Kisnorbo's contract nearing it's end

The list of players whose contracts run out at the end of the summer is a growing concern amongst Leeds United fans following news that Bradley Johnson has rejected a three year extension to his current deal.

Fans have a right to be concerned with The Yorkshire Evening post listing Neil Kilkenny, Davide Somma, Luciano Becchio, Richard Naylor, Andrew Hughes and Patrick Kisnorbo amongst the other players yet to sign a new deal.

After Sky Sports broke the news of Johnson’s rejected contract offer yesterday, Leeds United released a statement admitting that all the out-of-contract players were still in negotiations and that the club were committed to continuing negotiations within a ‘manageable wage structure’.

But the sheer quantity of players nearing the end of their contract begs the question – did we learn nothing from the Jermaine Beckford saga?

Of course, some of the players nearing the end of their contract wouldn’t be a huge loss. Andrew Hughes for example rarely gets a start in the first team, Richard Naylor is getting on in years and Bradley Johnson is definitely replaceable.

The two names that do stand out from the above list however, are key players Patrick Kisnorbo and Davide Somma. Despite his continual injury problems, Patrick Kisnorbo proved himself to be a real warrior at the heart of Leeds United’s defence last season, and his absence from the first team has been a huge blow to the club.

Davide Somma meanwhile is starting to attract a lot of attention after scoring 9 goals in his 14 appearances for Leeds United to date. South Aftica’s national team coach is already toying with the idea of a call-up and in current form, there’s bound to be other Championship clubs – if not Premier League clubs – sniffing around Thorp Arch ready to pounce.

So where do we point the finger when January comes around and we have another Jermaine Beckford saga on our hands? Well, it has to be Ken Bates but I’m not sure I’d have handled the situation any differently.

As we approached the end of the 2009-10 campaign it was impossible to determine where Leeds United would be playing their football this season so contract negotiations at that point would have been extremely difficult. The players would have expected Championship salaries, but the chairman would have to proceed with some caution in case promotion wasn’t achieved. The inevitable difficulties are probably why the club decided to wait until the summer.

But the summer passed without resolution and it now seems Ken Bates’ financial caution may have backfired dramatically as Leeds United face the possibility of several players – with a combined price-tag of several million – leaving for absolutely nothing. With this in mind, maybe we’ve been a little over-cautious?

Maybe it was better to take the risk and sign them up early? At least that way we’d have a saleable asset that could inject some funds back into the club?

Or maybe it’s a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy?’ With expensive players like Andy Robinson bringing a carbon footprint to the reserve team parking lot, I can understand why Leeds United are reluctant to dish out too many long-term contracts!

Thumbs up if you love Leeds United

It seems Ken Bates has been watching too much of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ and is now holding the fans in suspense at every available opportunity.

Only two weeks ago, Ken gave the Leeds United faithful food for thought as he hinted at a third signing being imminent, and today he was at it again as he revealed on Radio Bates that a new addition would be confirmed shortly.

Unlike Ken’s previous suspense thriller, when Paul Connolly arrived at Elland Road days later, we didn’t have to wait long this time and the club have now confirmed the signing of Federico Bessone.

The Argentinian is 26 years old, and after starting his career in the Barcelona C team, he then moved to Espanyol’s B team, before joining English side, Swansea City where he has spent the last two seasons.

Other than his time at Swansea, the Argentinian is a bit of an unknown entity, but he will take over our troublesome left-back position which Andy Hughes occupied for much of last season. Some fans were calling for an extended run to be given to youngster, Aidy White, but with the more experienced Bessone now on-board, it looks like young Aidy will have to work hard for an opportunity.

Trivia: Federico Bessone once played alongside Argentinian superstar, Lionel Messi in the Barcelona C team. He’ll now join another Argentinian wonder, who goes by the name of Luciano Becchio. (A like-for-like comparison, I’m sure you’ll agree?)

