The Scratching Shed

Leeds United 2010/12 away kit

Fresh off the back of the positive new home shirt reviews, Macron have got adventurous with the new away kit and gone with a blue and yellow number as modelled right, by Bradley Johnson, and a slightly chubby-looking Billy Paynter.

The new kit features the giant, happy Macron man with outstretched arms on both sleeves that looks like it may have been drawn by children.

Despite the over-the-top logos of sportswear providers that most of us have now become accustomed to, I don’t think the new shirt looks all that bad.

It goes on sale this Saturday from the Elland Road superstore priced at £40 for adults, and an extortionate £35 for those of you with kids to buy for.

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As Leeds United’s fans celebrated around the world last night with parties extending long into the night, so too did the players. Unlike our parties however, the drunken ‘ten-pinters’ were replaced by a bevy of hot women and the only thing that had 1664 written on it was the date of the finest champagne.

Who da man?

The new Leeds United cheerleaders. Might have to lose the red mind...

No less than the players deserve, although I’m sure there’s a few more out there feeling a little bit jealous. Anyone who wants to subject themselves to more of these snaps can do so here.

It’s through extremely blurred vision and with a very heavy head I write my final match report of the season. A season full of ups and downs, ended in a match many of us will be telling the next generation about in years to come. As the champagne flowed around Leeds City centre last night, the events of the day were celebrated and relived amongst thousands of ecstatic Leeds United fans, as the promotion party continued late into the night.

It could all have been so very different though. The match itself was as eventful as they come. Historically, Leeds United are well known for bottling the big games. You only have to look back to the drama of the play-off’s over the last few years to see Leeds United seldom do things the easy way, and this was to be no exception.

A sold-out and deafening Elland Road crowd sang their heroes onto the pitch for what we hoped would be the final game of the season. No Richard Naylor, Robert Snodgrass or Jonny Howson in the starting XI, Max Gradel moved out wide and Jermaine Beckford restored to the starting line-up as captain. Simon Grayson had hinted at changes, but few had seen this coming.

Leeds looked hungry and it seemed as though things would be simple. All we had to do was get in front, and with Leeds dominating as they were, it was unlikely that Bristol would be able to respond.

Controversy soon struck though; after Jermaine Beckford’s opener was ruled out by the linesman, Max Gradel sought retribution for an earlier foul and stomped on Rovers left-back Daniel Jones. Jones hit the floor like he’d been shot and feigned injury to his face. Chaos ensued, with Leeds and Bristol players clashing violently. Another dismal referee dismissed Max Gradel, but despite his part in escalating the situation, Jones escaped with just a yellow.

Marching orders for Gradel

The scale of the situation hadn’t escaped Gradel and he reacted furiously to the sending off. Jermaine Beckford in his new role as captain tried to play peace-keeper, but Gradel was a man possessed and determined to get his own back on Jones or the referee – whoever he could get to first. After several minutes of drama, Gradel was forcefully removed from the pitch by his team-mates, but he wasn’t finished yet and came back on for another go at whoever he could get to. This time, two pretty hefty security staff were sent on, finally managing to restore order.

The tense and nervous atmosphere inside Elland Road was replaced by one of anger and disbelief. To the on-looking Leeds fans, it seemed that we’d once again been the victim of a major injustice that could well have cost us our place in the Championship. The referee was subsequently ridiculed with chants of ‘this games too big for you’ and ‘you’re not fit to referee’ along with some more x-rated stuff towards half-time. Daniel Jones’ part in the incident hadn’t been forgotten either and he was booed every time he touched the ball from that point on.

After five minutes added time, an angry Leeds United crowd left for the break where the events of the first half would be analysed further. Most of the crowd were busy watching Beckford at the time, so few had actually seen the incident involving Gradel. There was much confusion as to what actually happened and many believed Gradel had punched the left-back, probably because of his exaggerated reaction. You have to wonder whether the referee had drawn a similar conclusion, but either way, the odds were now stacked against Leeds United and we were in for a roller-coaster 45 minutes that would ultimately decide our fate.

