The Scratching Shed

With Billy Paynter missing the friendly games against Bury and Hartlepool, there had been reports that our new summer signing was set to be out for a lengthy spell, leading to further concerns about the strength of our striking options.

Despite the reports however, Simon Grayson insists Billy Paynter’s absence was nothing more than a precaution after picking a knock up in Slovakia.

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Firstly, sorry for the lack of updates lately, I’ve been a little busy with other things and had little time to spare for TSS. No match review for Tottenham was posted, and nor will it be. Those that weren’t alongside me at Elland Road undoubtedly saw the tie on TV so will know Leeds were by no means shameful in defeat, but bowed out of the FA Cup gracefully and can now concentrate on more pressing matters.

Those matters started again at Hartlepool in what was a scrappy affair throughout, with the match ending 2-2 as Hartlepool levelled it deep into injury time. Another set play poorly defended ultimately cost us the three points after a Becchio brace has left us infront going into the dying moments of the match. The most frustrating part of the equaliser was knowing a win would have been vital to our title dreams as both Norwich and Charlton slipped up.

Essentially, Hartlepool earnt their point the same way Leeds have snatched so many this season by never giving up and fighting to the death. Whether it was complacency from Leeds that cost us the win is debatable, but the defending of set-plays being brought into question once more won’t surprise anyone.

Whilst this wasn’t an epic performance from Leeds, it wasn’t a dismal one either like we’ve witnessed in recent weeks. We’re lacking the bit of flair we’ve played with at times this season, but you can’t expect to see that every game. To say Leeds should have beaten Hartlepool would be discrediting what was a good side who battle hard and overall, deserved their point. As hard as the late equaliser was to swallow, that’s the reality of it. Leeds never really outclassed Hartlepool and a draw is a fair reflection of the game.

Whilst it’d have been nice to get a win at Pool and capitalise on Norwich’s slip, I suspect an average of four points from every six will be more than enough to take us up automatically, so a draw away and a win at home in our last two is good form as far as I’m concerned and we’re on the right track once more.

The ups

Domination: In the first half we dominated almost totally. Becchio’s goal was the only thing that seperated us though at half-time and Pool grew in confidence because of it.

Becchio: Luci is on a nice run of form at the minute and thoroughly deserved his brace.

Squad rotation: Some of it forced by injury, whilst others were just rested, but it was nice to see a few different faces in the starting XI. We’d all questioned Simon’s motives in fielding the same squad in congested patches, so it’s good to see him utilising the depth and Leeds getting a result with some different faces.

The downs

Conceding from set-plays: Anyone know how many we’ve conceded from set-plays this season? I suspect it’ll be a large percentage of our total. It seems to have been a constant thorn in our side for a while and shows no signs of letting up.

Lack of va-va-voom: It’s that little thing you just can’t put your finger on that one minute you have and the next you don’t. A little flair, some finesse, I don’t quite know, but at times this season we’ve been untouchable and a joy to watch. This wasn’t one of them.

TSS man of the match

Three goals in the last two for our on/off goalscorer. Let’s hope he can continue to contribute more as the season comes to a close. Failure to capture another striker in the transfer window disappointed me, but if Luci is to start firing them in like this, then who cares. MOT.

There was an increased crowd at Elland Road, as is the norm for Boxing Day, the majority of whom were no doubt feeling a little sheepish after the excesses of Christmas Day and I was no exception.

Charlton had kicked off early and drew 2-2 with Swindon Town after Sam Sodje was sent off for a two-footed challenge early on and Deon Burton followed him just before half-time. Charlton were 1-0 up at this point, but with another half to follow and only nine men available, it wasn’t going to be easy. Predictably enough, Swindon came out firing and turned the game on its head. With only injury time remaining, they’d managed to get themselves 2-1 in front, but a last second equaliser from Miguel Llera (90 +4) put Charlton level and secured them a hard fought point. .

Norwich meanwhile had beaten Millwall 2-0 and Colchester also took three points away to Southend United. Nevertheless, the Leeds fans knew that a victory here today over the inconsistent Hartlepool would be enough to take us six points clear at the top as we approach the New Year.