James McArthur

I’ve touched upon the James McArthur rumour once before, but it seems to be gathering momentum with the newspapers claiming Simon Grayson has tabled a £1m bid (plus add-ons) to top that of Wigan, who have already submitted a bid of £800,000.

The Hamilton Academicals youngster is said to be keen on a move to Elland Road where he’ll link up with former Scotland U21 team mate, Robert Snodgrass. One of those “close sources” the papers also cite says that;

“If Leeds make it back to the top flight they are obviously a bigger club than Wigan..

..Leeds have topped Wigan’s offer and if they continue being successful they are one of the biggest teams in the country.”

Harsh words for any Wigan fan to read, but unavoidably true. Whether the potential of Leeds United is enough remains to be seen, but if the £1m bid is true, it would certainly put an end to claims that Simon Grayson has no money to spend this summer.

Billy Paynter

Swindon chairman, Adam Filton is resigned to losing star-striker Billy Paynter after he saw his team lose to Millwall in the League One play-off final.

Rumours surrounding Billy Paynter weren’t uncommon before the play-offs, but their chairman admits their failure may have put the final nail in the coffin of his Swindon Town career;

“I don’t think he will stay.

“We would like him to stay but he is out of contract and if he has an offer from a Championship club – which we suspect he has – then we are never going to be able to compete with that.”

Chairman says he thinks Paynter has had an offer from a Championship club and Leeds United are known to be in the market for a proven goalscorer. Put the two together and it’s an easy news days for the papers, but this is one of those links with an element of believability to it. He’s free – which Ken Bates will like – and scores plenty of goals. 29 last season to be precise.

Alan Sheehan

One of the most puzzling things for us Leeds United fans last season was Simon Grayson’s decision to play Andy Hughes out of position at left-back, when we had players that fit that role already. One such player was Alan Sheehan. Larry’s refusal to play him defied all logic, but it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see him and Sheehan aren’t the best of friends. Speaking about his departure, Alan said;

“I’ll be leaving Leeds, as long as Simon Grayson is there I won`t be there anyway. I’ll be happy to be leaving I suppose and move on with my career.”

You can’t help but notice the bitterness in that statement. His direct reference to Simon Grayson suggests the two never really saw eye-to-eye and that Alan would find it impossible to work with (should Simon decide he wants to work with Alan of course).

I remember when Simon joined Leeds United, I was told by a couple of Blackpool fans that he took no prisoners and was well-known for falling out with players and leaving them to rot on the sidelines. Maybe it was a similar case with Rui Marques too, as even the most uneducated football fan could see Naylor’s legs had gone towards the end of last season?

It would appear that Leeds United and Sheffield United are chasing the same players. Today’s first link is Paul Connoly of Derby County, who, alongside Billy Sharp is an alleged priority for both us and the Blades (with them hoping to extend Sharp’s deal).

The Billy Sharp link comes as no real surprise. With Jermaine Beckford all but gone, Leeds are in need of a replacement who can fill the void and Sharp seems to tick all the boxes. It’s an ongoing rumour that’s persisted for two seasons now, but with Doncaster’s £600k bid being turned down, Leeds will have to dig deep.

Sharp, who has been away on holiday, said the following;

“I’ve not heard anything from Leeds. I’ve just got back from my holiday but I heard Donny’s offer was turned down. I’ll speak to Sheffield United and we’ll take it from there.”

The prospect of us stealing Billy Sharp from under the Blades noses before the season even starts has my mouth watering. The 2010/11 fixture list throws up a few derbies, none of which will need much to spark them off, but the Sheffield one has the potential to be an epic grudge match.

As well as the battle for Paul Connoly and Billy Sharp’s signature, Leeds have also been linked with another Sheffield United player, Neil Montgomery who is currently out of contract and could sign for us on a free (Ken Bates’ favourite price).

There’s also the small matter of Sheffield United’s manager, who is none other than former Leeds boss, Kevin Blackwell. I can just see the look on his face now as Montgomery crosses from the wing to find Billy Sharp in an acre of space (Blackwell’s defence are running around like headless chickens), Sharp picks the ball up, dances around a bit and slams home to give Leeds a 1-0 lead in front of the Kop.

