Mighty Leeds Weblog

Will Butcher Leeds United avoided a points deduction back in 2017 in a case involving Massimo Cellino and the signing of Ross McCormack – in a case that saw Cellino banned from football for a year, and fined. The Times published a story today that shares recent examples of how clubs came close to deductions in terms of points. Everton have of course been deducted 10 points, after breaching Financial Fairplay. Ross McCormack spent four years at Elland Road, playing 157 times in which he had a hand in 89 goals. He left to join Fulham in 2014, with the Cottagers spending a fee of £12m to land the Scotland attacker. Reports at the time, as well as the Times report, state that Cellino was banned for 12 months and fined £100,000 – as an unlicensed agent was used to strike a deal. But, Leeds avoided a points deduction. Cellino sold his entire stake in Leeds to Andrea Radrizzani that summer before the announcement was made that Cellino would be banned for a year, in October 2017. Lee...

SCOREBOARD pressure is a term usually associated with cricket as opposed to football. By Leon Wobschall Yet it could easily apply to Leeds United ahead of their resumption of Championship business at Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United on Friday evening. Reassuringly consistent so far in 2023-24, Leeds’s season is now entering its next pivotal stage. After establishing themselves in the top six, their designs now extend to breaking into automatic promotion positions following a run of six victories in their last seven outings. Back-to-back losses for leaders Leicester City and just one win in their past three matches for second-placed Ipswich Town should have further emboldened Leeds ahead of tomorrow night’s appointment at a sold-out AESSEAL New York Stadium. They are doing the equivalent of ‘batting’ first before Leicester and Ipswich are in action on Saturday. Three points for Daniel Farke’s side would cut the gap between Leeds and the top two to five points and start to m...

Peter McVitie Weston McKennie has admitted that his loan spell at Leeds did not go as well as he expected and feels he "let certain people down". The United States midfielder was loaned to the Elland Road club in January to aid in their bid to avoid relegation to the Championship last season. He made 19 league appearances but did not have the desired effect, registering just one assist as they finished second-bottom and dropped down to the second tier. McKennie told Sky Sport in Italy: "I didn’t have the best performances. I felt I let certain people down. But at the end of the day, when I came back, I think it was important for me in general to have an experience like that, to have that happen to me at this moment of my career, because when I came back it felt like I was coming back here for the first time again. When I first came to Juventus, nobody knew who I was, everybody doubted me, everybody was against me, and I think it was important for me because it put ...

Burnley, Leeds and Leicester are seeking £300m in compensation from Everton It comes after the Toffees were deducted 10 points for breaching financial rules Everton players will be fed up with the owners – listen to It's All Kicking Off By MATT HUGHES Everton are querying why compensation claims against them from Burnley, Leeds and Leicester will be heard by the same disciplinary panel that docked them 10 points last week. The club are appealing against a punishment they described as 'disproportionate and unjust' and eyebrows have been raised by fact that their rivals' claims will be determined by the same panel, particularly as the chair of the commission David Phillips KC has previously acted for Leeds. Everton's appeal will be heard by a different panel assembled by the Premier League's Appeals Board, but the claims for compensation will be decided by the same people who found the club guilty. The case from Burnley, Leeds and Leicester is based ...

Leeds United transfers consultant Nick Hammond will stay on in his advisory role until the end of the 2024 summer window after extending his agreement with the club. By Joe Donnohue Hammond arrived at Elland Road this summer to oversee transfer incomings and outgoings as Leeds experienced considerable squad upheaval following relegation from the Premier League. The ex-Reading sporting director and advisor to Newcastle United has agreed terms on an extended stint in West Yorkshire, which will see him assist Leeds in their January and summer business during the two upcoming transfer windows. A former goalkeeper in the Football League, Hammond is believed to have been key to securing Leeds' summer signings drawing on contacts within the game. The 56-year-old took on an 'interim transfer consultant' role at Scottish Premiership giants Celtic before being appointed the Glasgow club's head of football in 2019 which followed a previous spell at West Bromwich Albion as ...

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke hosts his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon as the Whites prepare to take on Rotherham United this weekend. By Joe Donnohue Leeds' Yorkshire rivals find themselves in the relegation zone after a difficult start to the season while Farke's United hope to put yet more pressure on the Championship's top two after cutting the gap to eight points in recent weeks. Ipswich Town and Leicester City are locked on 39 points after 16 games, with Leeds averaging just under 2.00 points-per-game on 31 for the season so far. This weekend's encounter is an opportunity to put breathing room between themselves and the remainder of the chasing pack, several of whom are on 26 points or more. Farke is expected to provide an injury and fitness update on those players who have remained at Thorp Arch during the international break, which includes Djed Spence, who is yet to kickstart his loan spell at Elland Road after picking up a knee i...

The international break is among the most unpopular periods during the domestic football calendar, but this time around Leeds United forward Willy Gnonto has used the break to his advantage. By Joe Donnohue Italy's youngest ever goalscorer was dropped to the Under-21 side this month following a period out of the starting line-up at Elland Road but has made a strong case for a senior recall in March with his performances over two matches against San Marino and the Republic of Ireland in U21 European Championships qualifying. The Leeds youngster scored four times across 163 minutes of football, averaging a goal roughly every 41 minutes for Gli Azzurrini. His influence was not limited to finding the back of the net, either. Italy won penalties in both games, each time courtesy of the 20-year-old forward. Against San Marino, Gnonto was felled in the penalty area, in addition to his two goals in Serravalle, then on a bitterly cold evening in Cork, Gnonto's shot on the stroke...