Such is the way with these things, the villain of the day Daniel Jones hadn’t finished tormenting Leeds United yet. Minutes into the second half, Hughes failed to close Jones down and his cross led to a soft goal conceded by the make-shift Leeds United defence. 1-0 down, and the news elsewhere was that Charlton were winning. Whilst Millwall and Swindon were level, I can only imagine the roar that came from both sets of fans on discovering Leeds United’s troubles.

Leeds were wounded and in total disarray. Fresh out of ideas and struggling with a numerical disadvantage, Simon Grayson was forced into his first change of the day. Jonny Howson was brought on in place of Shane Lowry in what would prove to be an inspired substitution from the gaffer.

Just six minutes after coming onto the pitch, Howson levelled the scores. For all his inconsistencies and lack of goals, Jonny has a habit of scoring when it matters. Few will have forgotten his brace that sent us into the play-off final a couple of years back, but even those goals weren’t as big as this one. From the edge of the area, Jonny found himself in space and struck sweetly to curl the ball past the Bristol keeper and restore parity for the Whites. The roof lifted off Elland Road once again, but this time, it was a roar of defiant brilliance – Leeds weren’t done yet!

Howson levels the scores

It was easy to forget Leeds were a man down as they pushed Bristol back and went in search of a winner. All out attack was what the crowd wanted, and that’s exactly what Leeds United delivered. Those that did remain on the pitch will have been fully aware of what another goal meant for Leeds, and it seemed only fitting that Jermaine Beckford would be the one to get it.

For all his flaws, Beckford’s goal tally is a big part of why we were in this situation to start with. Even his most hardened of critics couldn’t knock his performance today, he’d chased everything, battled hard and been an exemplary role-model for the younger fans in trying to resolve the sending-off situation peacefully. As Leeds United exits go, Jermaine Beckford’s is unlikely to be forgotten.

The most valuable goal of the season, probably Jermaine’s final one in a Leeds shirt and the one that sends Leeds United up was beautiful in it’s simplicity. A classic poachers goal which was started by Jermaine’s hassling of the Bristol keeper. His poor throw was deflected by Beckford into the path of Bradley Johnson who surged down the left and sent a cross into the box. The Bristol defence struggled to deal with the cross and when it spilled free, Jermaine Beckford was on hand to send Leeds into the Championship. Needless to say, the Leeds fans nearly took the roof off Elland Road once more.

Leeds continued to try and put the game beyond reach, and Bristol gave us a few scares as the final whistle agonisingly drew closer, but the poachers goal from Jermaine Beckford would prove to be decisive. The pitch invasion began before the referee could blow for full-time, but it didn’t matter. As the Leeds fans spilled onto the pitch to celebrate a historic win, the reality of it all began to sink in. The PA man’s attempts to get the fans off the pitch proved completely ineffective, and it took a plea from Simon Grayson to restore some order so the players could come out for a well-deserved lap of honour.

"Na na na na na na na na na na, Leeds are going up..."

As the players and the fans struggled to control their emotions, all order at Elland Road was lost once more. Some cheer-leading from TSS’ player of the season, Patrick Kisnorbo would follow and once Elland Road was finally vacated, the party spilled into the streets of Leeds. After six long years of demise, Leeds United have finally began to rise again.

TSS man of the match

Before I return to a state of slumber to recover from one of the most vicious hangovers I’ve had in years, I’m left with the final man of the match of the season decision, and perhaps, one of the easiest. In what is most likely to be his final game in a Leeds United shirt, Jermaine Beckford led by example. Not only did he score the winning goal, but he also assisted in Jonny Howson’s screamer. One of the most dramatic love/hate relationships I’ve ever seen between a player and fans ends in style. Whatever happens to Jermaine Beckford from here on in, I wish him well and thank him for the memories.