In other news, Andy Hughes has secured an extension to his current contract, whilst Rob Hulse has been linked with a return to Elland Road. The latter would appear to be the papers clutching at straws for even the most thread-bare links, but even at 30-years old, I’d welcome him back.

Much like the current leader of our great country, the current leader of Leeds United – namely, Richard Naylor – has come under much scrutiny in recent months. Much like Gordon Brown, Richard Naylor is an unelected leader of our never-democratic team, who has been criticised from all quarters for his lack of noticeable leadership skills. In Naylor’s defence however, he does come from the place he represents, unlike a certain Mr. Brown who comes from the cold foothills of Scotland. This is akin to Leeds United being captained by a Manchester born exile – touchy subject to say the least.

The candidates

Jonny Howson is a Leeds-born, Leeds-bred lad playing for his favourite team and quite literally ‘living the dream’. He knows what it means to play for Leeds United and is often seen as the fans representative on the pitch. Leeds United fans are well-known for the love of their home-town heroes, but it’s a potentially disastrous situation as shown by previous hero, Alan Smith. Jonny  is currently the teams vice-captain and brings with him a fair amount of experience in the senior position, having led the Whites earlier in the season whilst Richard Naylor was out injured.

Left-back, right-back, right-midfielder, central midfielder and no doubt centre forward given half a chance, Andrew Hughes will be a surprise nomination to many as he’s often a player targeted for some heavy criticism. However, Hughes’ versatile roles within the side show his eagerness to play for the team regardless of position. Moreover, whilst his ability at left-back is easy to scrutinise, his commitment and effort can’t be. One of those ‘wears his heart on his sleeve’ kinda guys Leeds United fans usually love.

Patrick Kisnorbo would probably be the bookies favourite if anyone other than ourselves were taking this poll seriously. His introduction into the Leeds United side this season instantly solved the defensive frailties we’d been prone to throughout previous years. Unfortunately, Paddy was injured recently and Leeds have suffered ever since. Kis has continually shown his commitment to Leeds despite his injury by travelling with the squad to all their games since. He’s also a big favourite amongst the fans for his fearless, never-say-die attitude that was epitomized by the bandage he wore for most games this season. It covered an untreated head injury from earlier in the season that Paddy had played through the pain barrier of. Still, he is a foreigner… Come over here, steal all our jobs, fix Leeds United’s defensive problems…

Robert Snodgrass is another one of our beloved foreigners that gives everything for the team. Even when things aren’t going well for the Scot and his crossing ends up in the roof of the East Stand, Snoddy’s head never drops and the youngster keeps fighting for the cause. In interviews, he’s told how much he loves playing for the club and wants to be part of a legacy which includes other Scottish greats like Eddie Gray and Billy Bremner. Unquestionably a fans favourite, but does he possess the ability to lead such a great team at such a young age?

The final nomination is Luciano Becchio. An outside shot, no doubt, but his effort is something every Leeds United fan appreciates even when things aren’t going quite right for the Argentinian. Most of his time in Leeds has been spent living in the shadow of prolific goal-scorer Jermaine Beckford, but whilst Jermaine’s goals have undoubtedly put us in the position we’re in, Luci’s work-rate has been a big contributing factor – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed amongst the Leeds United fans and led to Becchio become a bit of a cult hero. A much beloved work horse, but does he have leadership potential?

I’ve also added an option to vote for ‘other’ so those that feel someone has been over-looked can select this option and add their comments below. The current captain has also been included in the poll for those of you that still believe Richard Naylor is the right man for the job. Thanks go to Mike R for suggesting the idea as well as the people who debated the captaincy issue on a previous post.

Friday had gone well for the Whites with Norwich being comfortably beaten and Millwall only managing a draw at home to Brentford. Saturday didn’t start off too badly either with Manchester United getting the biggest cheer of the day when they lost at home to Chelsea. Not often you see Chelsea goals being cheered in the Old Peacock but there is an exception to every rule.

