Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United hope to finalise and announce a new contract for midfielder Adam Forshaw this week or next. By Graham Smyth The 30-year-old has proved a revelation for Marcelo Bielsa this season after completing a remarkable comeback from a 2019 hip injury that required complicated surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Forshaw's return was delayed a number of times through setbacks but after two years and 68 days without a league start he was named in the team to host Leicester City at Elland Road in November. Since then the central midfielder has played all but 18 minutes of Leeds' last eight Premier League games and came off the bench on Sunday to feature in the FA Cup defeat at West Ham United. The consistency of his performances and the energy he's brought to the midfield area have helped bolster his case for a new contract, with his current deal due to expire in the summer. He shone on his return against the Foxes and has ticked along nicely ever since. His ti...

Leeds United's FA Cup defeat at West Ham United provided, at least, a small number of positives for the Whites. By Graham Smyth The first was Leo Hjelde's display, the 18-year-old debutant giving a good account of himself up against one of the Premier League's top strikers in Michail Antonio. The game also brought full debuts for Sam Greenwood and Lewis Bate, although neither got more than 45 minutes of action at the London Stadium. Here's the YEP take on what was ultimately yet another bitterly disappointing and controversial day in London. Number of the day Four Marcelo Bielsa' s FA Cup woe continues. Four times he has managed Leeds United in the competition and on all four occasions they've failed to make it through to the fourth round. He fielded as strong a team as was wise for this one, given the astonishing extent of his injury crisis, but they came up short. The four minutes of stoppage time saw them push desperately for an equaliser only to ...

Leeds United bagged their fourth victory of the Premier League season and moved eight points clear of the drop zone as strikes from Jack Harrison, Stuart Dallas and Dan James sealed a thrilling 3-1 triumph against Burnley at Elland Road. By Lee Sobot Leeds went ahead six minutes before the break as Jack Harrison beat Wayne Hennessey at the second attempt after being gifted possession by James Tarkowski. Burnley drew level nine minutes into the second half via a fine free-kick from Maxwell Cornet, awarded after a dubious foul by Diego Llorente some 25 yards out. But Leeds went back in front with 13 minutes left when Stuart Dallas curled home a beautiful finish from the edge of the box on his 250th outing for the club and two substitutes combined for United to bag a third in the 93rd minute as Dan James headed home a Joe Gelhardt cross. After a frustrating start, Leeds threatened for the first time in the 15th minute when Stuart Dallas cut in from the left and unleashed a low s...

Marcelo Bielsa's 'exacting standards' present a January transfer window challenge for Leeds United that should not be downplayed, says CEO Angus Kinnear. By Graham Smyth Kinnear acknowledges that supporters will be hoping for reinforcements this month, with Leeds sitting 16th in the Premier League ahead of today's Elland Road clash with 18th-placed Burnley. It hasn't yet been the second season in the top flight that anyone at Elland Road was hoping for, with an horrendous injury crisis biting Bielsa's squad again and again to add to the natural difficulty of the Premier League. "At the halfway point in the season there is no hiding from the fact we are falling short of the standards we set ourselves and delivered against last season," said the CEO. "However there is no lack of confidence that we have the capability to recapture both our intoxicating style and ability to secure results, irrespective of the strength of the opposition. Marc...

Leeds United had plenty to smile about in 2021. By Lee Sobot The second half of a season as a newly-promoted side and smooth sailing towards a superb ninth-placed Premier League finish. There were wins at Manchester City, at Leicester City, a 3-1 beating of Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road, all masterminded by Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Yet as a new year dawns, United’s head coach is focused only on righting the wrongs of the last few months, providing a “negative” critique of his own performance and eyeing a big step back in the right direction against tomorrow’s visitors Burnley. Bielsa has not exactly had it easy of late, to put it mildly. Just as United’s injury woes looked to be coming to an end, key Whites trio Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Patrick Bamford all suffered hamstring injuries during the 2-2 draw at home to Brentford at the beginning of the month. Two weeks later, four days after a 7-0 hammering at Manchester City, Bielsa found himself without 10 ...

It has been an up and down year for Leeds United’s academy in 2021. By Joe Urquhart Mark Jackson toasted huge success in the summer after guiding the club’s development side into the top tier of England’s elite academy structure. Leeds, at the first time of asking as a category one training facility, romped to the Division Two title in the Premier League 2. The Whites were no match for any of their rivals, claiming the league by a margin of 11 points – earning 18 victories, two draws and losing four times. Jackson saw his side concede just 29 goals in 24 league games last term but a summer of change has meant a mixed end to 2021. Football doesn’t stand still at whatever level you ply your trade – be it in the Premier League or in the ranks below. Fast forward six months and United sit 13th in the top tier of the PL2 following promotion, holding one of the bottom two relegation places heading into the new year. The transition has been tough due to a number of reasons – f...