We last met in September when Leeds were 2-1 winners, has much changed for Bristol City since then?

Pretty much everything! Well OK, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but that Leeds defeat was actually one of the better performances in a dismal start to the season. Keith Millen was sacked after a particularly dispirited collapse at Blackpool where we lost 5-0 and eventually Derek McInnes was brought in with us six points adrift from safety.

An instant upturn in form has settled into a more steady improvement and we now sit six points the other side of the drop line, and looking as comfortable as a team can whilst still in the bottom section.

The whole club has a different atmosphere around it, transformed by McInnes’ appointment and positivity and we are a very different proposition at home now than we were. Having not won until November, we now have four wins from the last six in BS3 and look pretty solid.

Your top scorer, Nicky Maynard left for West Ham in the transfer window. Do you think this will have much of an impact on the rest of your season?

Yes, but largely in a positive way. Unfortunately things had turned sour for Maynard as his protracted contract situation showed no signs of resolving and, eventually, he was placed on the transfer list which led to a series of apparently less than committed performances. Booed when he came on by the travelling support at Reading last week, he had to go to end the circus around him.

We squeezed a transfer fee out of West Ham at the eleventh hour but at £1.65m it’s a disappointment to many considering £6m was offered in August. Now, it’s not as black and white as that but ultimately it was a good thing for everyone involved that he went. We can move on and progress without him and McInnes doesn’t have to answer the same question every week in pre- and post-match interviews.

How has Neil Kilkenny been getting on at Ashton Gate since he left Leeds in the summer?

Very up and down, as many at Elland Road told us he would be. He started quietly but saying that Millen played a direct style of football so it largely passed a short, passmaster in the centre of the pitch. Much of the game seemed to pass him by. McInnes came in and instantly made him the fulcrum and he put in a series of majestic performances, truly inspiring and helped us to win four out of five.

Since then he’s often sat too deep, and this contrast was shown up in our last home match against Doncaster where for 45 minutes he looked like he could play at the highest level, probing, moving the ball quickly, taking the whole team up the pitch. A 2-0 lead by half-time meant he retreated in the second half and, sitting too deep, he tended to slow the play down, gave their midfield time and space to play and the tide of the game turned.

In summary, I think he could be a brilliant and vital cog but needs a midfield built around him to get the best out of him.

Where are you expecting to finish this season?

Considering where we were in October then anything 21st or above is a bonus, but realistically now it would be a touch disappointing to not be nestled in mid-table come May.

If you could sign any current Leeds player, who would it be?

Robert Snodgrass is the obvious answer I suppose but his ambitions are considerably higher than Bristol! Ross McCormack scores regularly against us so at least if we had him on our side that should be harder!

Finally, what’s your prediction for the game?

Before you sacked Grayson this week I was confident of a home win but manager changes can do funny things for people and I’m concerned the players might want to impress. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw now.

The latest greedy, unappreciative footballer to turn down one of Ken Bates’ incredibly generous contract offers is rising star Aidy White.

The 2o-year old Leeds-born left back has joined Jermaine Beckford, Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny and captain Jonny Howson in a disturbingly long list of first team players to reject the clubs extended contract offers it has emerged.

Whilst encouraging to see the club being proactive in their contract negotiations by starting them now – as opposed to next season when there would be real cause for concern – it’s worrying that another player has found Leeds’ offer to be unacceptable.

Unfortunately, contract negotiations seem less important to Leeds United than pointless executive boxes and conference facilities, and we know from past experience that The Whites aren’t afraid to play hard ball when it comes to a players demands, regardless of the consequences.

Leeds United’s approach isn’t all bad in fairness. A lack of sentiment is important when it comes to money, there has to be an element of ruthlessness involved if you wish to run any successful business without hemorrhaging funds. But it’s hard for the supporters to see it that way when they’re paying through the nose to support the club, only to see the best players walk away whilst the funds that could have secured contract extensions are funnelled into a pointless cream-coloured vanity project on the side of our East Stand.

Chances are, this is just the start of another long-running contract saga, that should give us all reason to moan for the next 12-18 months. Or, we could all be dealt a shocking blow by news that the club have reached an agreement sooner rather than later. Stranger things have happened – Peter Ridsdale for example is still managing to find work!