Chris & Kev. Never forgotten!

Around Elland Road there were numerous people collecting in honour of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight for the childrens cancer charity, Candlelighters. Billy Bremner’s statue was surrounded by wreaths and flowers as the 10th anniversary of our fellow supporters brutal murders was marked.

The players arrived on the pitch carrying two wreaths that were laid behind each of the goals and a minutes silence preceeded the kick-off. The sickening thoughts of that night were only made worse by the knowledge that ten years on the families of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight are still without justice.

The game itself started out brightly for the Whites and the early indications suggested we may well get a result. The players were passing the ball better, getting stuck in, closing down and creating chances. For all their efforts however, the best chances fell to Andy Hughes who missed an absolute sitter infront of the dismayed South Stand and Jermaine Beckford who headed well, only to see his shot saved by the visiting keeper and former Leeds United player, Lucas.

Swindon had very little to cheer about early on as Leeds United dominated proceedings, but just three minutes before the interval with the scores still level, disaster struck. A fortuetous strike from Paynter beet Shane Higgs via the woodwork and sent the visitors into an undeserved half-time lead.

The teams returned for a second half to forget from a Leeds perspective. For all their efforts early on, the Leeds United team were behind and with confidence so notably lacking, the heads dropped and Swindon took control. With just three minutes gone of the second period, Swindon and Paynter doubled their tally and Leeds United never managed to respond.

From there on in, things went from bad to worse. The team fell apart totally and Swindon had it all too easy. Their third and final goal came just ten minutes into the second half with the troublesome Paynter once again involved and Austin hitting home to secure the three points.

It was hard to believe the same Leeds United team had returned after the interval as the differences in performances were glaringly obvious. A few players did well and earnt their wages, most notably Howson who was getting increasingly frustrated at the fickle nature of the Whites side, but the majority of players heads dropped after the first goal and remained facing downwards until the end of the game.

As the Swindon fans partied and taunted the Leeds United faithful with chants of “top of the league and you f**ked it up” and “6-0 on aggregate” the Leeds United fans vacated Elland Road wondering just how we’d managed to lose the game by such a margin. By the time Swindon had netted their first goal, Leeds really should have been infront. Their lead was totally undeserved, but as the saying goes ‘goals change games’ and never has there been a more fitting testimony to that old cliché.

The result was a hard pill to swallow after seeing Leeds so dominant in the first half. I can’t help thinking that had Andrew Hughes not fluffed his sitter of an opportunity, or had Jermaine Beckford or Jonny Howson been a little more lucky with their attempts, Leeds United would have won this encounter, but after all the hard work, one goal was enough to totally destroy the lads confidence and leave us looking like a local pub team once more.

Yeovil tomorrow in the early kick-off where there will undoubtedly be changes to the starting XI with the game coming just 45 hours after our previous one. If Leeds are to stand any chance of getting out of the rut we’re currently in and making a play for the automatic position, then they have to get back to winning ways sharpish.

Just a quick heads up to anyone else heading to Yeovil about a planned protest to show our united disgust at the lack of justice served to those responsible in the deaths of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight.

The protest will see all the travelling Leeds United fans turn their backs on football for one minute after the whistle blows for kick-off. The protest is a fitting way to show our disgust at how not only the Turkish courts, but UEFA and FIFA have failed in this matter.

What still makes me bitter to this day is how Turkish “fans” are allowed to go unpunished for the mindless acts of terror they inflict on any visiting team. If such events took place in England, I have no doubts whatever team was involved, would be banned from the competition as punishment. As someone in attendance for that game, I can’t even begin to describe how hostile the fans and Police were to the visiting Leeds United fans. The club should have been banned from European football indefinitely.

Ben Parker’s hopes washed away

The longest anticipated injury comeback in the history of sport (slight exaggeration maybe)continues as Ben Parker’s planned Tuesday night outing for the reserves was thwarted by torrential rain.

