Lubomir Michalik

Carlisle United boss Greg Abbott has admitted he doesn’t think the club will be able to sign Lubomir Michalik on a permanent deal despite a successful loan spell with the Cumbrian’s.

Abbott said Lubo is on a “really, really big wage” and whilst he’d love to make him a permanent addition by offering a salary that would make him one of the clubs top earners, he doesn’t believe it would come anywhere close to meeting Michalik’s demands.

After signing from Bolton Wanderers in 2008, Michalik went on to make 49 appearances for the Whites before falling way down the pecking order and being shipped out on loan.

The fact that both Leeds and Carlisle were playing in the same division when Leeds United gave Lubo his current salary in 2008 highlights the huge difference in financial resources these two sides have been between them.

You do however have to wonder just how high his salary is? At the time, it seemed like a major coup capturing a Premier League player whilst we struggled to escape League One, but it now seems Dennis Wise (the then manager) brought him to Leeds with some impressive financial incentives. As we saw at Notts County, the lure of money is much more important these days than the division you’re playing in.

At 27 years old, Michalik still has his best days ahead of him and Leeds United would be careless to let him go for free in the summer after lining his pockets for a season he played no part in. The best case scenario would be a transfer in January, but after spending the last few months on loan to Carlisle it seems unlikely that he’s going to have a line of managers queueing up outside Elland Road fighting for his signature.

Elsewhere, the future of Mike Grella hangs in the balance as Abbott also revealed he didn’t expect Leeds United to loan him back to Carlisle for the rest of the season.

With McCormack, Paynter and Somma not even guaranteed a place on the bench it seems highly unlikely that Grella will remain at Elland Road for long. However, it seems Simon Grayson is in no rush to decide on Grella’s future and is likely to weigh up his options before deciding what happens next with the American. A loan move or transfer seem the most likely options.

Still to come...

Two in, two out was the final days transfer trading for Leeds United as Ramon Nunez and Adam Clayton sealed deals at Elland Road, with Alan Sheehan and Lubomir Michalik heading off to pastures new.

Overall, Leeds have signed a total of eleven new players over the summer, all of which are listed below.

*All Leeds United’s transfers have been ‘undisclosed fees’ so the figures used are estimates from other sources or guess-work on my part.

The early concerns when the 2009/10 season ended was who would replace Jermaine Beckford after his move to Everton was confirmed? Over the last few weeks however, Simon Grayson has given us a dizzying array of goalscoring options and left us looking like one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

Luciano Becchio has started the season firing on all cylinders, whilst new additions Ross McCormack and Billy Paynter give us some proven goalscoring options. Add to that the emergence of Davide Somma as a real candidate to the starting XI, and you start to wonder what all the fuss was about?

Even more threatening are the two wide-men, Sanchez Watt and Lloyd Sam, who both have pace to burn and can go round a player with ease. It’s been a long time since Leeds United looked this threatening going forward, but Simon Grayson has really delivered in an attacking sense and we continue to produce goals from all areas of the pitch.

Whilst the attacking options look good, the defence is an entirely different story. Neill Collins has been the only good addition in this area, giving pretty consistent performances in all his games so far. The two full-backs, Federico Bessone and Paul Connolly however, haven’t impressed and with Richard Naylor somehow holding down a first team place, our defence would appear to have more holes in it than the German Bismarck.

A lot has been said about the need for a holding midfielder, but for me, that’s simply papering over the cracks. The real issue is the defence, and what we need is a centre-back with some pace – but maybe the addition of Alex Bruce will solve that?

Overall, the additions have been pretty good from Grayson. The defence has it’s flaws, but it could just be a gelling process that will sort itself with time? In the meantime, the best signing of this summer has been keeping us in it.

Son-of-Scum, Kasper Schmeichel has been an absolute revelation since his surprise unveiling early-doors. His command of the area, handling skills and impressive shot-stopping ability instantly impressed the Leeds United faithful, and the keeper could prove to be the difference between the play-offs and an instantly forgettable season.

