Mighty Leeds Weblog

Guardian 30/4/11 Leeds United 1 Burnley 0 The Scottish striker, Ross McCormack, making only his fifth start of the season, provided an emphatic first-half finish as Leeds clinched their first win in six matches to climb seventh in the table, level on points with Nottingham Forest, who play Scunthorpe later today. Simon Grayson's side leapfrogged Burnley in the process and inflicted on the Clarets their first defeat in five matches, leaving them two poi nts adrift of the last play-off spot that Forest can all but make their own with victory over Scunthorpe. Burnley had won three of their last four games to give their travelling fans genuine hope of gatecrashing the top six and played their full part, with only a last-minute fingertip save from Leeds goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from substitute Ross Wallace's free-kick denying Eddie Howe's side a share of the points. Midfielder Neil Kilkenny, on-loan Sunderland right-back George McCartney and striker McCormack returned for Le...

Yorkshire Evening Post 30/4/11 Gradel wins back fans after ‘mad’ moment By Phil Hay The votes cast for Max Gradel in this year’s YEP player-of-the-year poll all carried an identical theme. To quote one specific comment: “Never before has a player owed so much and delivered so much more.” An apology to Sir Winston Churchill is due, but the point still stands. The player of the year for 2010-11 is an improbable winner. When I meet Gradel at United’s training ground, it is the first thing he says. “The fans voting for me is not what I imagined. Not this time last season.” Gradel would prefer not to talk about last season, or the way it finished for him. But when he starts, he can hardly stop himself. Crazy, mad, stupid and horrible – his self-analysis is scathing and he does not attempt to spread the blame. “It felt like the end of the world,” he said. “I’d like to never think of it again.” The story of the red card shown to Gradel on the last day of the 2009-10 season does not need revis...

Yorkshire Post 27/4/11 Ken Bates and Leeds United shift focus onto next year By Richard Sutcliffe KEN BATES has revealed Leeds United’s plans for next season are already gathering pace due to the club’s involvement in the Championship play-offs now seeming “unlikely”. A haul of just six points from the last eight games has seen United go from chasing automatic promotion to being three points adrift of the top six.Sitting ninth in the table, Simon Grayson’s side need to win their final two matches – at home to Burnley on Saturday and at leaders QPR a week later – to have any hope of reclaiming a play-off place come May 7. Leeds, who were sitting pretty in second place at Christmas, are still hoping to force their way into the top six but Bates admits thoughts are already turning to next season and the bolstering of the Elland Road squad.The United chairman last night told the Yorkshire Post : “Last August, we would have taken a top 10 place after winning promotion but, of course, in foo...

Yorkshire Evening Post 26/4/11 We’ll fight to the finish - Grayson By Phil Hay Leeds United manager Simon Grayson spoke of a “quiet and flat dressing room” after another away loss left the club down and almost out of the race for a Championship play-off place. Grayson refused to admit defeat in the fight for a top-six finish but conceded that United’s fate was wholly reliant on other clubs with two league games remaining. Leeds’ season is on the verge of a disappointing conclusion following yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, a result which cut them three points adrift of sixth position. The result in south London extended United’s poor run of form to one win from nine league matches, dropping the club to ninth, and their term rests precariously on Saturday’s home clash against promotion rivals Burnley. Grayson’s squad will be out of the running for a play-off spot if they lose to the Clarets at Elland Road, one of just two fixtures they have to overturn the advantage currently h...

Mail 25/4/11 Crystal Palace 1 Leeds 0: Danns' early strike edges Eagles closer to Championship safety By Sami Mokbel Simon Grayson came close to calling time on Leeds’ promotion tilt after his side suffered a devastating defeat against Crystal Palace. Neil Danns’ second-minute goal was enough to secure all three points, and virtually guaranteed Palace’s Championship status. Palace looked destined for the drop when Freedman replaced sacked George Burley in January. Now only a nine-goal swing from Sheffield United or an 18-goal turnaround from Scunthorpe could condemn Palace to relegation. However, Freedman’s route to survival was the last thing on Grayson’s mind last night as he came to terms with a defeat that looks to have ended his side’s battle to earn a play-off spot. Leeds are three points adrift of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest with only games against Burnley and QPR to follow. ‘We know it’s out of our hands now,’ admitted Grayson. ‘We are relying on other results going our ...

Bradford Telegraph & Argus 25/4/11 Leeds United fading out of play-off hunt Crystal Palace 1, Leeds Utd 0 Leeds crashed to their fourth away defeat in a row and slipped to ninth in the Championship table after losing 1-0 at Crystal Palace. Nottingham Forest stay in the final play-off spot after beating Bristol City – while Millwall and Burnley climbed above Leeds, who are now three points behind sixth-placed Forest. United’s 5,000 travelling fans could hardly believe how lacklustre their side were, lacking inspiration and toiling in the heat against a side threatened with relegation. With games against Burnley and leaders QPR to come and a poor goal difference, the odds are against Leeds making the play-offs – but manager Simon Grayson will not give up hope until it is mathematically certain. He said: “Until it’s impossible, we’ll keep going. But whatever happens, we can look back on a good season and if we don’t make the play-offs we’ll use this season as experience ...

Yorkshire Evening Post 23/4/11 Leeds United v Reading: Unlucky Whites end Royals ascent By Phil Hay The theory went that Reading’s sequence of victories was bound to run its course eventually, and their spectacular run met its end. How much value Leeds United can place on a goalless stalemate will only become clear in a fortnight’s time. Parity with Reading is not to be sniffed at, not when their previous eight league fixtures ended in resounding wins, but the point accrued by Leeds at Elland Road only achieved so much. It fell short of defending their long-held play-off position, snatched by Nottingham Forest in the night’s earlier kick-off with three games to play. United shook themselves free of the mediocrity responsible for defeats to Millwall and Derby County and an unconvincing draw with Watford, and their willingness to fight fire with fire told the club’s manager, Simon Grayson, that his players are far from giving up the ghost. The same could be said of a crowd which dropped ...