With Jonny Howson leaving for Norwich City, it’s almost impossible to believe some fans can still defend Ken Bates.

‘Almost’ is the key word however. You see, we’ve been here before. Back when we were sinking out of the Premier League heading towards financial ruin, there was plenty of fans willing to believe that Cyril Chapuis was the kind of quality signing that would rescue us. That El Tel and Peter Reid would “steady the ship”.

Living in denial is just less painful I suppose? We’ve all been there.

The all too predictable reaction of “it makes good business sense” and “he was overrated anyway” will inevitably follow. It’s nothing more than fans refusing to face up to the reality of another key player lost under Ken Bates.

Our drop in form since Jonny Howson’s injury will be written off as mere coincidence. Bates won’t be blamed for his inability to keep hold of key players, Jonny Howson will take the stick for failing to believe in Leeds United. But why should he? I certainly don’t…

The fact Jonny Howson had only five months left on his contract is less a reflection of his commitment to Leeds United, more a haunting realisation that  even our home grown, Leeds United supporting club captain doesn’t believe this club is going anywhere. Something the club’s statement certainly attests to.

Anyone questioning why Leeds United aren’t back in the Premier League yet and why Simon Grayson needs so many players each season need only look at the example set by Norwich City. Key players don’t grow on trees and when you find them, you should do everything in your power to keep them together. Only then will you have success.

Norwich did that. Norwich are now in the Premier League. Leeds United meanwhile sold Max Gradel, Kasper Schmeichel, Jermaine Beckford, Neil Kilkenny, Bradley Johnson, Fabian Delph and now, Jonny Howson. And almost exclusively – Kasper Schmeichel aside perhaps – these players were followed by average replacements purchased on the cheap.

This is not the philosophy of a club that should be in the Premier League. This is the philosophy of a club languishing in the Championship, spending the absolute minimum each year, happy to make up the numbers. We may as well merge with Barnsley and have done with it…

With some fans already setting fire to season ticket renewal forms and many more claiming they won’t renew, news of Jonny Howson’s exit is only going to make matters worse. Our captain’s jumped ship, why shouldn’t the rest of us? Our irrational sense of loyalty isn’t getting us anywhere after all.

Farewell and good luck Jonny. I honestly don’t blame you…

The Sunday Times claim Leeds United are set to bid upwards of £1,000,000 for Arsenal’s Henri Lansbury. 

Lansbury spent last season on loan at Norwich City where he narrowly missed out on the Championship’s Young Player of the Season Award to Connor Wickham. He also scored against Leeds United in the 2-2 draw at Elland Road back in February.

After a summer of little excitement for Whites fans, Henri Lansbury could well be the inspirational signing fans have been waiting for.

But with a rumoured fee upwards of £1m, Leeds United fans will be somewhat sceptical of the link. Very little has been spent on player acquisitions since Simon Grayson arrived from Blackpool and with £7m currently being absorbed by East Stand redevelopments, some fans believe the transfer kitty is empty.

Another reason not to get your hopes up is the injury crisis Arsene Wenger is currently having to contend with. Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wiltshere and Alex Song are just three players from a growing injury list at The Emirates.

Considering the rumoured fee, the shortage of midfielders currently available to Wenger and the standard caution you have to meet any rumour with, I wouldn’t suggest having “Lansbury” printed on the back of your new glow-in-the-dark away shirt just yet.

But Henri Lansbury is the kind of player that would fit perfectly into an exciting, attack-minded Leeds United midfield. Perhaps Grayson has had funds all along and as other deals fell through he decided to throw all his eggs in one basket for a big name signing before the transfer window closes? Fingers crossed.

Sky Sports are today claiming Leeds have made an enquiry regarding Coventry City captain, Sammy Clingan.

The former Nottingham Forest and Norwich City defensive midfielder has made 58 appearances for Coventry since joining them in 2009, scoring 5 times. He has also been capped 25 times at international level for Northern Ireland.

It seems Coventry are in a similar position to that of Leeds with Max Gradel. The midfielder has just one year left on his contract leaving some Sky Blues fans to fear the board may bypass the manager completely and take the cash while it’s on the table.

Can Leeds Finnish the deal? 

The rumour linking Alexei Eremenko to Leeds that we reported earlier this week has now been picked up by Sky Sports who are also claiming he could try-out for the Whites against Motherwell this weekend.

Securing the signature of the Finnish international might not be so straightforward however with reports emerging that Cardiff City are also monitoring the attacking midfielder.