With so many players added to the squad, naturally, some had to leave – below is a full list of the players that have left Elland Road;

In total, twelve players have left Elland Road this summer with five of them on loan elsewhere. Obviously, the biggest loss was Jermaine Beckford, but as we’ve already seen, Simon Grayson has done an excellent job of sorting our attacking options out.

It’s good to see the youngsters, Darville, Elliot, Lee and Martin getting some valuable first-team experience elsewhere, although Simon Grayson’s record so far doesn’t suggest we’re ever going to see them in a Leeds United shirt.

With Aidy White and Ben Parker out injured, I think releasing Alan Sheehan was a mistake. I remain hopeful that it’s just a gelling process for Fede Bessone, but he’s hardly set the world alight with his performances so far and whilst Sheehan was never the best left-back, he was a reliable option if needed.

With twelve players out, you can’t complain too much. We knew the squad was a bit heavy on deadwood, and Grayson has done his best to address that. Andy Robinson remains a bit of a stalling point, but I still expect his contract to be terminated in the coming weeks (if no loan offer is forthcoming).

I suspect there will be other players heading out on-loan throughout the season, most notably, Mike Grella who has fallen so far down the pecking order now that he’s lost his place on the bench. There’s also the likes of Leigh Bromby, Andy Hughes and Jason Crowe that are not going to be happy making the numbers up and may be eager to get some games elsewhere.

I said before the season started that I thought the play-offs were a realistic aim, and after a promising start and some excellent additions, I think Simon Grayson is heading in the right direction. I keep coming back to the defence as a concern, but if we can sort that out, then we’re looking very strong.

Simon Grayson

Simon Grayson has just been interviewed on Yorkshire Radio (14:15 GMT) as the transfer window heads into it’s final few hours.

The Leeds United gaffer confirmed Sky Sports earlier reports that a fee has been agreed with Manchester City for the permanent signing of Adam Clayton. Contract talks are currently ongoing with the youngster.

Grayson also spoke of Lubomir Michalik’s move to Carlisle, wishing him the very best and adding that he expects one or two more players to leave Elland Road today. The most likely candidates would appear to be Andy Robinson and Alan Sheehan.

Finally, Simon Grayson finished off by teasing Leeds United fans with the hint of one more signing before the window closes, saying that it would be ‘the icing on the cake’ for his 2010-11 team, but admitting he wasn’t too concerned with the emergency loan window open afterwards.

Keep updated with all the latest on deadline day with TSS’ live feed here.

10:20 - Sky Sports are reporting that Leeds United have agreed a fee with Manchester City for the permanent transfer of Adam Clayton.

10:37 – Leeds linked with Rangers striker, Kyle Lafferty. With a likely fee of £2-3,000,000 and Blackpool also in the hunt, this one seems unlikely. Leeds also seem to be suitably covered in the striking department.

11:30 – Rumour circulating that Luciano Becchio could be on his way to Blackburn Rovers. He was allegedly spotted outside Ewood Park earlier today. Sounds like nonsense.

11:52 – The official Leeds United site has confirmed the signing of Ramon Nunez, who has been on trial with the club for the past month. No details about contract length have yet been released. Full story here.

12:17 – The BBC’s live transfer rumours feed also has us linked to Man City defender Dedryck Boyata. Norwich apparently leading the race, with us and the Toon keeping a close eye on proceedings.

12:48 – Betfair claim that we’re keeping tabs on Jason Roberts should his move to Wigan fall through.

13:39 – Michalik gone to Carlisle on loan until January the 3rd. One down…

14:15 – Simon Grayson on Yorkshire Radio confirms that a fee has been agreed for Adam Clayton with Manchester City. Contract negotiations currently under way. Expects one or two others to leave today after Lubo went to Carlisle. Hints that another player may sign today too. Full story here.