MK Dons appeal for Doumbe

The first of three sendings off at Elland Road this weekend is to be appealed by Milton Keynes after the ref involved received criticism from pretty much everyone in attendance. Whilst the red card Doumbe received arguably did little to alter the course of the game, the decision was a harsh one that could potentially leave the player with a four match ban.

When the referee wasn’t handing cards out like it was the 25th of December, he was denying Leeds United what seemed like clear cut penalty decisions. When Max Gradel was brought down in the box, the decision seemed to be an easy one but the referee gave nothing and play continued. Whilst a dodgy penalty decision isn’t unusual in football, the same referee had earlier booked Bradley Johnson as Leeds were denied another penalty shout. I can’t argue against the decision to book Brad, but is it too much to ask for consistency? Either Gradel was play-acting and should be booked or it was a penalty. Doing nothing showed the referee for the useless official he was, and it’s with that in my mind I wish Doumbe and MK Dons every luck in their appeal.

Ben Parker awaits news

Another reminder of our 4-1 victory over MK Dons comes from the official Leeds United website where Simon Grayson reveals that the club are still waiting for news on Ben Parker’s injury. The youngster made his return to the starting XI against the Dons but was taken off in an emotional state, with what looked like a season ending injury, after what has been a horrible injury-plagued season for the young left-back.

Whilst we wait on the outcome of Ben’s scan, I’m sure I speak on behalf of every Leeds United fan around the world in wishing him well. I know he’s had an extremely tough time of it this year and is raring to get back to full fitness. Hopefully this will prove to be only a minor setback.

Snoddy and Kis line-up in team of the year

Two Leeds United players have made the PFA League One team of the year and neither are likely to cause any shocks. Robert Snodgrass’ inclusion is definitely merited in my opinion as the Scot can quite often be our only consistent threat from midfield,

But it’s Patrick Kisnorbo who deserves the most praise in my mind. Paddy received rave reviews from myself and all the other Leeds United fan sites throughout the year and his absence has been a major blow for us. After a fantastic season, it was a real shame that the Aussie’s injury ruled him out of the World Cup this summer as no one else in our current squad deserves to be there more than him.

Becchio in L1 team of the week

Whilst some awards are easy to understand, the Football League’s team of the week has seldom been one of them. A constant joke of an idea all season that shows those involved have watched none of the games before making the selection. This week, Leeds United’s almost compulsory place goes to Luciano Becchio – a player whom I’m sure most fans will agree has done well for us recently.

Unfortunately – and despite the goal – Saturday wasn’t one of those occasions. He was always involved and had plenty of shots, but for the sheer amount of opportunities he missed, his selection is laughable. Meanwhile, the player who really did deserve a place, Sanchez Watt, fails to receive any recognition from the paper shufflers at Football League HQ. I’m sure he won’t lose too much sleep over it mind as I expect most of the players find it as laughable as the fans.

Five goals, four injuries, three red cards and a brace for Jermaine Beckford made for one very happy Elland Road crowd as the struggling MK Dons cast their thoughts to next season and the end of a disastrous run.

An early goal from the in-form Luciano Becchio set Leeds United on their way, but it was quickly cancelled out by Lewington just six minutes later. With Leeds United legend, Lucas Radebe watching on, the Whites defence once again crumbled from a set-play and gifted Milton Keynes the equaliser. Maybe we can get the Chief in to give Naylor and Collins a few pointers?

Leeds’ first goal had been created from nothing by the on-loan Arsenal youngster, Sanchez Watt dispossessing one of the Dons defenders. A similar blunder was punished again as Neil Kilkenny won possession, then found Sanchez Watt who set Max Gradel up to put Leeds back in the lead and give the youngster his second assist.

Just before half-time, the referee made an appalling decision by sending-off MK Dons Mathias Doumbe, but levelled his mistakes out shortly afterwards by denying Leeds what looked like a clear-cut penalty. Nevertheless, Leeds United headed in for the break 2-1 up and would return to play a MK Dons side ravaged by injuries, lacking a permanent manager and down to ten men. It really couldn’t be any easier.