Prodigal Son homecoming in doubt

The Yorkshire Evening Post is quoting a source close to Alan Smith who claims the Whites are no closer to securing a deal with their former player than they were at the beginning of the transfer window.

The stumbling block appears to be nothing more than greed with Alan Smith refusing to take a cut in wages. Whilst Newcastle United have offered to pay half his wages for the remainder of his contract, Leeds United are understandably refusing to pay the other £30,000 per week to secure his services.

A poll of more than 1,000 fans on The Scratching Shed revealed that 84% would welcome the return of the Rothwell-born midfielder.

Judging by the abundance of sites and newspapers claiming Bradley Johnson yesterday underwent a medical with newly promoted Norwich City, it seems only a matter of time before it’s announced his free transfer to Stephen Fry’s beloved Canaries is complete.

Reflecting on Johnson’s time at Elland Road brings mixed emotions. Bradley Johnson had the ability to go from infuriating to magical, lazy to tireless and useless to integral and back again several times per match.

The one thing I won’t miss about Bradley Johnson is the wild 40 yard shots he hit at every available opportunity regardless of angle, the options he has in front of him or scoreline. The Kop and South Stand will once again be a place where you can sit without fear of a Johnson special smashing you in the face and I imagine the ball-boys are pretty pleased with the news too.

It was only really in his final season at Leeds United that his full potential began to show as Simon Grayson switched him to a more defensive role, removing the opportunity for speculative shots and putting his power and weight to good use. In this position, Johnson played his best season for the Whites, tirelessly and fearlessly battling away in an ultimately doomed attempt to help the weakest defence in the Championship keep the ball out of the back of the net.

Regardless of how you personally rate Johnson, he’s been an ever-present in the Simon Grayson side that won promotion from League One and narrowly missed out on a play-off spot this season.

It’s all too easy to highlight the moments of magic and suppress the infuriating ones, but for the uncontainable excitement he showed as his cross found it’s way to Jermaine Beckford to slot home the promotion winning goal of 2009/10 (not to mention his celebrations afterwards) and for the odd strike that didn’t sail over the roof of the Kop (Arsenal in the FA Cup comes to mind) I wish Johnson all the best. After all, football is all about suffering through hours of agony for a few precious moments of joy, and Johnson certainly provided us all with a few of those.

Thanks to Adam Boxer from Vital QPR for taking part. His site is: www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk and can be found on Twitter @VitalQPR

Ryan – Firstly, congratulations on winning the league. Is this how you expected the season to pan out for you?

Adam - Many thanks – and I’d be lying if I said this has met with my expectations. I have a lot of time and respect for Neil Warnock as a manager and I thought with the group of players we had that we’d be certainties for the playoffs this season. Mind you I have had my fingers burned before so I was understandably not too vocal of these views!

I have for several seasons been reminding those on Vital QPR to keep the faith, and sometimes this becomes very easy to ridicule particularly in light of the circus that has followed us around in recent seasons. Nevertheless my faith, and the faith of thousands of QPR supporters has been rewarded – following a 15 year exile, we’re back!

Ryan - What are your expectations for your Premiership campaign next season?

Adam - I have no idea what to expect, we have achieved so much this season in terms of my own expectations and depending on how many additions and the quality of these we could be just about anywhere come next season.

I would initially say fourth from bottom is all that I hope for, and a couple of gutsy performances against our common enemy in Chelsea. If we do recruit wisely then we could push higher up, but baby steps need to be taken and I would rather we ensure that Warnock stays put and the right calibre of player is introduced.

Ryan - What do you make of the whole Alejandro Faurlin transfer saga that’s been in the news for the last few weeks? What do you think will be the result of the FA’s hearing?

Adam - This saga has taken several twists and turns over the past few weeks and the only people that aren’t talking about it are the parties that hold the key information, the FA and Queens Park Rangers, evidently so as not to prejudice the case.

The so-called experts and sources have waded in with their ill-advised ramblings. Sean Custis at The Sun has made more than a few enemies in recent weeks, spouting nothing but drivel and then back-tracking on his Twitter page – since then he has since to update.

People on both sides of the divide have their opinions, but from what I can see a fine would suffice as the evidence in the trial is based on QPR over-inflating their announcement of the £3.5m fee paid, evidently for PR purposes – and clerical errors on forms. Everything else, while interesting to discuss, is purely circumstantial and hopefully something we can now overlook.

Ryan - Despite there being nothing for you to play for on Saturday, do you expect QPR to be going all out for the win or taking it a bit easy?