14:38 – Yorkshire Radio presenter, Thom Kirwin confirms that Luciano Becchio was training with the Leeds team this morning. This quashes earlier rumours that he was at Ewood Park (unless he’s got a body double?)

17:00 – With just one hour to go, Manchester City have confirmed that Adam Clayton has joined Leeds United on a permanent basis. Full story here.

17:47 – A very brief statement on the official Leeds United website reveals that Alan Sheehan has left the club after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Snoddy's injury raises questions about squad depth

TSS welcomes James to the team for a new feature called ‘United we stand?’ where James will be analysing the different view points from Leeds fans across the web.

As Leeds fans, we all have strong opinions on our club. The same passion that drives the atmosphere at Elland Road makes for lively and interesting debates across the internet, from message boards to Twitter and beyond. Although we all love the club, our views can often be poles apart despite the fact we watch the same team and read the same reports.

This week, we’re taking a look at the varying views about our squad. Do we have enough depth? Is it balanced? Will we be able to cope with the inevitable injuries and suspensions that build up over a long season? Predictably enough, the debate on this question is wildly varied, ranging from the scarily optimistic to the depressingly negative. Injuries appear to have highlighted some areas of potential weakness, and suspensions from last season may leave us thin for a few games – but what are the fans on forums, Twitter and Facebook thinking?

We’ll start with a positive view. Trickysns on the BBC’s 606 forum feels that the ‘age, height, experience and quality’ of the team will stand us in good stead this season. Indeed, the new signings appear to be of a decent age (mid twenties), decent height and with, on the whole, decent Championship experience. Unfortunately for Trickysns, he has used the player stats on the official website to find out the player’s heights. This lists Max Gradel as 5 feet 9 and a half. This would make the diminutive Neil Kilkenny a strapping six footer, although to give him credit he was head and shoulders above the Wolves midfield yesterday.

This conflicts with fears from many fans across the boards that a central midfield of Howson and Kilkenny may be a little lightweight. @Cossacklufc, a #twitterwhite, feels we are light in midfield, although he could mean numbers not physicality! Mojoluafc on TSS agrees that a holding midfielder would be a bonus. Many contributors also pointed out the possible lack of pace in midfield and defence. There were hopes from some, however, that the ‘different style’ of play in this league will suit players like Kilkenny more than League One. Time will tell.

@Knowlesm on twitter is of the opinion that we need more midfielders and is ‘v worried about the lack of depth there’. To counter this, many fans have pointed out that we have a degree of flexibility in the squad. Alex Bruce, it is pointed out, can play as a defensive midfielder as well as a defender. Side Before Self, on this esteemed website, feels that this makes our squad of 30 closer to 40, when you count the various positions players like Snodgrass, Bromby and White can play in – although he states ‘My problem is quality not quantity’. Let’s hope he is talking about the squad there.

One very interesting point, which I will credit mojoluafc with even though I have stumbled across it elsewhere, is that three of our transfer listed players are sat on fat wage packets, and nobody wants to buy them. Sheehan, Lubo and Robinson are probably draining quite a lot of the wage bill, and are definitely surplus requirements. Most fans are in agreement that we need to cut the excess weight from the squad, and getting rid of these three would be a good start. Losing these non-players, especially Robbo, would cut pounds from the squad, and maybe allow us to start spending a little money… we can dream can’t we?

A brilliantly paranoid piece of Leeds fan thinking comes from James on Facebook. He sees a conspiracy, where the selling club ‘just use our name to generate a sale to another club, like Hooper going to Celtic, were we ever in for him? there has to be money to spend, think its a case of getting rid of some players’. Seeing as everybody hates us, I can well believe this thinking. However, the assumption that there is money to spend is probably a dangerous one!