Leeds were undoubtedly heavy favourites for the tie and as the game got underway, it looked like there would be no surprises. Robert Snodgrass had three early shots blocked by the visitors defence as he made himself available all over the pitch.

There was a stoppage in play early on after Andrew Hughes went down in some pain. It looked like he’d taken some kind of knock to his knee and the Leeds United physio came on to assess the situation. Hughes finally managed to get himself up and was taken off the pitch, returning shortly afterwards.

Leeds continued to pile on the pressure and the next chance fell to Jermaine Beckford who fired a shot on goal from a tough angle. It was an easy save from the Hartlepool keeper but there was an early indication of how the Leeds fans were feeling about their number one striker as the stands burst into a chorus of “Jermaine Beckford, Jermaine Beckford,” clearly indicating that last weeks incident had been put to bed.

Next up to try his luck was Jonny Howson who struck well from the edge of the area, but it went straight at the opposition goalkeeper who saved with relative ease.

The game lost a bit of pace and Hartlepool managed to get up the other end of the field. Their efforts resulted in a corner which was whipped in at some pace, being headed on to the back post where an unmarked Bjornsson knocked it in to send the visitors into the lead, totally against the run of play.

Leeds tried to reply but found themselves on the back foot once again. A shot from Adam Boyd deflected out for another corner as Hartlepool found some belief. The corner was subsequently cleared by Becchio, then knocked back in but the offside flag was up giving Leeds a free-kick and time to regain some composure.

The game then turned back in Leeds’ favour. Howson had another shot from range which deflected off a defender leaving the keeper wrong footed. The shot was spilled but as Jermaine Beckford moved in to poach a goal, the keeper managed to clean up and save his team from danger.

Beckford looked extremely hungry and the fans were more than appreciative of his efforts. There was still the odd one or two who stubbornly refused to forgive and forget, but on the whole, the Leeds fans had his back.

After a three on two move was ended by a poor pass from Beckford, the striker redeemed himself by levelling the scores. Neil Kilkenny took a shot which whizzed through the area and Beckford got a touch to it to make it 1-1 and put Leeds back on level terms. The striker’s celebration was somewhat subdued, perhaps because he was in front of the previously critical Kop, or maybe because of the poached effort. The fans reacted favourably though with a chorus of the striker’s name.

Robert Snodgrass continued to make himself available wherever and wasn’t afraid to shoot. Another shot from him was saved with ease by the Hartlepool keeper, but Leeds were totally on top once more.

As the three minutes of extra time came close to an end, Leeds got themselves in front. Some fans will have missed the goal as they headed in to the stand for half-time refreshments, but there was more than a little luck involved. As the Hartlepool bench appealed for handball, Howson sent a cross in which Becchio headed towards goal. The header took a deflection and found the back of the net to send Leeds in, in front at half time.

Although Leeds deserved the lead, Hartlepool fans had a right to feel aggrieved. The referee was another fine example of how poor the officials are in this division and made so many errors it was often comical. The decisions did seem a little one sided at times too and I’m sure we’d have felt annoyed had it been the other way round. When things are going for you though, you have to take it.

After a quiet opening, Jermaine Beckford got the first chance of the second half when he broke free and unleashed a powerful shot that clattered back off the bar to deny him his second. He had another chance shortly after too as he met Snoddy’s cross but couldn’t direct his effort towards goal from six yards.

Things quietened down, giving me some time to interact with my followers on Twitter. Although a little over-eager at times, Beckford was having a good game and shortly after I suggested he may well hit an hat trick today, he added his second. A beautifully chipped shot over the Hartlepool keeper sealed the victory for the Whites and sent the 30,000 fans into raptures. This time, Beckford celebrated in style in front of the South Stand and last weeks antics were now but a distant memory.

As the half wore away, Leeds started to play ole football, safe in the knowledge that the result was confirmed. Simon Grayson made a few changes bringing Bradley Johnson on for Micky Doyle, Tresor Kandol on for Richard Naylor and Mad Max Gradel on in place of Lucciano Becchio. The referee meanwhile was handing yellow cards out like Christmas cards after an incident involving Bradley Johnson led to a bit of handbags at five paces.