It seems that fate is against our young full-back and whether he’ll feature in the managers plans at all for the rest of this season seems questionable. In his absence, the left-back spot has been a really troublesome area for Larry with Hughes occupying it for the majority of the season.

Somma continues to reign at Lincoln

Four goals, two assists and only five games in to his Lincoln loan spell, but those kind of stats guarantee you a place on the League Two player of the month shortlist. Good to see Davide drawing the plaudits and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that his form can continue and carry over into next season for Leeds United.

Prior to the game, it was a no-brainer for the betting man amongst us. Southampton had just knocked ten past their previous two opponents, including a 5-0 demolition job on play-off chasing Huddersfield Town. In stark contrast, the fortunes of Tranmere couldn’t have been much different, who themselves had fallen to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the same Huddersfield side just days before.

This being League One, shock results don’t really tend to shock. What a team does one week rarely gives much indication of what they’ll do the next, but even by League One standards, the change in fortnnes for Tranmere was quite simply, unbelievable.

It stands to reason then that Leeds United would be their next opponents. We always seem to time things just right for an epic fail. Much like Tranmere’s fortunes seem to be changing, so too do that of Leeds. From having the title almost tied up just a couple of months ago, to desperately trying to avoid slipping into the play-off places, Leeds United are upto the same old tricks and insisting on doing things the hard way. Quite frankly, Tranmere couldn’t have timed this encounter much better.

If that wasn’t enough, Leeds United also seem to have another injury crisis brewing with Richard Naylor, Andrew Hughes, Shane Lowry and Mike Grella all doubts.

This weekend saw Leeds United drop another valuable two points to mid-table Brentford, who came and pretty much parked the bus. Perhaps unlucky when you take Michalik’s effort (which came back off the woodwork) into account, it still wasn’t the most inspired performance we’ve seen at Elland Road this season and there was a lot of room for improvement, not least in terms of applying pressure and urgency.

Even without that sense of urgency, Leeds dominated throughout and missed more chances than I care to recall. Earlier in the season, it’d have probably been quite a comfortable win, but things aren’t going for us at the minute and expecting the results to just come for us, won’t work.

The goal that put us behind was a bit of a sucker punch after we’d dominated the entire fixture and we did respond well to get the equaliser. Still, no matter how much Simon Grayson insists otherwise, it was by no means a great performance and the players know it was two points lost. Their confidence levels after recent performances and results must be a concern for the boss.

So what we have tomorrow night is a Leeds United team struggling for form, probably low on confidence, with nothing going for them at the minute and with injuries starting to pile-up, against a much improved and more confident Tranmere side determined to raise their game for the visit of the Whites and grab a surprise three points in their bid to stave off relegation. In my mind, we’re the underdogs!

Perhaps underdogs isn’t a bad thing though? With Leeds United I often worry more when we’re expected to win with ease. The three consecutive home games we had recently which the official site was dubbing “Operation Nine” inevitably turned into catastrophe as the players reached a whole new level of complacency and played the most dismal football of the season so far.

Manchester United meanwhile, no one expected us to win so that’s exactly what we did. Leeds have been doing the same thing for as long as I can remember. Cup finals that should have been all too easy (Sunderland) and League Championships with unsurpassable leads were blown, solely because we got overly confident (and the fixture pile-ups never helped). Then you look at the Champions League a few years back where everyone expected us to be out in the first match. We shocked Europe, because stubbornly and definatly, that’s what Leeds do.

In a roundabout way, by beating Southampton and raising the stakes of this game, Tranmere may have done us the ultimate favour. The players and management will have taken note, that this is a team capable of beating the big boys on their day and with that in mind, they’ll hopefully settle in quickly and focus on obtaining what has somehow become an unlikely three points.

Defiantly and stubbornly optimisic! On and on…

This was another below par performance from Leeds and the result is no more than they deserved. Although there was an improvement on Tuesday’s performance, there’s still several issues that need to be addressed;

“What the **** is going on?”

Formation

We’ll start with the ever changing line-up, which yesterday was as below at kick-off.