Attack wise, we seem pretty happy with our new wide man Lloyd Sam who has been a stand out signing according to @VicPetit on twitter, with @kennedy_no8 plagiarising a song sung by some team we beat one nil last January about an old bloke with the line ‘Lloyd Sam will tear you apart again’. The supporters in N3 yesterday certainly would agree with this, as every time Sam or Gradel got running at the shaky Wolves defence they were on their feet. Somma didn’t appear particularly popular amongst these fans, as one teenage girl rapidly pointed out ‘that one’s s**t!’ Perhaps this was a little unkind after he had only been on the pitch for 5 minutes in a game which was losing its shape.

This relative optimism is tempered by the comment below from Simon on TSS, who said ‘again, it seems like a case of 11 defensive players, try and beat them! have becc’s who can sneak a goal. Feasible, but feckin boring lol Squad is unbalanced.’ He appears to be classing our lone striker Becchio as a defensive player here, and hoping he can sneak a goal too – it will be a very long season for the Argentine front man in that case.

The final word from the fans goes to TSS Facebook fans Ashley and Keith who are in direct opposition – Ashley feels that the two signings hinted at by Ken Bates on Yorkshire radio mean we will be ‘just dandy’ which is rather lovely. Keith disagrees, feeling that we have ‘2 many players that will struggle 2 step up a division’ and lack a 20 goals a season man and a holding midfielder – funnily enough, he expects a hard season!

So – who knows what will happen? Not us it seems. A vague consensus appears to exist around the defence – we have a lot of defenders. Some worry we will lack midfielders, whereas the versatility in the squad reassures others. As ever, watching the same team and reading the same reports leads to a wonderful variety of thoughts on our beloved team.

With another week of speculation before the season begins in earnest, keep your views flowing through the usual online routes – but keep Marching On Together!

You can send your opinions to The Scratching Shed by commenting on the site, becoming a fan on Facebook or by following ScratchingShed1 on Twitter.

“Funny season” is well under way and Leeds United are being linked with everyone and anyone the papers can create even the loosest of links to. The problem with a management structure that likes to do everything behind closed doors is that all it leaves the rest of us with is guess work and here’s the most notable guesses thus far.

23-year-old Hereford winger, Marc Pugh is being linked after turning down a two-year deal at Edgar Street. Bulls News, the Hereford site which the rumour has been written on does however claim Pugh is more likely to move to Bournemouth, but gives no real indication as to why.

Arsenal’s young goal-keeper Wojciech Szczesny is another player strongly linked with Leeds United and is expected to come in on a season-long loan to fill the position left by Casper Ankergren. Arsene Wenger is known to be a big fan of the Polish stopper and is keen for him to get some games in at a relatively high level before being cast into the number one spot at the Emirates full-time.

Elsewhere, Billy Sharp is once again being linked after Doncaster Rovers failed to secure his services. It’s believed Rovers offered somewhere in the region of £650,000, but the other chasing teams such as Leeds and Derby would have to stump up around £1,000,000 to meet the Blades valuation.

Finally, Newcastle United’s 22-year old goalkeeper Frazer Forster has also been linked, whilst Neill Collins is expected to make his Elland Road loan spell permanent. Gary Hooper remains a strong favourite amongst Leeds United sites, and fans alike, but little seems to have been said from the more mainstream press.

Revie statue

The Yorkshire Post has revealed that a campaign is under way to raise £90,000 for a statue to be commissioned of the late Don Revie. ‘Not before time’ will be the view of most Leeds United fans as many of us have suggested he should be seen alongside the great Billy Bremner on approaching our stadium.

It doesn’t seem the club have any involvement in the campaign so the location of the statue is an area of some dispute. Rest assured though, as I’ve just emailed the campaign’s leader and am hoping for more information in the coming days. If all else fails, I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind chipping a few quid in each.