Adam - It’s a question you probably know the answer to. Neil Warnock is our manager, I can’t imagine anything that man ever does is without 100% commitment and passion for the game – he will pick the right team accordingly and hopefully have them suitably motivated to play as champions in front of a packed house.

There are a few doubts for the game, and unquestionably he won’t risk certain players, but those he does pick in the starting eleven I’m sure will be suitably refreshed and motivated to complete the task on our home patch – by proxy snuffing out Leeds’ playoff hopes.

Ryan - In your opinion, who’s been your best player this season?

Adam - Adel Taarabt will unquestionably be mentioned by many as a misunderstood genius. An enigmatic individual that simply won’t have an average game. He’ll either light up a spectacle or it simply won’t happen for him, and it is an attitude that Warnock is attempting to modify to get the best out of the Moroccan marvel.

He however has been usurped for my money, Paddy Kenny has been for me the main reason that Queens Park Rangers have been so consistent and kept as many shut outs as they have. The ‘keeper oozes confidence and is the first to snuff a chance from the back-line wherever defenders have got themselves into trouble.

23 clean sheets to his name and hardly changes his disposition and confidence in making saves and helping the Rangers rearguard. That is why for me he pips Taarabt to the award, but they’re both very special for different reasons.

I cannot go without mentioning the other ‘bread and butter players’ as Warnock calls them – Shaun Derry, Clint Hill, Heidar Helguson, Jamie Mackie – they have proven that you don’t need class and total football to save the day – hard work and graft at times can be the key ingredient to haul you from this level.

Ryan - Who’s been the best team you’ve seen this season?

Adam - That is a very good question – a difficult one as well. The teams at this level are very inconsistent. Indeed Millwall and Norwich fans would be scratching their heads and wondering how we’re top, simply because of our off days against both teams – nevertheless there are others that will sit aghast at how well we’ve played.

We were beaten by yourselves, who were very good in difficult conditions, Watford, who more than capitalised on our few frailties at Loftus Road, and the aforementioned Millwall and Norwich. Scunthorpe was an unmitigated disaster, but the less said about that the better.

Out of these teams I would say that Norwich have been the best we’ve played this season. Much like us with a solid consistent foundation they have strengthened well and existing talents like Grant Holt have stepped up. I was very happy to see them get the job done as frankly they are streets ahead of the likes of Cardiff City.

Ryan - Who’s been the best non QPR player in the Championship this season?

Danny Graham has been simply phenomenal. To score as many goals as he has in a relatively mediocre Watford side makes him a key candidate for Premier League clubs next season, who knows maybe even QPR will punt on the former Middlesbrough man.

Craig Bellamy, although I am loathed to say it, is a fine talent. Such fantastic vision and movement – here is a player that should definitely not be playing Championship football and fully expect him to step back up with another club next campaign.

Ryan – Are there any Leeds players you’d like to see in a QPR shirt next season?

Adam – This is going to sound horrendously cruel, but in the Premier League I think that maybe Kasper Schmeichel and Robert Snodgrass may be able to step up, but others – much like our current squad – would struggle to compete effectively.

Snodgrass would be my best bet if I had to pluck a player from Elland Road, purely for his skill and effort and ability – much like Taarabt – to conjure up something from nothing. He has a very useful cross on him and perhaps could slot into the present system.

Ryan – Finally, what’s your prediction for the game? I’m going for a 1-1 draw.

Adam - That sounds like a fair score-line to me. Radek Cerny will probably be between the sticks, and with all due respect to him he’s not Paddy Kenny. On Saturday it showed at times that the defenders were perhaps not on a similar wavelength to him which is understandable.

I fully expect Leeds to give it their all for 90 minutes in the hope that Forest will slip up, so while we could net a goal, I expect Leeds to be a side fully motivated.

Ramon Nunez made his debut for Scunthorpe after a 16000 mile round trip with Honduras over the international break. He started reasonably brightly and looked dangerous running at the Norwich defence, firing narrowly over from long range early on. That was as exciting as it got for Nunez and Scunthorpe fans though as he was substituted just after half an hour as Scunthorpe went 2-0 down and were reduced to ten men. The day got worse for Nunez and his new club as they were eventually turned over 6-0.

Fede Bessone played ninety minutes for Charlton in their 3-1 win over London rivals Leyton Orient. He put in an average shift and was unspectacular as fans continue to question his ability.

