Mighty Leeds Weblog

Yorkshire Post 30/4/14 ALEX Mowatt has avoided surgery and should be fit for the start of Leeds United’s pre-season schedule after undergoing scans on the injury he suffered at Birmingham City on Saturday. The 19-year-old midfielder was given the all-clear following examinations of his knee on Monday and he is expected to be ready to begin training with the rest of United’s squad when they report back for pre-season around the start of July. Mowatt was stretchered from the field in obvious pain towards the end of Saturday’s 3-1 win over Birmingham at St Andrews, jarring his knee in injury-time as Leeds closed out their last away game of the season. Manager Brian McDermott said after full-time that he hoped the youngster’s injury would not prove to be serious but Mowatt underwent scans 48 hours later to establish whether he would require an operation ahead of the summer. Speaking yesterday, McDermott said: “He’s fine and he won’t need an operation. “We’ve had him looked at but the...

Inside Futbol 29/4/14 Cagliari are looking at a major turnover in players this coming summer, as stars from the Serie A club continue to be linked with switches elsewhere, including Massimo Cellinio's new club Leeds United. Already Cellino, who owns Cagliari and has acquired 75 per cent of Leeds, has been linked with moving to take Colombian striker Victor Ibarbo and Brazilian defender Danilo Avelar to Elland Road. Now other players have popped onto his radar. According to Tuttosport, Cellino has added Swedish midfielder Sebastian Eriksson and Italian midfielder Andrea Tabanelli to his wanted list, the latter having come very close to joining Leeds on loan in January. Elsewhere, defender Davide Astori, a player who has attracted interest from Manchester United, is wanted by Roma. There are also doubts about Andrea Cossu, Daniele Conti and Vlada Avramov continuing at Cagliari into 2014/15. In store for Cagliari could well be a huge shake-up in playing personnel, with several ...

Yorkshire Post 29/4/14 PROLIFIC Leeds United marksman Ross McCormack admitted to being ‘humbled’ at recognition by his peers after being named in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year. The 29-goal striker, who has one more opportunity this term to reach a seasonal milestone of 30 goals, in United’s final-day home clash with Derby County on Saturday, was honoured at a glittering awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The other forward named in the select PFA Championship line-up was Burnley hot-shot Danny Ings, with the side also including three representatives each from the promoted duo of Leicester City and Burnley. McCormack tweeted; “Thanks for all the messages. Really humbled to be in the team of the year.” Manager Brian McDermott added: “I’ve been proud of Ross this year. He is the captain – 29 goals overall this season is phenomenal.” Ex-Whites custodian Kasper Schmeichel was named as the goalkeeper in the Championship XI, with fellow Foxes team-mates Wes Morg...

leedsunited.com 28/4/14 PFA Championship Team of the Year announced… United striker Ross McCormack was named in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year at Sunday’s 2014 award ceremony. McCormack, who is the league’s top scorer with 28 league goals and has started every league game this season, was named along with Burnley’s Danny Ings in the striking positions. Speaking after Saturday’s victory at Birmingham the United boss Brian McDermott said: “I’ve been proud of Ross this year. He is the captain. 29 goals overall this season is phenomenal.” Ross has already been named the LUSC Player of the Year and LUDO Player of the Year and is one of three nominations for the club’s official Player of the Year award, which will be announced on Saturday night. Full Championship Team of the Year Line-up: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Kieran Trippier (Burnley), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich), Wes Morgan (Leicester), Jason Shackell (Burnley), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester), Andy Reid (Nottingham Fore...

Yorkshire Evening Post 28/4/14 by Phil Hay It could be any day now for Brian McDermott and if the tap on the shoulder comes this week, he goes out of Leeds United with an agreeable result behind him. There are stellar moments in a manager’s career and there are games like Saturday’s win at Birmingham City but in this of all seasons McDermott will take whatever consolation he can. He is at the stage where every game could conceivably be his last. If Massimo Cellino thinks otherwise then he has a funny way of showing it. United’s owner did not make the journey to St Andrews but Benito Carbone was there without him, sat in the directors’ box, wearing a club tie and present in a capacity which only he and Cellino knew. Cellino later revealed that Carbone had come to Leeds as part of the restructuring of the club’s academy and was not being lined up as a replacement for McDermott. Positioning him in the stands at St Andrews without first defining his role lacked a certain amount of...