Missing persons search

A bit of a quiet spell at the minute without much going on for Leeds United, which is part of the reason TSS hasn’t been updated all week. I noticed a few of the regulars having a bit of a laugh on a previous post with suggestions to my possible whereabouts. I’d just like to confirm Ken Bates hasn’t killed me, I’m not tall enough to be affected by the volcanic dust-cloud, I don’t holiday in Bridlington (or Cleakheaton), I’m not the agent of Lubomir Michalik and didn’t win a seat at the general election, although all the above suggestions were more interesting than my actual life last week, so feel free to pick one out and take it as fact.

If you’re to believe the most popular circulating rumours then Leeds are frontrunners for Ian Harte’s signature and have also offered Norwich’s Darel Russell a better contract than what his current club can come up with.

Firstly, I’m torn on Ian Harte. I always liked him whilst he was at Elland Road (despite his non-existent defensive ability) and have been massively impressed by his goal-scoring record in 09/10. His overall performance when we came up against him earlier in the year wasn’t great, but then, I never expected him to perform miracles at centre-back. It’d definitely be nice to have a natural left-footer on the wing, and his goals would be most welcome. Age is a concern, but if he can do the business then so be it.

Once again, Russell isn’t the headline making transfer I’d hoped for, but he seemed solid enough when we came up against Norwich and should be able to ply his trade in the Championship. Not a young man by any means, but for the year or two I’m hoping it’ll take to get us back to the Prem (ever the optimist) he should suffice.

Although neither of these players have been confirmed as targets by Larry, I suspect there’s an element of truth to them both. They seem to fit the criteria of Ken Bates in that they’ll only need short-term contracts, won’t cost him anything in transfer fees and are a quick and easy way to pave over the cracks. I never expected a big-spending summer, but some evidence we’re looking towards the future would be nice.

Finally, we come to the ‘released and retained‘ list published by the official site earlier this week. The best shot-stopper outside the Premier League (probably) will be leaving us. Casper Ankergren came to Leeds United and instantly won over the fans with some commendable performances and impressive saves. However, his inability to catch or kick the ball grew frustrating and his departure won’t surprise many. That said, I always liked Casper and wish him well.

Rui Marques is perhaps the most surprising released player on the list and his relationship with Simon Grayson has to be questioned. Rui and Kis formed the strongest defensive partnership of the season and looked destined to be first choice. However, an injury to Rui and the return of Naylor saw Marques cast aside and forgotten about. Despite a massive loss of ideas from Nayl’s, he retained his place whilst Rui slipped down the pecking order. Again, I wish him well and he’ll most definitely be missed.

Amongst the others leaving the club are youngsters Andrew Milne and Mike Whitwell who were both touted as potential first team material not so long ago. Simon Grayson’s decision to favour an out-of-place Andy Hughes over the talented Aidy White has often left me questioning his faith in the clubs youth structure, and it’s with that in mind I have to wonder whether that’s a big part of the reason for Milne and Whitwell’s release. Maybe I’m reading too much into it and they simply weren’t good enough? Only time will tell.

Alongside those that have been released are several players who have been instructed to find another club. Andy Robinson, Alan Sheehan, Tresor Kandol and Lubomir Michalik will all be looking for a new home as Larry trims the ‘deadwood’. I’ll always remember Tres for the great moonwalk he pulled on Soccer AM after introducing himself as “TK20 – Subs bench!” None are massive shocks, but all of them have done a service for Leeds United at some point or another and will be remembered for their efforts in trying to turn around a sinking club.

Seeing players leave the club is one of the hardest parts of following a football team. All of the above deserve thanks for their contribution to Leeds United FC over the past few years and I wish them all well. Unfortunately, in any area of life, success often has it’s victims. Football is no different.

All that transfer talk with no mention of Jermaine? A TSS first!

Whilst I wanted to avoid a simple list of faults, there’s little else to focus on, so here goes;

1) The defence: Starting at the back and working my way forward then, I’ll start with the defence. Never has a team been so reliant on one player as we seem to be Patrick Kisnorbo. There’s no organisation without him, the closing down is slow and we look nervous under pressure.