The second half was a bit of a precession if truth be told. The Dons never looked capable of getting back into it, and as their injury crisis deepened with two more players added to the list, you had to feel sympathy for a team who looked likely to make the play-offs earlier in the season. Leeds meanwhile were having our own injury problems as Ben Parker was taken off with what looked to be a season ending injury.

Despite being down to ten men, the Dons held out and Leeds struggled to kill the game off. Luckily, we had our most dangerous weapon ready to pounce from the subs bench and his introduction brought with it a new lease of life for the Whites. Jermaine Beckford entered the field to a positive reaction from the crowd in what is likely to be his penultimate appearance at Elland Road.

The pace of Jermaine Beckford instantly caused problems for the makeshift Milton Keynes defence and it took just five minutes for Jermaine to extend the Whites lead. A cross from Bradley Johnson was pounced upon by Beckford and put beyond the Dons keeper to secure the three points for Leeds United.

Sanchez Watt’s man of the match performance was prematurely ended by injury as Leeds headed into the last ten minutes. The Arsenal youngster received a well-deserved standing ovation from the Leeds United faithful as the fans crossed their fingers and prayed it was nothing serious.

With four minutes remaining, Jermaine Beckford doubled his tally after being bundled down in the box and earning Leeds a penalty. Milton Keynes were struggling to cope with Becks’ pace and David McCrackan was sent off under the last man rule. Beckford’s penalty was a weak effort, but still managed to beat the MK Dons keeper, as the Whites put the final nail in their coffin.

All that was left was for the referee to send off his final player of the day which was Peter Levens, meaning Milton Keynes finished the match with eight men and the referee had taken his card tally to five yellow and three red. Personal best perhaps?

Overall, Leeds weren’t as good as the result suggests. Our defensive frailties were once again highlighted as everyone went missing during set-plays and we really should have had the points sealed up earlier than we did. Milton Keynes are a wounded side that never caused us any real problems. Their injury crisis, management problems and the fact they have nothing left to play for means they’re just making the numbers up at the minute and looking forward to drawing a line under a devastating season. That said, Leeds got the three points and that’s all that really matters.

All that leaves Leeds United still in second place, but since Millwall managed a late couple of goals at home to Leyton, they’re still only one point behind us. The good news is that Swindon and Charlton only managed draws leaving them pretty much out of the running now as Leeds head to the Valley next Saturday.

TSS man of the match

Simon Grayson rung the changes for this game and the one that paid off most notably was the starting place for Arsenal’s Sanchez Watt. The youngster was a real breath of fresh air, linking up well with Max Gradel throughout and getting himself two assists for his efforts. Hopefully his injury wasn’t too severe.

Leeds United recorded their first back-to-back wins of the year with a 2-0 home win over struggling Southend. In a game the Whites dominated, Leeds also recorded their first clean sheet since the 2-0 victory over Oldham back in February.

The game is unlikely to be remembered for another match-winning performance from Gradel and an improved Leeds United side unfortunately, as the headlines will undoubtedly focus on the fans continued criticism of Beckford. After failing to challenge the keeper for the ball, Beckford was booed by the fans and subjected to a chorus of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ before the Leeds fans sang for Luciano Becchio.

There’s no denying Beckford’s loss of form lately, but the fans reaction was completely out of order. There’s plenty of other players in the squad who have given inadequate performances and escaped being singled out because the fans know this squad is heavily reliant on our top goalscorer. It’s an unfortunate position to be in for Jermaine as any loss of personal form usually leads to a loss of form for the entire team (or vice versa I guess). For me, the fans anger once again reflects the clubs failings in January and the lack of goals provided from elsewhere. Not getting another striker in then was a major failure in my mind and is a big part of why we’re currently occupying third place.