There were a couple of chances left for Leeds, the first of which fell to Max Gradel who shot from range when he should have played one of the many White shirt wearing players around him in. Jermaine Beckford was eager to get his hat trick, but the best effort he would get was a long ranged strike that sailed in to the packed South Stand. The game ended with a poorly struck free kick from Max Gradel, but the victory was secured and Leeds move six clear of Charlton Athletic.

A couple of interesting facts from my followers on Twitter; Firstly, Leeds now have the best goal difference in England with +30. The next closest being Chelski on +28. Secondly, with that win secured, Leeds are now guaranteed to end the decade as they started it – at the top of the table. Obviously, we started at the top of the Premier League and end at the top of League One, but an interesting fact nonetheless.

A good result today and a good response to going behind in the first half. Good to see 30,000 Leeds fans at the game today, some of which looked a little worse for wear, but all seemed to be enjoying the Christmas spirit. Special shout to those that attended in fancy dress, there were quite a few of them today for us all to laugh at.

TSS man of the match
I can’t give it to anyone other than Jermaine Beckford. He was over-eager at times, but looked desperate to make up for last weeks antics and responded in the right way – as did the fans! Mini goal drought over and the January speculation will snowball from here on in. Can’t see him leaving ‘til the end of the season though.

Funniest fan award
Goes to the lad in the Kop who called his mate (who is a bit of an occasional fan) a fair-weather fan despite the fact it was one of the coldest games of the season. Love it.

Managed to get home and complete a match report by 18:15. That’s got to be a new record. Please excuse any grammatical errors, but the pub awaits. Happy Christmas to everyone – TSS.

After Saturday’s Beckford-gate saga, Grayson said he’d be speaking to the player Monday morning and that the matter would be dealt with internally. Sure enough, Grayson confirmed he had received an apology yesterday morning and the matter was now done and dusted. He also confirmed Beckford would be back in the squad for the Boxing Day clash against Hartlepool United.

In a statement released on the official site, Grayson said;

“We had a chat first thing on Monday, Jermaine explained and apologised for his actions which I fully accept.

“I made it clear that I don’t need it to happen again and he’s bought into what I’ve said.

“It’s been put to bed now and I expect to see Jermaine in a Leeds shirt on Boxing Day looking to knock the goals in over the Christmas period”

I’m glad Jermaine has seen the error of his ways and been big enough to apologise to the manager. Whilst I understand his growing frustration lately, it’s not the kind of behaviour I expect from anyone wearing the Leeds United shirt. I hope Becks responds in the right way on Boxing Day and plays a blinder to silence his critics in the right way.

I think this problem has probably escalated from the growing number of our fans insistent on putting him down for everything he does. Only a few weeks back a lad in the Kop received a two fingered jesture from Becks for his constant abuse aimed towards the striker throughout the game and although it’s not the kind of behaviour I expect from a Leeds player, I fully understood Beckford’s reasons. The abuse has become ridiculous and needs to stop. Whether you like him or not, he’s a Leeds United player and deserves the same respect offered to all of the team.

The fans have a right to be annoyed at Beckford’s attitude sometimes, it annoys me too, but it’s a vicious circle where both parties need to behave. On the one hand Beckford is becoming more and more frustrated when he can’t find the back of the net - such is the overwhelming expectation we put upon him - whilst on the other hand Leeds fans are getting annoyed at his apparent disregard for the club and lack of effort of late. Each one fuels a reaction from the other and for some, it’s escalated into a hatred of our own player.

Whether Beckford leaves in January or the summer is irrelevant. Whilever he’s playing in a Leeds shirt, he deserves our support. Jeering and booing him isn’t going to achieve anything. Never has a player gone from hero to villain quite so spectaculory whilst never changing clubs. Whatever your feelings are on his performance post-match, you can share with the world on here, on WACCOE or wherever you like, but whilst inside Elland Road we should all be behind every player. United as one.

Christmas can often be a tough time for clubs competiting on so many fronts and Leeds United have been handed an extremely tough run of six league games and two cup games throughout the festive period.