Yorkshire Evening Post 28/4/14 by Phil Hay Massimo Cellino said he was giving Benito Carbone the chance to “help me rebuild the academy” at Leeds United as he moved to dampen speculation that the former Bradford City player is primed to replace manager Brian McDermott. Carbone has joined the youth team set-up at Thorp Arch after reaching an agreement which Cellino claimed would see the 42-year-old work without wages for at least six months. United’s Italian owner invited Carbone to England last week and Carbone visited United’s training ground on Thursday and Friday before travelling to Saturday’s Championship game between Leeds and Birmingham City at St Andrews. His appearance in Birmingham fuelled speculation that Cellino was lining up Carbone – to date a coach with limited experience in the Italian lower leagues – to take McDermott’s job but he will instead be involved in running an academy which Cellino said was “not giving us enough, or anything.” “Benito knows English footb...

Yorkshire Evening Post 28/4/14 by Phil Hay Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has offered Brian McDermott fresh hope of avoiding the sack by insisting the club’s manager was “my last problem” and denying that he had spoken to other coaches about taking the job at Elland Road. Cellino said he and McDermott would “speak to each other, 100 per cent” in the days ahead and voiced sympathy for United’s boss, saying: “This situation would have been impossible for anyone, not just him.” Previous comments from the Italian have given few hints of outright support for McDermott, and Cellino’s failure to meet with the 53-year-old last week – a meeting at which McDermott planned to discuss his retained list and summer transfer targets – cast further doubt on the likelihood of the ex-Reading manager remaining at Elland Road beyond the end of this season. McDermott has two years left on his contract with Leeds but is yet to receive Cellino’s backing or any firm assurances about his future. Unit...

Yorkshire Post 26/4/14 Matt Smith and Danny Pugh scored second-half goals as Leeds inflicted a 3-1 defeat on strugglers Birmingham, who slipped into the bottom three of the Sky Bet Championship for the first time this season. It was the 17th successive home game in which Birmingham have failed to win and highlights their current desperate position. The Blues played with plenty of commitment until a tragic two-minute spell when Smith and Pugh displayed superb finishing. Their tale of woe was completed when Paul Caddis turned a Ross McCormack cross past his own goalkeeper in the 78th minute. Substitute Federico Macheda popped up with an 83rd-minute goal but it was only a consolation effort. Leeds’ win was their third in four games and they have all come against struggling teams - Blackpool and Barnsley - in the bottom four. In the process, they completed the double over crisis club Birmingham following a 4-0 success at Elland Road. Meanwhile, Leeds boss Brian McDermott claims he ...

Mail 26/4/14 Matt Smith and Danny Pugh scored second-half goals as Leeds inflicted a 3-1 defeat on strugglers Birmingham, who slipped into the bottom three of the Sky Bet Championship for the first time this season. It was the 17th successive home game in which Birmingham have failed to win and highlights their current desperate position. The Blues played with plenty of commitment until a tragic two-minute spell when Smith and Pugh displayed superb finishing. Their tale of woe was completed when Paul Caddis turned a Ross McCormack cross past his own goalkeeper in the 78th minute. Substitute Federico Macheda popped up with an 83rd-minute goal but it was only a consolation effort. Leeds' win was their third in four games and they have all come against struggling teams - Blackpool and Barnsley - in the bottom four. In the process, they completed the double over crisis club Birmingham following a 4-0 success at Elland Road. In such a crucial game, Birmingham adopted an attackin...