After 58 minutes of frustration, Jermaine Beckford was replaced by the returning Luciano Becchio. It was unquestionably the right move from Simon Grayson as Beckford simply doesn’t look like scoring at the minute. After his antics earlier in the season, it was good to see Beckford had learnt his lesson and left the field in a sporting manner seemingly accepting his performance was below-par.

Just two minutes after that substitution, Leeds United finally took the lead when Max Gradel’s deflected shot beat the Southend keeper to give the youngster a much deserved goal and settle the nerves inside Elland Road. His excellent performance was capped with seven minutes to go when he provided the cross for Luciano Becchio to double the lead and secure the three points for Leeds United.

A game of ups and downs considering the frustrations prior to the goal, but Southend were kept back all day. The stats show Leeds had ten shots on target as opposed to Southend’s one, so this really was pretty straight forward stuff.

What has to be noted is that Leeds United aren’t doing anything different from what they were when Swindon visited, it just seems things are starting to run for us again. Against Swindon, we dominated almost entirely until they scored (rather fortuetously) and then the heads dropped and we were destroyed. Yesterday, we kept pressing and got our just desserts. Confidence is clearly key and hopefully the back-to-back wins signal a corner well and truly turned.

What was also nice to see today was a left footed player on the left-hand side (Johnson). What wasn’t nice to see was the same player getting booked which means he now has to serve a suspension. Collins also gave a solid performance at the back and looks like he may have been a clever signing by Larry. Let’s hope he can deliver the goods in the tougher games.

TSS man of the match
Back to back man of the matches for Max Gradel and no less than he deserves. The lad was tireless in his efforts today and once again proved the difference for Leeds United. Hopefully he’ll be the second consistent goal-scorer we’ve been looking for all season.

No wins now in the last four for Leeds after another below par performance at Elland Road. Three home games at Elland Road were ahead of us last Tuesday, from which we should have realistically been looking to take all nine points, but after disappointing results against Walsall and Brighton, we’re now looking at a maximum of four as the gap to the play-off places disappears.

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.

Jermaine Beckford has confirmed his transfer to Newcastle United by speaking to Goal.com. Neither of the clubs have made any official statement as yet, but hearing it from the ‘horse’s mouth’ is good enough for me.

After negotiations between the two clubs over the last week or so, Leeds United are believed to have accepted Newcastle’s third offer which is no doubt an ‘undisclosed fee’.

The news was broken by Beckford telling Goal.com;

“I’m off to Newcastle”

He refused to make any further comment making it quite possibly the shortest statement ever made by a player transferring clubs.

Contrary to what some readers believe, I don’t think Beckford’s move will have an adverse affect on our promotion dreams. The post from this morning titled ‘Have Leeds United hit the self-destruct button’ was actually written by Gledders. My own personal feelings on the matter are that Simon Grayson knows what he’s doing and will find a suitable replacement for Beckford.

Whether we move for my preferred favourite Gary Hooper, someone else such as Billy Sharp or no one at all we’ll still be a force in this league as we have players like Robert Snodgrass, Patrick Kisnorbo and Bradley Johnson who are well above their current level.

More to follow…

You can imagine how hard I’m going to find it to be even slightly critical of anyone following that result, but having now watched the match again (best thing I’ve ever Sky+’d) without the tension and nerves at the times, I’ve come up with the following. Feel free to share your thoughts.

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.

Doesn’t the result make Manchester United’s taunting all the more enjoyable? When I first read the headline of ‘Manchester United draw FA Cup minnows’ on their official site, I couldn’t help but laugh. Clearly they still held a soft spot for us and felt us worthy of such taunts. Had it not been Leeds United they drew, I imagine the official site would have been much more respectful of their opposition but this is one of those rivalries where there’s no love lost, so what would be the point building bridges?

On the approach to Old Trafford I came across a man with a masterplan to make money by selling those cup game scarves you see baring the colours of both teams with a 50/50 divide. Clearly he’d underestimated how much we both hated one another as I can’t see many Leeds United fans buying a scarf with Manchester United’s name and colours on it (and vice versa). He didn’t look to be having much success as I passed that’s for sure.