Ankergren

Hughes, Naylor, Kisnorbo, Lowry

Howson, Doyle, Kilkenny, Johnson, McSheffrey

Beckford

The midfield is in no particular order as it was hard to make sense of who was playing where to be totally honest, such was the lack of order it seemed to possess. The key thing to note here however is that Beckford is upfront on his own, whilst our bench harboured the likes of Becchio, Gradel and Snoddy.

More to the point, on the pitch was McSheffrey, who I was led to believe was a forward. Clearly not a natural midfielder, would probably benefit from playing alongside Beckford as he’d be a much better targetman for the long-ball Leeds are insisting on playing at the minute and can also hold the ball up and create chances, which is what Beckford needs to be of any benefit to the team.

Much like when Luciano Becchio was playing alone upfront, Beckford was massively ineffective as a lone striker with poor support from the midfield. Leeds’ final ball was so poor that the Brighton keeper could have probably taken the day off and the scoreline wouldn’t have changed too much. Beckford and Becchio need each other to produce the goods. They both bring something to the party and neither can play alone.

I’m starting to think we’re dropping a striker in order to accomodate McSheffrey who must have been promised first team football. I don’t mind that as McSheffrey is a good player, but he needs to be playing alongside Beckford to keep the balance of the team and give us any real threat going forward.

The penalty

It was never a penalty in a million years, but these things happen. The referee was totally useless throughout and both teams had to cope with him so no sour grapes from me in that respect. Leeds had all the possession and really should have walked it against a pathetically weak Brighton side who we battered 3-0 in the reverse fixture.

The long ball

It’s becoming really annoying seeing balls pumped long to players who can’t bring them down. The supporters were once again whinging at Beckford for failure to move and fight for the ball, but he’s so useless in the air there was probably little point. The team plays better when we have some sort of flow and pass about a bit, but they just don’t seem to have the confidence to try and play football at the minute.

The celebration

The players goading Gus Poyet after we scored was totally unacceptable in my mind. Whether it was deliberate or has been taken out of context, I aren’t entirely sure. Maybe they were intending to celebrate with their own bench? I know Grayson wasn’t pleased anyway and nor was Gus by the sounds of things and it’s hardly surprising really.

The positives

The substitutions

Once we’d made our three changes we were back to our normal shape with Luci and Becks upfront and four in midfield. Snoddy, who started on the bench for some reason, came on and had an instant impact and it was no surprise he got the goal. After falling one down, it was the only time we looked threatening, but since this coincided with going back to basics in terms of line-up and formation, I’d suggest this played more of a part than anything else.

The defence

A million times better than on Tuesday. Doyle and Howson in midfield were nullifying attacks before they became a threat, leaving Brighton with nothing but the long ball option and Paddy was there everytime to head clear. We look so much better with them three in the team from a defensive aspect that if the formation remains the same, I think the clean sheets will return soon.

Max Gradel

Max was the victim of an absolute horror challenge that saw Brighton reduced to ten men late on. I honestly couldn’t believe he got up and played on afterwards as he must have been in some pain, so credit to the youngster for his determination.

The fans

Unlike midweek, it was a good turn-out with 24,000 there to cheer the Whites on. Good to see such a sizable crowd despite things not going our way at the minute. That said, the patience is growing thin and the growing sighs around the ground reflects the times. Most notable chant of the day was a chorus of “What the …. is going on?” when Brighton scored. No booing at the end though thankfully.

Overall

Better but still with flaws. It didn’t surprise me at all to see us improve massively when we went back to 4-4-2 and got the regulars back on the field. I hope we start the next match with the line-up that’s served us well all season and if we are going to play McSheffrey, then hopefully it’ll be alongside Beckford rather than out of place in midfield.

Defensively we looked a different team from Tuesday night, but upfront we’re lacking in ideas, despite the vast array of attacking players at our disposal. Back to basics for me. The worrying thing is that the gap to the play-offs has closed massively so whatever the reasons behind the current slump, they need sorting sharpish.