Independent 26/4/14 Birmingham's streak without a win stretches to 17 games and their alarming slip could result in relegation from the Championship SIMON HART If Manchester United fans think they have had it bad this season, they should spare a thought for Birmingham City’s long-suffering supporters. Their team have not managed a home victory since 1 October, and their total of two wins at St Andrew’s in this Championship campaign explains why they now find themselves in danger of dropping into the third tier for the first time since 1995. This latest home failure – and ninth loss in 12 matches – dropped them into the bottom three for the first time this season thanks to Blackpool’s victory at Wigan, raising the stakes ahead of their own match against Wigan on Tuesday, their game in hand on the teams above them. “At home it hasn’t been good enough,” said their manager, Lee Clark. “We have to rectify that and fight for our lives in the next two games.” Birmingham visit Bolton...

Yorkshire Evening Post 26/4/14 Benito Carbone watched from the stands as Leeds United claimed a 3-1 win over Birmingham City in their final away match of the season. Carbone - in line for a coaching role under Leeds owner Massimo Cellino - took in a scrappy contest at St Andrews which Matt Smith and Danny Pugh turned United’s way with second-half goals. An own goal from Paul Caddis sealed a deserved success for Leeds and Federico Macheda’s late strike was no consolation for struggling City. The YEP has been told that Carbone is in line to take charge of the academy at Leeds but the ex-Bradford City striker’s presence in Birmingham increased speculation about the future of manager Brian McDermott. The United boss is yet to be told if he will survive under Cellino but a header from Smith and a low finish from Pugh in the space of two minutes gave him the satisfaction of a third victory in four games. The onus was on Birmingham to force the pace and claim a result and they were fi...

by Phil Hay Leeds United have been later with their season-ticket prices, but only just. Insolvency saw to it that in 2007 the club delayed renewals until the last week of May, inviting supporters to commit to a season which United were not entirely certain of starting. The club’s financial problems were so bad that the board at Elland Road were told to ringfence the money to ensure that it could be repaid if Leeds were forced into liquidation before a ball was kicked. It’s a reminder of how bad that summer became. More often than not, United – not least during Ken Bates’ (right) eight years as owner – moved to pull in a precious source of income as quickly as possible, announcing renewal prices as early as January. The timing was equally dubious, asking for payment at a stage where Leeds had no idea about which division they’d be playing in. The club defended themselves with the flimsy guarantee that costs would not increase regardless of whether they were promoted. In England, i...

Yorkshire Post 26/4/14 “INCREDIBLE” might not be how most Leeds United supporters would choose to describe this season. Instead, all manner of words could be used – most of which are not suitable for a family newspaper such as The Yorkshire Post. Brian McDermott, however, has labelled the current campaign as just that ahead of today’s final away game of 2013-14. “It has been an incredible season if you think about everything that’s gone on,” said the Elland Road chief, who expects to sit down and discuss his future next week with new owner Massimo Cellino. “If you look to where we were up to the away game at Blackpool (on Boxing Day), I thought, ‘We will definitely get in the top six with this group’. “But then we went to Forest (on December 29), got beat late on and we went on a run of games where – and I have never seen anything like it – our form dipped alarmingly. “It got to the point where you were starting to look the other way. I can say that now because we have got enoug...

Yorkshire Evening Post 26/4/14 Leeds United’s owner Massimo Cellino needs to decide whether to stand by Brian McDermott or put him out of his misery and bring his own man in. You know that Brian McDermott is manager of Leeds United because he’s where the manager should be: sat behind a microphone or stood in front of the dug-out. The proof that he still has a job is the absence of any evidence to the contrary. Massimo Cellino has left him be, in a way which should prepare McDermott for the worst. Leeds have been Italian-owned for three weeks and Italian-funded for far longer than that, but for all of Cellino’s spectacular rhetoric, he says most about his manager by saying nothing. A colleague of McDermott’s, sacked by a different club a few years ago, said he knew his time was up when his chairman stopped making any effort to reassure him behind closed doors. In public, the party line was rigid and supportive but privately the man who mattered kept his distance. McDermott will rel...