Contrary to what Peter Lorimer told the Whitby Whites at their recent Leeds United On The Road event, it seems Jonathan Howson is close to signing a new deal with the club and is not stalling to see how we finish the season.

Interviewed at Elland Road by TeamTalk yesterday. Howson had this to say about his current contract negotiations;

“We’ve been in talks for the past month or so and although it’s taking a bit of time, I’m not in a massive rush. That’s always the way with negotiations but I’m sure they’ll be finalised and I’ll sign soon.”

Howson was also asked about fellow team-mates, past and present, saying Neil Kilkenny was the biggest girl’s blouse he’d ever worked with but also the hardest working player in training.

He was also asked who was the hardest player he’d ever played alongside,

“I’d have to say ‘Nails’ (Richard Naylor). Last season he cracked a rib, which is as painful as you can get, just five minutes before half-time. During the interval, he had a painkilling injection and still finished the game. Solid!”

Speaking as someone who has cracked a rib before (twice actually), I have absolutely no idea how any amount of pain medication got Richard Naylor back on the pitch. “Solid” was a major understatement.

You can read Jonathan Howson’s full interview with TeamTalk here. 

Leeds made it back to back home wins thanks to another late winner from in-form striker, Ross McCormack. Simon Grayson made two changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace with Adam Clayton and Aidy White returning to the starting eleven. The game also saw the return of Neil Kilkenny to Elland Road.

The whites got off to a perfect start thanks to a 3rd minute goal from Adam Clayton. Clayton, returning to the side from injury, fired Leeds ahead with a fierce left footed strike into the top corner, after some good work from Robert Snodgrass. Leeds threatened to double their lead moments later when Andy Keogh was put through on goal, only to be denied by ex England stopper, David James.

Leeds were made to pay and on 11 minutes, the inevitable happened. After some sloppy play in midfield, the ball was played to Neil Kilkenny, who uncharacteristally lashed the ball off the crossbar and past Andy Lonergan on his return to Elland Road. Kilkenny wasted no time in heading towards the West Stand to goad chairman Ken Bates. Leeds had the better of the chances towards the end of the second half with McCormack having a shot deflected wide and Keogh being inches away from scoring his first Leeds goal after a dangerous ball in from the lively McCormack.

The second half got off to a relatively slow start with a few half chances for Leeds, so on the hour mark, Simon Grayson decided to bring on Luciano Becchio for Ramon Nunez, hoping for the subsitute to have a similar impact to last week against Crystal Palace. Moments later though, the game took a turn for the worst when Paddy Kisnorbo saw red for a foul inside the area on Bristol striker Nicky Maynard. Maynard stepped up to take the penalty, which he hit straight down the middle, only to be saved by the legs of the impressive Andy Lonergan. This spurred on the crowd but Leeds were always going to be up against it with 10 men. Leigh Bromby was brought on to bolster the defence and then Simon Grayson brought on Finnish international, Mikael Forsell with the hope of grabbing all three points.

The game seem destined to end as a draw but with just over five minutes to go, Becchio headed a Leigh Bromby throw-in into the path of McCormack who poked his fifth goal in four games past David James. A nervy few minutes ensued as Bristol piled on the pressure, but Leeds held out for another unconvincing home win.

You know something is amiss when you realise you’re getting more wound up reading the ramblings of club legend Peter Lorimer, than you generally do listening to Bates explain his latest plan to lighten your pockets and invest the money in some pointless executive project you’re never likely to step foot in.

The thing is, I expect Ken Bates to try and shaft me in every way possible. I knew when he first took over the years that followed would test my resolve like nothing before. He had past precedent, we spent two decades laughing on from afar as Chelsea fans tore their hair out.

But Peter Lorimer is a club legend, someone I respect and admire – well, at least I used to anyway.

Nowadays, Peter Lorimer is simply an extension of Ken Bates. One can only assume the statements he gives to the press are similar to the questions Ben Fry asks our beloved chairman in his weekly radio address – scripted by Bates.

How else can you explain two individuals so in sync with one anothers inner thoughts that they manage to say exactly the same things as each other, all the time? Supposedly random questions are answered with such assurance, such intent that they must be preconceived.

Take yourself back to the 1st of June when Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny had just left on free transfers because Leeds United couldn’t meet their wage demands. As the fans complained about the wage structure at the club causing another two Jermaine Beckford sagas, the clubs response was the usual “won’t be held to ransom” line.