A series of shots firing back off the woodwork and excellent saves from Kettering Town’s goalkeeper, Lee Harper made progress for Leeds United hard. It took 200 minutes for Leeds to finally make the break through when Mike Grella came on as a sub in the replay to fire us into a 2-1 lead. From there on in, the floodgates opened and Leeds United eventually progressed to the third round with a 5-1 win (AET).

That result set up a third round tie at Old Trafford with Manchester United. Maybe the War of the Roses game has been a slight distraction for us, or maybe it’s the mounting injuries and need to rotate our squad week in, week out that has led to a minor dip in League form, but so far in December, we’ve seen our lead over Charlton Athletic cut to just two points; albeit, with a game in hand.

December started with an away visit to Oldham Athletic. Simon Grayson made several changes to his squad with plenty of loan players starting the tie, including Max Gradel and Sam Vokes upfront. A cold Boundary Park had more Leeds United fans inside than it did Oldham and the lads didn’t disappoint. Max Gradel ran his heart out throughout and his persistance earnt him two assists for Neil Kilkenny and the returning Lucciano Becchio as Oldham struggled to compete with Leeds United’s second team.

Next up was the West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town. Whilst Huddersfield had the best attacking record in the league, Leeds had the best defensive record. Huddersfield occupied one of the play-off places not far behind Leeds so this was never going to be an easy fixture. Leeds did manage to take the lead twice though and despite not being at their best, I felt it was two points dropped leaving Elland Road that day. I’d accept Huddersfield were probably the better team, but after taking the lead twice, I felt we should have been able to hold on, although a draw was probably a fair reflection of the game.

A rare trip to Boundary Park was next as Leeds met Brentford for the first time in almost half a century. For myself and the other travelling Whites, it was a long return home after witnessing a poor game, played on a poor pitch hindered by a poor referee. Neither team deserved to win the game, but the dismal performance set a few alarm bells ringing amongst the Whites fans. Brentford is definitely a place we should be taking three points from but never really looked like doing so and the match ended 0-0.

Our fifth game in fifteen days brought us back to Elland Road for the JPT clash against Accrington Stanley. The first competitive meeting for the two sides should have been a straight forward victory for the Whites and on paper, looks like it was. The final score of 2-0 however doesn’t tell the full story. Leeds’ defence was extremely poor throughout, leading Simon Grayson to bring Patrick Kisnorbo on with twenty minutes to ensure progression. The five man back line seemed to sort things out a bit, but Leeds had definitely rode their luck with shots coming back off the inside of the post on two occasions.

The light at the end of the tunnel is finally shining for Leeds though. With Lucciano Becchio back to full fitness, Shane Higgs and Bradley Johnson training again and the extensive injury list finally shortening, Leeds should be a stronger side for this weekends visit of Southampton.

It’s been a tough run for the Whites that’s seen the team struggle with the chaotic schedule. Our early season form was built on the consistency of the line-up, but when Larry was forced into making wholesale changes, the teams looked weakened. That said, we’re still top of the League and however poor we may have been at times, we’ve not been defeated throughout a challenging month. Although our lead has been cut from six points to two on Charlton, we’re still eight clear of third and that’s all that really matters. As nice as it’d be to end as champions, I’d take second in a heartbeat.

After Southampton this weekend, the squad finally gets a chance to regroup with no midweek fixture next week. The next game will be the Boxing Day clash against Hartlepool before we head to Edgeley Park to take on Stockport County just two days later. The final game of 2009 gives us six days to prepare for our trip to Old Trafford, where you can only hope the Manchester United players are fatigued from too much partying.

A poor run maybe and I’ll be glad when it’s over, but we’re still picking up points, still top of the league and still with a decent gap over third place. Had we been offered this at the beginning of the season, I doubt many would have turned it down.

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There’s nothing like a late November trip to the seaside to remind you that global warming is doing little to improve our winter climate. Cold would be an understatement for days like these and for the travelling Leeds United fans, you just hope and pray the on-pitch activities will produce something that will warm up our shivering Northern souls.

After another one of those international breaks that left myself and countless other Leeds United fans with a weekend to scratch our heads and wonder how to spend the time, the Whites returned fresh and hungry. The Leeds United faithful were all too aware of Gus Poyet’s managerial talent and with two wins in his two games so far – including a 3-1 victory over in-form Southampton – there was some cautious predictiors, including myself. I thought we’d do well to leave with a draw!