Oldham got a much needed win with Aidy White in the side. The Leeds winger played eighty minutes and could have got on the score-sheet in the first half but for a good block. Adam Clayton recently joined MK Dons on loan after having limited opportunities at Elland Road. The young midfielder came on for the last half an hour with his side winning 2-0 at Southampton. However, in the time he was on Southampton scored three goals to win the game. This reflects badly on Clayton but the goals weren’t really his fault though the substitution did seem to be misjudged, inviting Southampton to attack.

Striker Mike Grella came on for the last ten minutes or so for Swindon but the game was already tied at 1-1 and it finished that way.

In League Two, Tom Lees played the full ninety, despite Bury losing their manager to Scunthorpe in the week. He helped his side to another clean sheet as they picked up a 3-0 win.

Will Hatfield was not involved for York City this weekend.

Quite how Norwich City escaped Elland Road today with a point to show for their efforts is a mystery for the ages, such was the overwhelming amount of chances Leeds United had to bury this one.

When Leeds weren’t putting attempts narrowly wide of the target, the woodwork and some last ditch blocks came to the aid of the Canaries who were struggling to cope with Leeds’ attacking threats.

By the interval, Leeds should have been three up, but Luciano Becchio’s close-range goal was cancelled out by Arsenal youngster Henri Lansbury who made one of Norwich’s small amount of first half chances count as Leeds switched off in stoppage time.

The second half saw things level out a bit and Norwich really get into the game. Both teams sensed three points were within their grasp, and both teams had chances to take the lead.

But in a game where Leeds should have been three up by half time, failure to make the chances count proved costly. Norwich sent the warning signs by striking Leeds’ upright, and just minutes later Wes Hoolahan put the visitors ahead.

Disaster for Leeds, but the heads stayed up and the Whites looked to respond quickly with Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass trying to find a way through.

It was saved by the sub stuff again for Grayson as Davide Somma was introduced with 15 minutes to go. The man many thought should have been on the pitch from kick-off rescued Leeds United when he smashed home an outstanding strike with his first touch of the game.

2-2, and this thriller of a Championship game hung in the balance and neither team looked happy with a point. The attacks and chances came, but neither team managed to take full advantage.

The final throw of the dice for Simon Grayson was Billy Paynter, who came close at the very depth only to be denied by an excellent Ruddy save. For any other striker, it would have been 3-2, but Lady Luck refuses to hand poor Billy a break and his wait for a first goal continues.

4-4-2 v 4-5-1 (again)

The obvious complaint after this one is that Leeds didn’t play two strikers from the off and force their own game on Norwich. I caught a comment from Grayson on the way home and he said that the decision to play 4-5-1 was based on Norwich City’s diamond formation – he was concerned we may get overrun otherwise.

Overall, 4-5-1 worked brilliantly. Leeds were simply sensational going forward, and had we benefited from a little bit of luck today we’d probably be celebrating a comfortable victory. But to tactically approach a home game based on what the visitors will do seems very negative. Surely we should be forcing our style of play on them, and letting them worry about what we may do?

Of course, there’s no point going into a game without doing your homework and knowing what the opposition may throw at you, but I do feel we give visiting teams far too much respect at times.

Whatever happened to the clean sheets?

Leeds’ defending at times today was desperate and lacking order. At times, we looked like a deer in the headlights when Norwich came at us and the clearances we did make were often panicked and failed to relieve the pressure.

Nevertheless, this was a brilliant game and a great advert for Championship football. Leeds were the better side, but Norwich made their chances pay and left with a point. Both teams always seemed to have one eye on their next attack and that’s what made it so thrilling to watch. For the entertainment both teams provided, a draw is probably fair. But for the chances Leeds had, you have to say it’s two points dropped.

What a difference a year makes though!

Generosity is a term not often associated with football (aside from the Chairman’s generous givings to the players…) but here Norwich City show us what this “giving” word is all about.

We thank them kindly, and ask that they run that lesson by us once more today – y’know, just to make sure it sank in…

Thanks to Rachel Neil from Norwich City blog Lets Be ‘Avin You. You can also find Rachel on Twitter (@letsbeavinyou).

Ryan - We last met in November when we drew 1-1 at Carrow Road, has much changed for Norwich since then?

Rachel - Things have gone really well for us since we met in November. Back then we were eighth in the table and, I think, had won just one game in seven. However, since the 1-1 draw with yourselves, we have lost just twice in the league, and find ourselves up in third. So to be honest, we couldn’t have asked for much more!

Ryan - We have both done considerably well since getting promoted, if Norwich were to get promoted how do you think they would cope in The Premiership?