Peter Lorimer moved to ease fans concerns with this;

“I don’t think anyone could have tried any harder to keep the players (Johnson and Kilkenny) than we’ve done. I think our players are very well paid and there won’t be many more in this league who pay more than we do for our players.

“Probably only the teams who have come down from the Premiership who have players who are on Premiership wages”

Whilst Bradley Johnson ended up with Premier League Norwich City, Neil Kilkenny signed a two and a half year with Bristol City – neither a Premier League team or one with parachute payments, but one that finished 15th in the Championship in 2010/11.

Leeds’ wage structure was the suspected cause of our failure to secure Keith Andrews services too with the midfielder later signing for the mighty Ipswich Town. But as fans complained the club stubbornly defended the policy with the aid of former hero Peter Lorimer.

It’s almost like Lorimer is being used as a non-threatening front for the contentious matters affecting our club. Someone we’re familiar with, who we respect and trust. And it used to work. But it’s reached a stage now where he’s repeated one too many of the chairman’s lines. Telepathy would struggle to account for the divine synchronisation of these two’s minds.

Lorimer no longer comes across as a free-thinking individual representing the fans best interests on the board, but one more concerned with his wage-slip who is fearful of repercussions should he stray off script.

Anyone who is successful at any company does it to some extent I suppose. We all toe the company line, citing company policies to deal with issues and protocols to make decisions. But when you have a fans representative on the board you expect him to act more as a union rep than an executive.

But as was the case once again when Peter Lorimer dismissed protests against Ken Bates as ‘knee-jerk’ following a slow start to the season, the club legend seems to care more about towing the line than representing the fans these days.

I suspect Lorimer knew the protests were about much more than defeat to Saints and a few failed transfer attempts, but any acknowledgement of the deeper, underlying issues would open an entirely new can of worms that would no doubt anger Mr Chairman.

I’ve always been happy to have Peter Lorimer on the board. I always felt he was a safe pair of hands who cared more about the club’s future than the money-grabbing chairmen who pass through. But with every statement of his I read in the Yorkshire Evening Post or on the OS, the more faith I lose.

The stated aim when the transfer window opened was to retain the talent we already had and only add proven quality capable of improving the first eleven.

Losing Kasper Schmeichel, Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny and most painfully, Max Gradel with only Andy Lonergan coming in and proving to be an improvement means Simon Grayson has failed. There’s no two ways about it, however close he may have come to securing additional players and however frustrated he may be, he has to hold his hands up and accept the summer transfer window was an epic failure.

But that’s all water under the bridge now. It’s happened and there’s absolutely nothing we can do to alter it. Once again we’ll be relying heavily on emergency loans to provide the cover we need. At least until January that is when we get to go through all the fun and games again.

Before we get to that however are more pressing matters. All the players we lost this summer left cheaply or on a free because of our failure to tie up contracts in time, leaving ourselves vulnerable.

Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson are two players we should have received a couple of million for. Both were first team players last season in a squad that narrowly missed out on the play-offs – even if we only received a few hundred thousand each for them, it’s always better than them leaving on a free.

Max Gradel and Kasper Schmeichel meanwhile were perhaps our two most valuable assets, but they left cheaply because we put ourselves in a position where we either sold now and accepted some cash, or let them follow in the footsteps of Beckford, Kilkenny and Johnson and walk on a free.

The above examples are why it’s so worrying to see so many players with less than a year on their contract.

Contract Expires 2012 

• Ben Parker
• Aidy White
• Michael Brown
• Lloyd Sam
• Jonathan Howson
• Ramon Nunez

Michael Brown isn’t too much of a concern obviously, and it remains to be seen whether or not Ben Parker can keep himself fit long enough to be of any use to us.

But the rest of the players on that list are important to the first team. Fears of shining light Ramon Nunez walking away on a free following an excellent season at Elland Road capturing all the headlines are all too believable after the conclusion of the long-running Jermaine Beckford saga.

Ken Bates did say the club were in talks to extend Ramon Nunez’s contract in his most recent radio address but there has been no mention of club captain Jonny Howson thus far.

The club will obviously be aware of the situation and are probably (hopefully) in the process of getting these deals done. But after failing so miserably in contract talks with a whole host of other players, patience is running thin amongst fans.

