the summer – and it might be that he reverts largely to the team bullied by Walsall in the hope that Saturday was an off-day. There was little in yesterday’s match ...

leedsunited.com 23/7/13 United leave Lamex as 3-0 winners... STEVENAGE 0, UNITED 3 (Varney 71, 76, 80). Stevenage: Day, Wedgbury, Ashton, Jones, Charles, Burrow, Heslop, Freeman, Tansey, Tounkara, Lopez. Subs. Thompson, Hills, Dunne, Akins, Ball, Shroot, Deacon, Bruna. United: Kenny, Thompson, Lees, Pugh, Drury, Green (Austin 59), Brown, Norris (McCormack 59, Murphy 82), White, Varney (Hunt 81), Poleon. Subs. Cairns, Warnock, Peltier, Tonge, Lenighan. Referee: M Russell Att: 2,751 There was a much changed starting line-up for United's final away pre-season trip to Stevenage. Brian McDermott made eight changes from the team that started at Walsall three days earlier, the only remaining names on the teamsheet were Paddy Kenny, Tom Lees and Paul Green. During the opening exchanges neither side were given the time to settle on the ball with both sides closing down well. The first clear opportunity of the half went to the home side on the quarter-hour mark. Good work from Lu...

YEP 23/7/13 by Phil Hay Leeds United manager Brian McDermott admits he will be ‘surprised’ if star turn Sam Byram is fit enough for the big Championship kick-off at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on August 3. The talented right-back is on the rehabilitation trail following a niggling hip injury which affected him at the end of last season and forced him to miss this summer’s Under-20 World Cup with England after originally being called up. He has yet to feature in United’s pre-season programme – and the game against the Seagulls in just 11 days time is likely to come too soon for him. McDermott, whose side play their penultimate pre-season friendly, at League One side Stevenage this evening (7.45pm), will continue to monitor the fitness of Byram, who was an ever-present last term before being forced to miss the final two games. Keeper Jamie Ashdown and El-Hadji Diouf, who also haven’t played in any of United’s five pre-season fixtures so far, will also miss tonight’s trip to He...

YEP 23/7/13 by Phil Hay First-team places remain very much up for grabs ahead of Leeds United’s Championship opener in 11 days’ time. That’s the emphatic message from Whites boss Brian McDermott, who is challenging all members of his squad to do their level best to nail down a starting spot in the side’s last two pre-season friendlies at Stevenage tonight (July 23) and at home to FC Nurnberg on Saturday afternoon. McDermott will make a raft of changes from the side who lined up in Saturday’s lacklustre defeat at Walsall and will again tinker with his line-up for the Elland Road clash on Saturday, with all members of his first-team squad to be handed the chance to impress him this week. He said: “It’s up for grabs (for the Brighton game) and we need to nail that down and take it for the first game of the season. “There will be different players playing on Tuesday. I think what we have got now is that every player has played a certain amount of game time, but obviously come the Nur...

Just a couple of weeks away from the opening day of the new season, Leeds United revealed their new away kit, the club’s official website going for dramatic effect under the headline, “Time To Shine,” and continuing with: “The wait is over and our golden treasure has been found.” The club had used Twitter over the preceding few days to trail #LUFCTreasureHunt, with reference to the fact that the new shirt was largely of a distinctive gold in colour with “navy detailing teamed with navy shorts. The collar of the shirt is a gold and navy rib which is reflected in the socks, completing the kit which will be worn by the team on their travels over the forthcoming season. The shirt and shorts feature a tonal navy and gold crest which can also be seen on the new range of training wear which has already received a great response from supporters… The shirt features the logos of Main Club Sponsor, Enterprise Insurance, and brand new Secondary Shirt Sponsor, Help Link UK"

leedsunited.com 22/7/13 Club appoints acting CEO... Leeds United are delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Hunt as the club's new acting CEO. Paul brings a wealth of footballing experience to the club having previously been Deputy CEO at Blackburn Rovers and Commercial Director at both Leicester City and Wigan Athletic. Paul has already been assisting the club on a consultancy basis and his appointment as acting CEO comes with the start of the new Championship season less than two weeks away. Managing Director David Haigh said: "We are very pleased with this appointment as it strengthens the existing management team we have in place. Paul has already been working with the club in an advisory capacity and in his new role he will have a key part to play in the day to day management of the club." Paul Hunt said: "I'm delighted to have the opportunity to join Leeds United. It goes without saying that this is a huge football club with a terrific history ...

YEP 22/7/13 by Phil Hay A concerned Brian McDermott revealed that he was operating a ‘one out, one in’ transfer policy at Elland Road after Leeds United suffered their third successive pre-season loss. The United manager outlined the financial constraints affecting him as he reflected on a sobering 1-0 defeat to Walsall on Saturday. Weaknesses and limitations in Leeds’ squad were highlighted by a lacklustre performance against a League One side who earned their win through Craig Westcarr’s 12th-minute volley. McDermott described the afternoon as “the worst I’ve had as manager here” but he was unable to offer hope of quick additions to his squad after admitting that he was under pressure to remove players from United’s wage bill. The club’s owner, GFH Capital, has delivered three signings so far this summer but a drawn-out and as yet unsuccessful attempt to secure a fourth player during the past fortnight has raised questions about the funds on offer to McDermott with the Champion...

YEP 21/7/13 by Phil Hay Leeds United’s collapse in Domzale nine days ago was excused by Brian McDermott on the grounds that a lesson learned so early in pre-season need not be a bad thing. Domzale, he claimed, was a “good reminder” delivered at the right time. By contrast, United’s lamentable defeat to Walsall on Saturday left their manager stewing. “We weren’t at our best, far from it,” he said. “I don’t want performances like that and I didn’t see that one coming. It concerns me, of course it does.” Full-time at Walsall arrived to the sound of booing from sections of the away crowd and perplexed looks all round the press box. It took a few words from McDermott to confirm that Leeds’ performance was as bad as it looked and a few more to highlight his main gripes: no wingers, no money and no certainty about what the next fortnight will bring. United start the new Championship season in less than two weeks’ time and it was plain on Saturday that their squad is not ready. Fit and he...

Fear and Loathing In LS11 21/7/13 Ken DeMange Back to England, back to the harsh realities of domestic football. Gone was the inspiring, mountainous backdrop of Domzale, in its place the two tiered majesty of the Tile Choice Stand and the pollution spewing M6; gone was the happy, drunken haze that did much to mask the ordinariness that typified performances in Slovenia, instead a barely adequate, 3 pint reality cushion was all we had to hide behind. Brian McDermott described the day succinctly by branding it his worst as manager of Leeds United – it was hard to argue. While his arrival in April brought a renewed sense of hope, a sudden renaissance in passing football and the opportunity for a long suffering fan base to finally able to emerge into the sunshine and out of the shadows of the Warnocksaurus, it was always going to take more in the longer term. At the start of the summer it was plain that Leeds needed a new centre back, a creative midfielder, two wingers and (once Moris...