Yorkshire Evening Post 25/4/14 by Phil Hay Massimo Cellino is considering handing control of Leeds United’s academy to ex-Bradford City striker Benito Carbone in what would be a dramatic start to Cellino’s reign as owner. Carbone flew into England from Italy this week and made an initial visit to Thorp Arch on Thursday before returning to United’s training ground today. The 42-year-old’s sudden appearance fuelled speculation that he was in line to replace Brian McDermott as manager of Leeds but the YEP understands that Cellino is on the verge of naming Carbone as the club’s new head of youth development. United’s junior and development squads are currently run by Neil Redfearn, their ex-academy manager who moved into a dual role of development squad coach and first-team coach following McDermott’s arrival last April. Redfearn assumed control of the youth teams at Leeds from Chris Sulley in 2012 and the ex-Barnsley midfielder has been widely credited for the recent success of the ...

YEP 25/4/14 Brian McDermott has spoken of his bewilderment at Leeds United’s “alarming dip” this season, admitting he believed the club were headed for a top-six finish at Christmas. As he prepared for United’s final away game at Birmingham City tomorrow, McDermott lamented his side’s chronic loss of form and said he had “never seen anything like” their limp descent from fifth place in the Championship. Leeds were well placed to reach the play-offs at the turn of the year and sat eight points short of the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot on Christmas Day after two defeats from 10 games. But McDermott’s team will finish the season more than 40 points back from title-winners Leicester City and far adrift of the top six after a four-month spell in which the club suffered from a protracted change of ownership, a severe downturn in results and their worst league defeat for 55 years – a 6-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday. The dramatic collapse has threatened McDermott’s posit...

Yorkshire Evening Post 25/4/14 by Phil Hay Talks between Massimo Cellino and Brian McDermott about the future of Leeds United’s players and McDermott’s own position as manager have been delayed until after the club’s game against Birmingham City. Cellino and McDermott were scheduled to speak this week about the Italian’s plans for his first summer as owner of Leeds but they are now expected to meet before United’s final match of the Championshipseason, at home to Derby County next Saturday. Cellino, who completed his 75 per cent buy-out of Leeds almost a month ago, is back in England after spending time at his home in Miami, and staff at Elland Road are awaiting the first telling signs of change with a difficult season almost complete. Nine of United’s senior players are out of contract in July and young left-back Charlie Taylor, who is currently on loan at League Two side Fleetwood Town, is also near the end of his deal. McDermott said he was “certain” about which squad members ...

YEP 24/4/14 by Phil Hay Paddy Kenny’s agents have placed a question mark over his continuing absence from Leeds United’s matchday squads by claiming the goalkeeper is fit for selection and intent on seeing out the last year of his contract at Elland Road. A statement issued on Kenny’s behalf by First E11even SportManagement said he was “fully recovered” from the ankle injury which cost him a place in United’s line-up and had been “training hard over the last few weeks” in an attempt to force his way back into contention. Kenny has not played for two months after succumbing to an injury he originally suffered around Christmas and subsequently carried through January and most of February in the absence of experienced cover at Leeds United. McDermott eventually withdrew him after signing Jack Butland on loan from Stoke City before their goalless draw at Middlesbrough on February 22, and theEngland international has started every game since. Butland is expected to start at Birmingham ...

Yorkshire Post 22/4/14 BRIAN McDermott admitted last night that a complete overhaul was needed at Leeds United after a trademark defeat to Nottingham Forest. United’s manager will tell new club owner Massimo Cellino that major changes to his squad are required when the two men meet to discuss their plans for the summer later this week. Cellino was not at Elland Road yesterday and missed a sorry 2-0 loss which United brought on themselves by conceding twice in the opening 16 minutes. Two Matt Derbyshire goals in the early stages of the game condemned Leeds to yet another league defeat and prompted McDermott to concede that deep cuts were necessary before the start of next season. Cellino, who secured control of United from Gulf Finance House earlier this month, is yet to indicate whether McDermott will definitely continue as manager next term but the Leeds boss has already drawn up a list of transfer targets and will present his strategy to Cellino in the coming days. McDermott sa...