Alongside those whose contracts expire in 2012 there are another thirteen players whose contracts expire at the end of 2012/13, with only Luciano Becchio and Andy Lonergan contracted for the next three seasons.

Simon Grayson has told West Ham United to multiply their rejected £2.5m offer for Max Gradel by three or four times and he’ll consider parting with Leeds United’s 2010-11 player of the season. 

The Leeds United manager challenged his Ivorian winger to show West Ham what they are missing this Sunday by putting in a performance that forces the Hammers to return with an increased offer.

“West Ham made an offer for Max this summer, but it was not acceptable.

“Will he want to show West Ham what they are missing? Every time a player pulls on the shirt, you want him to play to the maximum of his ability – and that’s the case with Max.

“If he goes out there and scores a hat-trick and they come back in with three or four times the money they offered previously, then it’ll be something to think about.”

With just one year left on his contract at Elland Road, the reality is that Simon Grayson is unlikely to get anywhere near the figure he’s demanding.

The decision to release such a statement now could be taken as a “come and get him” plea from Grayson who fears contract negotiations will not yield the desired result for Leeds. It’s an entirely speculative suggestion, but the timing of this does seem a little odd.

But The Whites have shown before that they are not scared to lose out on a potential windfall by keeping hold of players until their contracts expire. Several offers were rejected for Jermaine Beckford with Leeds United keeping him until his contract expired at the end of the 2009-10 season, whilst Neil Kilkenny and Bradley Johnson both left on frees this summer.

Looking ahead to this Sunday’s clash, Grayson believes Leeds United could cause an upset at Upton Park with the odds stacked against them.

“Hopefully, we can go out there and become coupon busters. It is their remit to win promotion at the first time of asking, but I know we have a team who are capable of beating anyone on our day.”

We’ve heard from the journalists and other sites on where they think Leeds United will finish the 2011/12 season and the general consensus appears to be mid-table. But are the fans any more optimistic? On the eve of the new season, we thought a poll was in order to find out. 

With Luciano Becchio and Davide Somma set to miss the start of the season and Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny and Kasper Schmeichel all parting ways with the club, the starting line-up in Southampton tomorrow will be a lot different from the one that ended the 2010/11 with a win over QPR.

The transfer window has been a largely uneventful one for The Whites. Despite four new signings made by Simon Grayson, none of them have really captured the fans imagination quite like Kasper Schmeichel did last season.

And the bookies seem to be feeding off the Elland Road silence and are offering surprisingly long odds on The Whites being promoted;

Are the bookies right? Are Leeds United rank outsiders for promotion this season, or do you think we’ve been underestimated and will be able to climb that final hurdle back to the Premier League?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Talksport presenter Adrian Durham was yesterday spouting his usual nonsense and declared that Leeds United would be relegated this season because we’ve lost Kasper Schmeichel, Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny.

Here at The Scratching Shed, I’m predicting a play-off finish for The Whites but how does that compare with what the objective types think?

Jonathan Liew – The Guardian 

The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew has written his predictions for all the teams in the Championship and has Leeds United 11th with the following explanation;

Certainly good enough to make the play-offs at least, but Leeds’s problem will be in stringing a run of results together. Grayson has been unhappy with the team’s performances during pre-season, and in such a strong league, a slow start could prove fatal to their promotion chances.

@AndrewHaigh – The Sun 

I contacted The Sun journalist and Leeds United fan for his prediction via Twitter and he appears to be playing it safe with a conservative 10th place finish on 63 points (very specific!)

Free Betting Online 

Simon from Free Betting Online is predicting a mouthwatering 2nd placed finish for The Whites;

Leeds were unlucky not to be involved in the play-offs last season. Simon Grayson, however, can take great credit for seeing his newly promoted team battle so well over the full course of the Championship.

Grayson has held onto the majority of his squad except for the departure of 1 or 2 players including goalkeeper Schmeichel. However, injuries to Becchio and Somma will see the front two miss the start of the season. Expect Leeds to swat away bids for their other forward, Robert Snodgrass, unless of-course someone offers silly money.

I expect Leeds to take 2nd and get automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Christian Brown – The Football Front 

Chris points to the loss of Killa, Johnson and Schmeichel to justify a prediction of 13th place for The Whites.