By this point there was Police everywhere as you may well expect. Apparently there’d already been some trouble between the fans in the station and a couple of fights outside the ground, but on the whole and considering the occasion, it wasn’t as bad as may have been expected. I didn’t encounter any problems with the opposition fans anyway and all the Leeds fans I saw were being their usual charming selves. I guess if anything was to kick off, it’d have likely happened after the game but there’s a funny thing about winning that makes our naughtier few better behaved.

The security element of the tie was doing their best to treat us all like animals. As the Police warned some fans to calm their passions “or else” I moved by swiftly before another unjustified altercation with the law that I could do without. Travelling away often presents itself with instances where the Police decide you have less rights than a terrorist and very little right to complain thereafter – regardless of whether you’d done anything wrong or not!

The temptation of asking the steward who searched me on the way into the ground if he’d at least buy me dinner first was hard to resist, such was the mans thoroughness and clear love of his job. I did resist however as there were more law enforcement officers around and they didn’t look like they’d need much of an excuse to arrest any fan they felt was being problematic, so it was through the turnstyles and in to Sold Trafford for the first time in almost six years.

You have to give credit to Man United’s manager for his approach to this game. As big a distaste for the bloke as we all may have, he rarely makes a mistake in his preperation for media frenzy matches like these and he wasn’t about to start now. All week he’d been stressing publically how big a match this would be for Leeds and the supporters of both teams. He’d told of how we shouldn’t be underestimated and warned his team for a battle and that’s exactly what they got.

From the off Leeds looked to take the game to ManU and it was clear we were in for a two-way battle. Most minnow teams like ourselves go to Old Trafford and look to leave with a respectable scoreline, but Simon Grayson was having none of that. If we’re going to play, we’re playing to win.

Chances fell both ways with Darren Gibson firing wide for ManU and Jermaine Beckford heading over the bar for Leeds. Danny Welbeck quickly settled into the game for Manchester United and was making a real nuisance of himself down the right. Andy Hughes was left wondering what had happened as Welbeck burst down the flank with pace and sent a good cross straight across goal, with no Man United player able to make a connection. Meanwhile, the older Donkey Brother was getting his usual reception from the Leeds faithful and was booed everytime he touched the ball.

Becchio had a good chance for Leeds with a headed attempt from Kilkenny’s cross but headed well over the top of goal. It was the best chance so far and Becchio knew he should have done better. Meanwhile, the crowd was in full voice as the Man United fans repeated “We all hate Leeds scum” again which they mixed with a song about Cantona and some nonsense about Rooney. Hard to hear them whilst munching Prawn sandwiches in all honesty. Leeds on the other hand had no time to snack and were busy working there way through a much wider range of songs. This was probably around the ‘we’re not famous anymore’ stage of proceedings.

On the pitch the exchanges were just as lively. Leeds were fighting for every ball and attacking at every available opportunity. Simon Grayson’s tactics of pushing men forward when in possession made for a brilliant end to end battle, but there were several nervy moments when the Reds countered and their pacey players like Welbeck broke free.

Beckford celebrates the goal of his career

It was roughly twenty minutes in to an action packed first half when Leeds countered quickly and took the lead. Jonny Howson picked out Jermaine Beckford who had been busy giving the over-rated Wes Brown the run around with an excellent long-range pass that landed nicely for Beckford. His first touch took him wide of the goalkeeper and his second was a tame shot that beat the goalkeeper and slowly but surely crossed the line! Cue crazy celebrations in Old Trafford and silence in the home stands. “1-0 in your cup final!” Wes Brown meanwhile may as well have been sat in the stands.