Yorkshire Evening Post 22/4/14 by Phil Hay Nottingham Forest have made an unholy mess of their season but now, at the last, they might salvage something from it. For Leeds United there is nothing left to gain and little left to lose. League position, reputation and credibility went out with the bathwater weeks ago. The cost of defeats is found in the manner of them and Leeds have been unrivalled in collapsing inwardly since Christmas. Forest’s form has been equally dull but their results are not the same litany of hammerings. Most Championship teams have the means of losing games without surrendering their dignity as well. At Elland Road, surrender is becoming second-nature. Leeds were beaten at Forest four days after Christmas by a 20-yard bullet from Matt Derbyshire, a top-draw goal which gave his club the honour from a game they dominated throughout. Derbyshire settled yesterday’s contest at Elland Road again but with none of the same brilliance, converting a gift of a chanc...

Inside Futbol 21/4/14 Leeds United require someone who can run at and beat players, manager Brian McDermott has admitted, following the club's 2-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest today. The defeat left Leeds sitting 16th in the Championship table and thoughts have quickly turned to next season, with McDermott explaining he has a meeting scheduled this week to discuss potential transfer targets. And the former Reading boss is clear about the type of player he feels Leeds are lacking at present. "No, [we haven't got anyone who can go by people]. I think that's something we need to address in the summer time", McDermott explained to LUTV. "We need some pace in the team", he continued. "When they were 2-0 up they just sat back in there. "We need someone who can create something, make something happen and use their pace and I don't think we had that in the team today." However, McDermott was in no mood to blast his players for...

Mail 21/4/14 Matt Derbyshire's two-goal salvo kept Nottingham Forest's Sky Bet Championship play-off hopes alive as Leeds' mini-revival spluttered to a halt. Derbyshire has only started six games this season but his Saturday goal against Birmingham ended Forest's 13-match winless run and the former Blackburn striker's rich vein of form continued at a subdued Elland Road. With a visit to Bournemouth and a home task against Brighton to come, Forest are just one point outside the top six after winning 2-0 in West Yorkshire. They made a dream start with two goals from Derbyshire in the first 16 minutes. The game was just one minute and 32 seconds old when Scotland international Jamie Mackie threaded the ball through the centre of the Leeds defence to Derbyshire, who took it forward before picking his spot. Forest doubled their lead when Derbyshire took advantage of a slip-up by Leeds defender Scott Wootton by clipping an angled shot past Jack Butland from 12 yards...

Yorkshire Post 21/4/14 ROSS McCormack moved to the brink of 30 goals for the season with a classy winner at Barnsley and then played down talk of a summer transfer to the Premier League by saying he would extend his deal with Leeds United if the club put an offer in front of him. The Scotland international continued his exceptional campaign with a 29th goal at Oakwell on Saturday, earning Leeds a 1-0 victory and taking himself to the verge of a rare landmark. McCormack stands to become only the second Leeds player in 22 years to hit 30 goals in a single season and he is two strikes away from reaching that figure in league games alone – a feat last achieved by John Charles in the 1950s. The 27-year-old’s form has bucked the trend of a poor term for United and increased the prospect of top-flight sides tabling bids for him when the FIFA transfer window opens next month. McCormack signed a new four-year contract at Elland Road last August following a concerted attempt by Middlesbrough...

Yorkshire Evening Post 21/4/14 by Phil Hay Leeds United are bigger than Ross McCormack and so is the summer in front of them but the club will be built from the ground up if the Scot decides to hang his hat elsewhere. Players come and go from Elland Road but 30-goal strikers don’t pass through Leeds often. United have had two in the past 40 years and that bare fact alone is all the warning Massimo Cellino needs about the risk of flogging McCormack before his first season as owner begins. There are other forwards in circulation and McCormack’s price tag has an upper limit but instincts like his is rare and effective. When Jermaine Beckford cut loose in 2010, Leeds won promotion. When Lee Chapman did likewise in 1992, they won the first division. That McCormack’s strike rate – one short of 30 with three games to play – has done nothing more than fend off relegation is another way of telling Cellino that he has little else to cling to. McCormack is his asset, the clean patch on a b...