What is going on at Leeds? First they lose both holding midfielders Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny on frees, then they force their goalkeeper out before bringing in a sub standard replacement in comparison to Schmeichel, and then to top it off, 2 of their best strikers get injured (Becchio and Somma)! With Premier League eyes keenly fixed on both Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass, if Leeds aren’t careful, they could be back where they came from. Losing Schmeichel is a monumental blow, as he won the club so many points on his own last. New keeper, Longeran will not do the same.

Systemlays 

The betting site Systemlays is another predicting a season of mediocrity for The Whites with an 11th placed finish.

I am surrounded by Leeds fans at the moment and they are not a happy bunch. After making an excellent return to the Championship last year and just missing out on what looked like a certain play off place, they seem determined to go backwards rather than forwards. Could be a turbulent season once again up at Elland Road.

Sky Sports 

Another tough year of disappointment for The Whites according to Sky Sports who are predicting an 11th placed finish for Simon Grayson’s side. It should be noted that they did predict we’d finish 19th last season!

Grayson is doubly determined to steer Leeds towards another promotion challenge after narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season. But competition in the second tier is getting ever stronger and following a summer of limited rebuilding a top-six finish might be beyond them.

Ollie Holt – Daily Mirror

The Chief sports writer of the Daily Mirror reckons Leeds United have what it takes to secure a play-off spot this season;

I’m going to go for West Ham and Burnley to be promoted automatically from Championship. Forest, Blackpool, Leeds and Brighton for playoffs

Michael Owen – Professional bench warmer

No mention of Leeds United in Michael Owen’s Championship predictions;

I’m going for Leicester as Champions with Forest going up with them. Play Off teams being West Ham, Ipswich, Burnley, Blackpool.

Other predictions 

I’ve contacted a few other people for their predictions and will continue to update as they come in. If you know of any we’ve missed from the national rags or other sites, please post a link below and we’ll add them in.

With no real news to speak of speculation and rumour is the natural stopping point for sites like ours.

Whilst not normally one to get too concerned about the ins and outs before the manager has had chance to do his business, the persistent stories linking Max Gradel with a move away from Elland Road do worry.

It’s not that I expect Max Gradel to see pound signs and jump ship, it’s more that the ever-loveable Ken Bates will see an easy couple of million in additional Project Meccano* funds and cash in.

*Project Meccano – An eyesore currently being erected on the side of Elland Road’s East Stand. Also known as ‘The Ken Bates Vanity Project’ and ‘Chelsea Village, Leeds’.

Despite the fact the new season is miles away and clubs are only just starting to reshape their squads, Leeds United fans have resorted to mass panic as several players exit the club with only a reserve team goalkeeper brought in.

Relegation then, is inevitable.

Well no, not at all really. This is so reminiscent of last years panic that I’ve had to pinch myself a few times just to ensure I’m conscious and not living in some horrible, never-ending nightmare of whining, doom-expectant Leeds United fans.

Those that have left the club so far – for my money – are all easily replaceable. Bradley Johnson improved massively last season and I was disappointed to see him leave, but players like Neil Kilkenny and Richard Naylor were surplus to requirements.

Kasper Schmeichel understandably annoyed the fans a little, but I can’t help think his name carried him a little and a replacement won’t be too hard to come by. Had Kasper stayed I’d have still expected a more experienced keeper to be brought in that could organise a defence and had some level of communication skill.

The panic however is not created by those that have left, but the lack of players brought in to replace them. The fact is, there is a mini-clearout at almost every club this time of season as players contracts come to an end and the doors open for them to find new employment. Almost every club will see some sort of exodus before the new arrivals grace us with their presence.

At the end of the 2010-11 campaign most Leeds United fans will have agreed that the defence needed a complete overhaul, that the centre of midfield was a little lightweight and the only two areas where we could comfortably say no changes were needed was the wings (Snodgrass and Gradel) and the strikers (Becchio, Somma and McCormack).

So far, those are the areas where no damage has been done. Our strengths remain, but our weaknesses have been cast aside ready for new peoples to be brought in. Unfortunately, these things take time. It’s difficult to be patient when you see a half empty team-sheet, but we were in the same position last year and for almost every year before that.

The only real concern we should have at this point is whether we can keep hold of those afore mentioned players that are vital to any promotion push. If we can start 2011-12 without Ken Bates cashing in to fund his vanity project then maybe Simon Grayson will surprise everyone by once again defying expectations with little or no money spent? We didn’t do too badly last season after all.