The teams were a class apart however and the gulf between Leeds and Brighton in the standings is not by fluke. Brighton simply couldn’t contend with Leeds United despite the fact we’d lost two key players to injury. Bradley Johnson and Richard Naylor were sidelined with Lubomir Michalik and Neil Kilkenny in as replacements, whilst Jonny Howson picked up the captaincy.

In years past, the loss of key players often resulted in clueless below-par performances, but credit to Simon Grayson and Leeds United. We have enough depth in this team now to ride out even the most disastrous injury crisis. Lubo looks like a man transformed and gave a very solid display whilst Neil Kilkenny continued to impress everyone.

Brighton had given Leeds a pathetically poor allocation of 900, which is probably just in-line with the minimum of 10% that the FA demands. Brighton has one of the most ramshackle stadiums/huts you’ll ever visit, so it’s hardly suprising. You’ll see better attempts of a football ground at your local park. Many of my fellow fans that had managed to get tickets had donned some cheap and tacky plastic rain-coats/bin-liners that made them look like the Leeds branch of the KKK. Either way, if you hadn’t come prepared, they’ll have been welcomed as the Whites faithful settled in for a cold, wet and blustery afternoon.

Luckily, the on-pitch activites kept us all warm as we sang our hearts out for the lads. After a shockingly bad penalty shout was missed by another outstanding referee (not that we’d have scored it anyway) Robert Snodgrass fired the Whites into the lead just before the half hour mark. A great strike from some range swerved into the net to leave the Brighton keeper stranded and send Leeds United 1-0 up.

Beckford hit the post, Brighton had a couple of half chances, but overall Leeds were by far the better team and controlled the game throughout. We were rewarded for our dominance just before half-time when a beautiful long range pass from Neil Kilkenny found Jermaine Beckford who had all the time in the world to calmly slot home and give Leeds a 2-0 lead.

The second half continued in much the same style with Leeds clearly on top. Brighton tried to get into the game but never really gave Leeds too much to worry about. The referee continued his impressive display by failing to award another clear-cut penalty to Leeds when Robert Snodgrass was the victim of a WWE-style challenge from the Brighton defence.

Brighton simply never had the opportunity to play. Leeds pressed them whenever they were in possession and gave them no time or space to create anything. Leeds looked much more comfortable on the ball and the result was never really in doubt.

As the final seconds of the game ticked away David Prutton linked well with Neil Kilkenny who smashed a shot beyond the Brighton keeper to give Leeds a 3-0 win, which was no less than they deserved. Kilkenny had a very good game and should definitely be giving Grayson a bit of a selection headache when Johnson returns.

It was just too easy for the Whites today. Brighton simply weren’t up to the challenge and Leeds out-classed them in every area. I think overall, Brighton will be happy with 3-0 when you consider the two clear penalty decisions Leeds were denied and Beckford’s unfortunate shot that came back off the post.

TSS man of the match
I’m going to go with Neil Kilkenny, although in fairness, all the midfielders were contendors. None of them did much wrong all game and the fixture was definitely won in the centre of the park. Brighton were closed down quickly, given no space at all and Leeds commanded respect throughout.

Elsewhere in League One
Charlton came back from 1-0 down to earn a draw at Yeovil, whilst Colchester failed to take their chance and could only manage a 2-2 draw at Oldham. Huddersfield move up to third after beating Hartlepool 2-1 and Norwich also drew away to Southampton.

Leeds now sit nine points clear of third place Huddersfield and six clear of Charlton with a game in hand. We’ve still conceeded just eight goals in the League, which is still the best in the country alongside Chelsea who are easing towards the Premier League title with a 4-0 win. It’s still early doors, but the title is definitely ours to lose.

Stephen McPhail
Just like to send my best wishes to former Leeds United player, Stephen McPhail who has been diagnosed with stage one matt lymphoma – a type of cancer. He’s set to receive treatment for the disease shortly and is hoping to be back in action for Cardiff by January. Best wishes, Stephen.