Rachel - Both teams have done exceptionally well since gaining promotion from League One. If we were to get promoted to the Premier League, which I think may just be a step too far this season, there’s no doubt it would be a massive test for us. Our chances would of course be dependent on the sort of players we could bring in, however you only have to look at Blackpool, who have given a great account of themselves this season, to know that there’s always a chance. We certainly have a fantastic manager in Paul Lambert, and with him at the helm, I’m tending to believe that anything is possible at the moment! With an ever-increasing gap between the two divisions though, it would of course, be really tough, but you’ve got to believe, right?

Ryan - At the start of the season, did you expect Norwich to be pushing for promotion and did you expect Leeds to be up there with you?

Rachel - No, I never expected us to be challenging for promotion. I was more than happy to settle for consolidation: avoidance of a relegation battle, and a decent top ten finish, thank you very much! What we have achieved has been fantastic, and certainly exceeded most people’s expectations. We do not have the best squad on paper, but we have a group of players who give absolutely everything. Paul Lambert has been nothing short of fantastic for us since arriving at the club, and he has the players playing above and beyond their suggested capabilities. Our team spirit and mentality not-to-give-in have really set us apart in games this season.

I’ve been impressed with your season so far, although I always felt once you got yourselves out of League One, you had it in you to be competing at the top end of the Championship. Beckford’s departure didn’t appear to harm you at all, and you have some really talented players in your squad. Simon Grayson is a good manager too, and with a great fanbase, I don’t think it will be too long before you’re back in the Premiership. (I’m going to get some stick from fellow City fans for saying that, but it’s just my opinion!)

Ryan - Who should we be looking out for in your squad on Saturday?

Rachel - A couple of Leeds fans I know were hoping Wes Hoolahan might be on his way to West Yorkshire in the January transfer window! Fortunately, he didn’t go anywhere, and has, for the record, signed a new contract! He will certainly be one to watch out for though. Not to do disservice to other players, but much of our quality and ingenuity comes from him. On his day, he is one of the best creative midfielders in the division. Of course, Grant Holt is also a player to look out for. He is our talisman, and plays such a big part (literally some harsh critics would say!) in our side. Your defenders will definitely know they’ve been in a game, let’s just leave it at that!

Ryan - The Championship 2010/11 – 3 up, 3 down?

Rachel - Mmm…I’m rubbish at these predictions. Ok, if you’re going to push me on it, I’ll say QPR to clinch the title, with Cardiff scrapping into second..perhaps on a frantic last day? At best, I think we can hope for a play-off place…so who knows, maybe we’ll see you at Wembley come May?!

To leave the Championship, I would have to say Preston, Scunthorpe, and probably Crystal Palace.

Ryan - If you could sign one current Leeds player for Norwich, who would it be?

Rachel - I’ve always liked Robert Snodgrass as a player, and Max Gradel is a talent and had a good game for you at Carrow Road. However, I also really like Luciano Becchio, and he certainly knows where the goal is…so I’d probably go for him. I just hope he doesn’t score against us tomorrow now I’ve said that!

Ryan - Finally, what’s your prediction for the game? I’m saying 2-1 Leeds!

Rachel - Well I can never bring myself to predict a City defeat. I think it will be a really tough game for us, but I’m going to go for a 2-2 draw!!

Thanks again to Rachel.

Ahead of Norwich City’s visit to Elland Road this Saturday, Ken Bates has come over all mutually respectful…

“They are a good team, a good club, and they are well run.”

What he meant to add at this point was, “but they are also small-time cretins with six fingers who think they are worthy of a place in the Premier League. What the f**k does a chef know about football? Stay in the kitchen Delia… that’s what I say”

Of course, Ken Bates found an opportunity to praise himself in this interview – I mean, why wouldn’t he? And more to the point, when doesn’t he?

“We have a good manager, a good team, a good ground, great supporters, and we’re being run carefully and wisely.”

Helps you sleep at night knowing you’re being run by a careful and wise man doesn’t it? I prefer ‘sinister and sneaky’ but we all know I’m not his biggest fan. Let’s not dwell on that…

Mr. Chairman (as he likes to be called) ends by telling us that he hopes both Leeds United and Norwich can get promoted this season.

“It’d be nice if we both got promotion this season, us automatically, them through the Play-Offs.”

“Yes, it’d definitely be nice to have a female owner in the Premier League with us. She can hoover up and prepare sandwiches for the League meetings. I hear she does a lovely ham and cheese!”