I’ve always liked Richard Naylor, but I think this probably stems from his performances last season and the fact he’s a Leeds United fan. Being our captain, he’s unlikely to ever be replaced from the team and being a Leeds United fan, the fans are more tolerant of his poor displays than they would be Rui Marquis’ or Lubomir Michalik’s. The fact is however, age has caught up with him and he can no longer keep with the pace of League One. How he’d cope in the Championship is anyones guess, but I’m not too optimistic.

Clearly Kis has made the difference all season and that’s become blatently obvious by his absence. I’ve lost count of the amount of man of the match awards I’ve given him and I know others have always been of the same opinion. What I’d not realised was how much he was carrying Richard Naylor though. Looking back now, the best defensive pairing I’ve seen for Leeds this season was Rui and Kis early on. Ended by injury and the return of Naylor, but something I’d like to see reinstated as soon as possible.

It’s been too easy to make Lubo a scapegoat lately and we’ve all been guilty of it, but when the defence looks disorganised, sluggish and slow to close down, you can only turn to the captain to get it sorted and get them in gear. Nayls is failing miserably on that front at the minute.

The midfield: In an attacking sense we sometimes look OK. I’m willing to accept the new additions will take time to gel, but those thats been around longer don’t seem to be doing any better. Howson and Doyle have taken a lot of criticism from fans this season as they don’t play the pretty, attacking football like Snoddy and Johnson, but in their absence, it’s clear to see what they did do and that’s sure up the defence.

Doyle is an experienced player with a good head on his shoulders and is always there to get stuck in and win the ball before it becomes a defensive issue. He’s always back helping the defence when they are in danger too and the same can be said of Howson, which is why I’ve always been reluctant to criticise either players attacking play.

It’s all well and good having four attack minded players on the pitch when we’re in possession and moving forward, but as soon as the tables turn we’re looking weaker than ever and short on numbers as the opposition breaks. Whilst it’s good to see Simon using the squad more, I can’t help but feel he’s changing the dynamic of the squad with his changes, rather than the players for fresher ones.

Let’s take the introduction of Gradel as an example. Whilst I know the lads giving everything for Leeds and provides something different going forward, he isn’t Micky Doyle or Jonny Howson, who are both more defensive minded players in my mind. As a man for man replacement, we’re adding more players to one end of the park and losing them from the other changing the balance of the team entirely.

Now, I aren’t one of Andy Robinson’s biggest fans. It’s nothing personal, but I think the Leeds fans overrate him massively because ‘he tries’. However, the lad can mix it with the best of them, has a much more defensive nature to his game when needed and would be a much more suitable replacement when Doyle needs to be rested.

My other problem with the midfield is the final ball, or lack thereof. For the overwhelming amount of attacking players we have on the pitch, we’re producing very few clear cut chances in the oppositions half at the minute. Johnson resorted to shooting from anywhere and seemed to have brought his rugby boots with him and we never really looked all that much of a threat, despite dominating much of the game.

The attack: Finally we come to the attack, who can’t be blamed for anything as it all comes down to mismanagement for me. Luci gave everything but was replaced at half-time in favour of Grella, who also tried to get stuck in but the midfield created so few real chances that neither of them were ever likely to score.

Then there’s Beckford, and as much as we’ve missed him and need him back in the starting XI, he clearly wasn’t 100%. He just seemed a yard behind all the game and I was convinced he’d be replaced at half-time or around the sixty minute mark, but Luci was brought off instead.

So, do we no longer trust Grayson? I’ll support whoever Leeds’ manager is whilever they’re in the job and do believe Grayson will get it right again. Hopefully, he’ll do it sooner rather than later as failure to secure promotion will likely cost him his job. He’s a young manager whose team have hit a bad run and he needs to find a way to get them out of the rut. It’s that simple really and however much I criticise his decisions I still have faith in him and hope he can get us back on track.