Can’t deny I’m worried at the minute, but not entirely surprised. Years of supporting Leeds tells me that we never do things the easy way and this season looks to be no exception. I have full faith in Grayson’s ability to turn things round, but the longer this goes on, the more the fans will lose confidence and the more the morale of the support drops, the harder it will become.

Casper Ankergren – 8*
This is a tough one because he was beaten. Aside from the moment where Jason Crowe came to his rescue he made some good saves. Was a few nervy moments from corners where he came to clear and missed, but clean sheet so no complaints.
*Decided I agree with the consensus that I was a little hard on Casper and he deserves more than the original 7, so edited to 8. He did slow the shot down from Rooney enabling Crowe to clear and the shots he did save make his efforts worthy of a higher score.

Jason Crowe – 8
From now on, this is how he should play every week. Was beaten once or twice. but hardly surprising giving who he had to compete with and always chased them down. Saved us from an equaliser with a goal-line clearence and worked tirelessly throughout. Best display he’s had in a Leeds shirt for me.

Richard Naylor – 9
As a lifelong Leeds fan, Nayl’s will have needed no motivational talk for this game from Grayson. He put everything on the line, throwing whatever he had in front of whatever Manchester United could muster. Clean sheet at Old Trafford, not many teams get to say that and the partnership of him and Kis is key to that success. Absolutely hounded Rooney throughout.

Patrick Kisnorbo – 9
Fearless, absolutely fearless. Solid as a rock and never sees anything as a lost cause. His work rate is incredible, his desire admirable and the difference he’s made to Leeds United in defence, unbelievable. Haven’t been able to fault him on much all season.

Andrew Hughes – 7
Had the unenviable task of Welbeck followed by Valencia. Dealt pretty well with Welbeck, but when the youngster did break he was simply impossible to catch such is his terrifying pace. Valencia ran him ragged, but Hughes gave everything and played his part in the result.

Jonny Howson – 10
I said in my match report that I felt Jonny had grown from the experience and I simply can’t praise him enough. Like Naylor, he’s homegrown and would have needed no motivation whatsoever. His pass for Beckford’s goal was simply sublime, his closing down was tireless and he never showed any fear or respect to the Premier League champions throughout. Hero in the making.

Neil Kilkenny – 8.5
Got disposessed a few times, but then who didn’t? (and I mean on both teams) Always looked to move forward and create chances, never took his foot off the gas and was there with the tackles when needed. Another solid performance from Killa, making the competition for places in midfield a real battle.

Michael Doyle – 8
What I like about Doyle is that he holds back giving Kilkenny, Johnson and even Howson at times room to push forward. Not afraid of the tackle and certainly showed no fear against any of the Man United players. Battled throughout and had a solid game.

Bradley Johnson – 8
Made Gary Neville look like a pub team player – which, let’s face it, he should be. Probably quite frustrated with the end product at times, but he played a big part in why we were so strong going forward. Good game from Bradley and great to have him back.

Jermaine Beckford – 10
The enigma that is Jermaine Beckford. What can you say about him, he’s answered all his critics in the last few weeks. Weak in the air - scores with a header. Underperforming - scores five in three games. Disappears in big games – runs Manchester United ragged. Could quite easily have been MOTM as he just made a mockery of Wes Brown all day. If that was his last game for Leeds United, it’s not a bad way to end an impressive run at the club and he’ll leave a hero in my eyes.

Luciano Becchio – 8.5
Strong, hard-working, tough tackling and troublesome for Manchester United throughout. Seemed to play closer to midfield than he did striker, but his contribution was nonetheless vital and helped us win the battle in the centre of the park. Never going to be an out and out striker, but his contribution is invaluable to the team.

The subs
Simon Grayson left two of his subs ’til the very end (probably to time waste) so no point rating Michalik or White, but Snoddy came in and made an immediate impact hitting the bar with a beautifully struck free-kick. From there on in, he got stuck in and helped us to secure victory.