Man United quickly tried to get back on level terms and had it not been for a Jason Crowe goal-line clearence, Wayne Rooney would have done so almost immediately. That was about the best Man United could offer in terms of a reply in the first half and as tempers began to flair, the horrible Wes Brown got himself booked for a foul on Lucciano Becchio. One of several poor challenges he made in a game where it was a miracle he didn’t get sent off.

After a cheerful half-time for Leeds United fans, we returned for the second half and rather unsurprisingly, Man United were throwing bodies forward. Their whinging players futile appeals for a penalty were dismissed by the ref after Howson dispossessed Welbeck and just minutes later, the tempers flaired again as Micky Doyle was brought down for a free-kick. Jonny Howson – who played an absolute blinder - decided he could take on Gibson and Brown and as tempers flaired, the ref had to intervene and calm matters down before normal service was resumed.

The ref - who despite his reluctance to send Wes Brown off for a series of challenges where he never got anywhere near the ball - had to issue some more yellow cards as the tackles started to fly in all over the place. Both Naylor and Gibson found their way into the book, but in truth, both teams could have received a lot more yellow cards but a very good ref allowed the game to flow throughout and tried to keep his cards in his pocket.

Nayl’s was solid and hungry throughout, as was Kisnorbo. Even the usually criticised Hughes and Crowe were sticking the tackles in and making life hard for Manchester United. The midfield were closing down and challenging players whenever Man U were in possession and Becchio seemed to play the majority of the match back there with them. When we had possession, we were never afraid to pass it about and run with the ball, particulary Johnson and Howson who deserve a special mention. The whole team as one were performing brilliantly and you have to give full credit to Grayson who was tactically spot on.

Man United, who had started strongly enough with a good defence and near-on £60m in strikers decided to make some more changes to try and win the battle of the midfield. Giggs and Valencia came on, but surprisingly Welbeck was removed which was a bit of a relief as the lad’s pace had caused us problems throughout. Strange move, but I’m sure there was motive to the madness.

Owen joined proceedings not long after but despite so many attacking options, Man U were still struggling in defence and Jermaine Beckford once again broke free to narrowly fire wide when one on one with the keeper. Hearts in mouths by now, as Rooney prowled and Owen looked to get in on the action.

Leeds would get another chance however, by which point Snoddy had joined proceedings in replace of the outstanding Jonny Howson. A free-kick in a good position had his name written all over and he struck beautifully, only to be denied by the bar. Despite leading, one more would have settled some nerves as we approached the end of the game and the inevitable five minutes of added time came. As the crowd mocked the officals with chants of ‘Fergy time,’ Man United looked for one final chance, but Casper, Nayl’s, Kis and whoever else could get their body in the way kept the Champions at bay.

The final whistle blew and Leeds celebrated a result we’ve not managed in 29 years. Victory at Old Trafford for the FA Cup minnows and third tier team. Every Man United fan you taunt over the coming days will inevitably claim it was a weak team or that the referee didn’t give them 29 minutes of ET and three penalties, but there’s no taking away from what Simon Grayson’s lads achieved today. They did us proud and thoroughly deserved their victory. A special day for Leeds United that I expect we’ll look back on in years to come as the first sign of our resurrection.

TSS man of the match
Jonny Howson for me. I could hazard a guess that ITV went for Becks and it wouldn’t be undeserved. He made Wes Brown look second rate throughout and was always a threat, but Jonny rose to the occasion like the Leeds lad he is. He knew what the rivalry meant and gave it absolutely everything. All the team played their part and all of them deserve the praise they’ll receive but Jonny grew today for me. He was like Leeds’ answer to Stevie G.

The draw for the fourth round gave us another trip down memory lane as we head for Tottenham Hotspur. Ken Bates will no doubt be delighted too at another obvious money spinner, which will once again undoubtedly be on TV.

A great start to 2010 I’m sure you’ll agree. Happy new decade for Leeds? Let’s hope we’re celebrating just as much in May! One things for sure now though. If Beckford does leave in the coming days, he’ll leave Leeds United a hero, in the meantime though, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his goal again!