…and that goal? The goal that didn’t look like a goal is irrelevant for me. Had Leeds performed well and lost to a dodgy decision I’d be calling for the linesman and referees head, but in truth it was no less than we deserved after failing to do anything with all the possession we had.

My biggest problem with it now is Casper is using it as an excuse for the defeat, as others in the team are no doubt doing too. It gives them an easy scapegoat to pin the blame on, but each and every one of them need to wake up and see the reality that they only have themselves to blame. Bemoaning your luck will get you nowhere. Getting your heads down, getting stuck in and giving the same kind of effort that we have for much of this season wins points, not pointing the finger and looking for someone else to blame.

I left Carlisle on Tuesday night feeling extremely bitter. The JPT for me was always a pointless competition I cared little about, but the opportunity to watch Leeds United play at Wembley once more was always tempting. My bitterness stemmed from quite possibly the worst referee I have ever seen. I usually try to ignore referee’s performances, because on the whole, the lower league ones are largely useless and both teams have to cope with their incompetence, but this referee was a special kind of moron.

Clearly, this ref had just got himself a new whistle and wanted to show it off to the 10,000 fans who he mistakenly believed had come to watch him. His whistle spent so much time in his mouth that the game hardly had a chance to flow early on, but he did seem to let up a little second half (presumably after a bollocking from someone) and the two teams were actually allowed to play football in small patches.

What was all the more irritating about this referee than the usual jobsworth was his inability to give a decision that actually mattered. If a player coughed near another one anywhere outside the penalty box then this was a definite free-kick in his mind. However, when a Leeds United player was fouled in the box for the most clear cut decision I saw all night, he gave nothing! The final blow for me though came at the very end when he decided to have the penalties taken infront of the Carlisle fans rather than at the opposite end which was split. The coin toss became a little more weighted in their direction at that point.

When the ref did stop to capture his breath, the game was actually a really good battle. The scoreline says it all really, but the comeback from Leeds United was magnificent. Both teams will be questioning some of the defending in the aftermath, most noticably Lubomir Michalik on our part who got himself two assists for Carlisle. Whenever it looked like it was over, Leeds United just didn’t give in and you could sense Mike Grella’s goal coming and just knew this was going down to the wire.

Carlisle for me didn’t deserve their place in the final, Leeds were the better team and but for some poor defending and a few dodgy decisions, we’d be playing in the most exciting JPT final the competition has ever seen infront of a capacity crowd at the national stadium. Without us, the final will hardly be thought of outside Carlisle, but we bow out of the competition with our heads held high and are now fully focused on what has been the number one priority all along. Promotion.

The ups

The fans – As always, the fans did Leeds United proud. We outsang the pitiful Carlisle fans throughout and even when our backs were to the wall facing a two goal mountain the songs just kept coming. MOT!

Never say die – The penalty shootout aside, this was a display from a spirited Leeds United who never gave up and carried on fighting no matter what the scoreline read and however stacked against us the odds were. This is the kind of display that will win Leeds United promotion, however bad the defence may be at times.

Attack, attack… attack, attack, attack! When the goals were needed and the referee kept his whistle out of his mouth for long enough and even without Jermaine Beckford (who would have probably got sent off with that ref) Leeds were good when on the front foot. Becchio should have done better with a couple of chances, but the build-up play from McSheffrey, Snoddy and Gradel was usually very good. Snoddy even managed to cross pretty well so long as the ball was moving. Corners on the other hand… Well, one step at a time…

The Downs

Luciano Becchio – Bitterly disappointed with Luci who bottled the penalty shoot-out, leaving our on-loan full-back to take the decisive penalty instead. Only one regular striker on the pitch in the absence of Beckford and he didn’t have the balls to step up and take a pen for Leeds. Whatever his reasons, he’s a striker and should always be taking them before the full-backs. Also could have done better infront of goal, but as a lone striker Grayson was asking a lot.