Yorkshire Evening Post 21/4/14 by Phil Hay Ross McCormack moved to the brink of 30 goals for the season with a classy winner at Barnsley and then played down talk of a summer transfer to the Premier League by saying he would extend his deal with Leeds United if the club put an offer in front of him. The Scotland international continued his exceptional campaign with a 29th goal at Oakwell on Saturday, earning Leeds a 1-0 victory and taking himself to the verge of a rare landmark. McCormack stands to become only the second Leeds player in 22 years to hit 30 goals in a single season and he is two strikes away from reaching that figure in league games alone – a feat last achieved by John Charles in the 1950s. The 27-year-old’s form has bucked the trend of a poor term for United and increased the prospect of top-flight sides tabling bids for him when the FIFA transfer window opens next month. McCormack signed a new four-year contract at Elland Road last August following a concerted att...

Yorkshire Evening Post 21/4/14 by Phil Hay Brian McDermott welcomed the return of calm to Leeds United after his players claimed an overdue win at Barnsley and recorded back-to-back victories for the first time since his reinstatement as manager in February. McDermott said United were settling back into the motions of a normal, organised club ahead of discussions with new owner Massimo Cellino about the future of the squad at Elland Road. The Leeds boss will sit down with Cellino in the coming days to begin compiling a retained list and start the process of rebuilding a team whose disappointing form ruled them out of contention for the Championship play-offs several weeks ago. United’s 1-0 win over Barnsley on Saturday, following on from a defeat of Blackpool seven days earlier, gave their points tally more respectability but the club lie 16th in the table with three games to play. They host Nottingham Forest in a televised match at Elland Road this evening. McDermott is prepari...

Independent 19/4/14 McCormack meets meek resistance to settle derby and leaves Wilson clutching at straws TIM RICH The last time Barnsley were relegated under Danny Wilson it was a downfall laced with heroism. When the team bus returned to Oakwell after a 1-0 defeat at Leicester in May 1998, it was to a throng of supporters who wanted to thank the players for a remarkable season in the Premier League. Yesterday evening, after a feeble surrender to Leeds, Wilson thought he would have to win his final three games to survive. Barnsley’s relegation could all but be confirmed should they lose at Derby County, tomorrow. This time the reception will be rather more muted. It is not exactly a surprise that Barnsley are heading down. In recent seasons the club have not so much flirted with relegation as been photographed in bed with it. The emotion as their supporters drifted away would have been the aching regret that they were going down so meekly. This time last season, their then manag...

Mail 19/4/14 By MIKE DAWES Ross McCormack's first-half goal gave Leeds a 1-0 win at Barnsley to deliver a blow to the home side's Championship survival hopes. Fresh from their 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Charlton, Barnsley were looking for another three-point haul to boost hopes of pulling off a late-season rescue act. But they never seriously threatened to drag themselves back into this Yorkshire derby after falling behind to McCormack's early goal. It was a game played at a fast pace from the off with Leeds having the better of the opening exchanges. Barnsley keeper Luke Steele was called into action to keep out a header from Matt Smith and Leeds' Luke Murphy was the next to threaten when he had a header blocked. McCormack gave the visitors a 16th-minute lead after Smith's knock-down found him free inside the area and he fired low past Steele for his 29th goal of the season. Leeds defended well during the opening 45 minutes, keeping the hosts largel...

Yorkshire Evening Post 19/4/14 Season 13-14: It is not the latest super group, but a collection of characters who have made this season jaw-dropping even by Leeds United’s standards. Elland Road Lifebelt Award –Ross McCormack How heavily have Leeds United leant on their Glaswegian striker this season? Well, here’s a stat. Between their victory at Bolton on September 14 and their defeat of Blackpool last weekend, the club did not win a single game in which McCormack failed to score. That’s seven months and 37 matches back-to-back. And they tell you it’s a team game. Director of Football Award – Hisham Alrayes For his letter to Brian McDermott in January, informing United’s manager that all line-ups, formations and tactics must be approved by Alrayes and United chairman Salah Nooruddin 24 hours before kick-off. You can picture the two of them sat in Manama, sipping coffee, rejecting the diamond midfield and arguing over Aidan White’s best position. Football men, those boys from Ba...