Max Gradel – Too much time with Jermaine Beckford has led to the youngster developing a serious attitude problem. The referee infuriated everyone, but shouting at him was never going to get you too far Max. There was one point where Kilkenny tried to calm him down only to receive a load of abuse too. His footballing display was good and he tried everything to give Leeds the edge, but his attitude overshadowed his performance. Lucky not to see a red card.

Lubomir Michalik – Dreadful. At times he made some good tackles and got the blocks in, but when taken into context with his mistakes, he was dreadful and cost us the game.

The tactics – Becchio as a lone striker? I know he’s found his shooting boots lately, but that was never a good idea. What on earth does Mike Grella have to do to get in the starting line-up at Leeds?

Grayson rung the changes to his side. Richard Naylor returned to the team and partnered Lubomir Michalik at the back, with Crowe and Hughes playing at full-back. On-loan Liverpool goalkeeper, David Martin made his debut and there was also starts for Hogan Ephraim, Tresor Kandol and Mike Grella.

After Ephraim’s fortuitous opening goal, Leeds never applied any real pressure. The best chances we had for the remainder of the first half fell to Kandol, who had a shot blocked by the Accrington keeper’s legs and a hopeful shot from Robert Snodgrass that went wide.

Accrington meanwhile probably had as many chances as Leeds including a free-header from a corner that their striker really should have buried. The lack of man-marking from the set-piece was a sign of things to come as the shaky Leeds defence made the game harder than it should have been.

The second half brought with it another early goal when Ephraim crossed for Kilkenny who headed home. 2-0 to Leeds and things really should have been wrapped up.

Accrington never put their heads down though and kept fighting. Had it not been for a lucky save from David Martin which flicked on to the post and came back out in to the path of a White shirt, Accrington could have been back in it. More fortune for Leeds as the woodwork came to their rescue again and the Leeds defence continued to scare the life out of the 12,000 inside Elland Road.

Grayson changed the front two with Kandol and Grella making way for Vokes and Gradel. Neither of the departing strikers will have been happy with their shift as they did little to threaten Stanley’s keeper throughout. Gradel forced an impressive save from the Accrington keeper late on, but the substitutes didn’t have much more luck than the two they replaced and Accrington continued to look the more likely to score.

Such was the state of Leeds United at the back, Simon Grayson made the decision to bring on Patrick Kisnorbo in place of Robert Snodgrass, effectively changing the formation to 5-3-2. Probably not something he’d expected to have to do before the fixture, but Naylor and Lubo just weren’t keeping the visitors at bay.

Leeds managed to escape the fixture with a clean sheet, but if todays team was supposed to show the quality of this squads depth then we have problems. I know Doyle is often seen as the weak link in midfield, but the job he does in suring up the defence is invaluable. His absence today was noticable throughout. The partnership of Lubo and Naylor didn’t work and the full-backs didn’t inspire much confidence either.

Elsewhere, Grella and Kandol never really had a chance to shoot. The difference between the two sides was only Leeds taking their chances. There were very few clear cut chances for the Whites as we rarely looked in a hurry to attack, but the ones we did have were converted. Accrington meanwhile will have been disappointed with some of their finishing, most notably the free-headet in the first half. However, they’ll also be cursing their luck with the woodwork coming to our rescue twice.

Regardless of how many changes we made tonight, we have to improve before the weekend. Southampton are a strong side and with Rickie Lambert upfront, they’ll be sure to punish such sloppy defending. The main thing is that we’re through to the final where we’ll meet Carlisle United. Although I’d have preferred to play the Leeds suburb of Bradford, we’re still in the race for Wembley and that’s the main thing.

TSS man of the match
I’m going to give it to the Elland Road woodwork tonight as without it, we’d have probably been knocked out on penalties. Hogan Ephraim deserves a shout too though. Although he did little to help out defensively (like the rest of the team) he got himself a goal and an assist, so an obvious choice.