The Scratching Shed

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

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

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

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

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

Marching orders for Gradel

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

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

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

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

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

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

Howson levels the scores

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

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

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

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

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

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

TSS man of the match

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

It’ll come as no surprise to Leeds United fans that Patrick Kisnorbo leads the way in The Scratching Shed’s player of the season poll.

Although now injured, Paddy’s contribution to Leeds United’s success this season has made him a massive hit with the fans and his injury has left a huge hole in the defence that we’ve struggled to fill.

Those that haven’t yet voted in the 2009/10 TSS player of the season poll can still do so below. The poll will remain open until midday on Sunday.

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Another season of ups and downs, highs and lows, heroes and villains for Leeds United AFC all boils down to 90 minutes of football in front of a packed Elland Road on Saturday.

Whatever the result, it’s certainly been one of the most eventful seasons in recent history. With Leeds United leading by a clear and seemingly unsurpassable margin at the New Year, a historic win over Manchester United proved to be a climax we’d struggle to recover from. Since then, the downs have often outweighed the ups but we kept fighting, and our players gradually recovered to give themselves one last chance at Championship football next season.

Ahead of this Saturday’s clash against Bristol, I’ve narrowed down a list of contenders for the TSS player of the season 2009/10 which you’ll find below. The accompanying poll will run until midday on Sunday.

Please note: All appearances and goal statistics are for League games only as shown on the Official Leeds United site.

Max Gradel

Appearances 10 (+ 21 as sub). Goals 6

Often consigned to the role of super-sub, Max Gradel came in on loan from Leicester City and instantly won the hearts and minds of Leeds United fans with his eagerness, determination and never-say-die attitude. Whilst his emotions can sometimes get the better of him and he’s often a target for card-happy referee’s, Gradel’s enthusiasm and hard-work have often turned stale-mate games into wins for the Whites. More recently, Max Gradel has proved to be just as much of an asset in the starting XI as he is from the subs bench.

Patrick Kisnorbo

Appearances 29. Goals 1

Another former Leicester City player, often described as Simon Grayson’s best signing to date, Patrick Kisnorbo came in and instantly plugged the holes in Leeds United’s defence. It’s no coincidence that Leeds’ defensive record was the best in League One for much of the season, but has suffered considerably since the Australian’s injury. Paddy’s fearless, determined attitude made him a big hit amongst the fans – an attitude personified by the bandage he wore around his head, marking an injury received early season that went untreated so the Aussie could play. Kis’ season and World Cup dreams were cruelly ended through injury, but the centre-back has refused to dwell on what could have been and made the trip to every game since with the squad.

Robert Snodgrass

Appearances 40 (+3 as sub). Goals 7

One of the most regular fixtures in the starting XI is that of the young Scot, Robert Snodgrass. Sometimes a lone creative force in the Leeds United midfield, Snoddy always gives 110% and never lets his head drop, even when things are going disastrously wrong for the Whites. Some impressive performances against Premier League opposition made Snodgrass a target for much transfer speculation, but Snoddy dismissed the speculation telling fans how he loves playing for a big club like Leeds United and wants to follow in the footsteps of other Scottish greats such as Eddie Gray and Billy Bremner. Undoubtedly has the potential to ply his trade at a higher level. Hopefully Leeds United can accommodate his wish.

Luciano Becchio

Appearances 31 (+5 as sub). Goals 15

A great season for Luciano and a much improved goal average on 2008/09. His hard-working, physical style of play has made him a bit of a cult hero with a fanbase desperate for something similar in midfield. Luci is another player who rarely lets his head drop and gives everything for the team. His holding play is essential and the fifteen goals he has scored fail to tell the whole story of his contribution to the Whites cause. Luci can just as often be found scrapping it out in defence and midfield trying to create something for the team as he can upfront trying to score. It’s the sheer amount of effort and hard-work he always gives that makes Becchio a candidate on this poll.

Jermaine Beckford

Appearances 37 (+4 as sub). Goals 24

Sometimes lazy, often controversial, always a threat and never boring! The enigma that is Jermaine Beckford has covered more column inches on TSS this season than the rest of the team combined. The January transfer saga he was involved with, the goal that knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, sticking a finger up to some disgruntled fan in the stands etc… etc… It’s all in a seasons work for our deadliest goal-scorer, Jermaine Beckford. Love him or loathe him, Jermaine’s goals propelled us to the top of League One and are a big contributing factor in this seasons promotion push. Destined to leave at the end of this season, you have to wonder who we’ll bring in to fill the void left by one of the clubs most talked about players ever.

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Another crazy day of mixed emotions for Leeds fans after we escaped from defeat at the Valley with automatic promotion still in our own hands. Throughout the game, the travelling Leeds United fans were kept informed of events elsewhere and when Andy Robinson made it 2-0 to Tranmere Rovers, Leeds United were one goal away from their seasons aim of automatic promotion.

This being Leeds however, things were never going to be that easy. The team had looked bright and hungry throughout the first half and although we went into the break at 0-0, there was a lot to be optimistic about. Unfortunately, things didn’t run quite as well in the second half and Charlton started to edge Leeds out.

Still at 0-0 and knowing the results elsewhere were going in our favour, Simon Grayson took a calculated risk to give Leeds United more options upfront. Beckford was the first player on, replacing Robert Snodgrass with Gradel dropping back a little. This was followed by Sanchez Watt replacing Micky Doyle ten minutes later and Mike Grella replacing Andy Hughes with about five minutes remaining.

When you need a goal to secure promotion back to the Championship, it makes sense that you give yourself as many attacking options as possible upfront and Simon Grayson did the right thing. It had been another closely matched game where for large parts, both teams had absorbed any attacking threat from the other, but the changes opened things up noticeably. It worked in Leeds’ favour to some extent, allowing Beckford a good chance, but it also allowed Charlton more space on the attack too and they ultimately punished us for it with three minutes remaining when Akpo Sodje scored via the head of Richard Naylor.

The Leeds fans were silenced. It was a nervous performance from Leeds, and when playing it along the ground in the first half didn’t prove affective, they resorted to the dreaded long-ball and the chances became even fewer and farer between.

It wasn’t the most unexpected of results, or performances. The reverse fixture at Elland Road earlier in the season that ended 0-0 was just as frustrating as this one so it seemed unlikely the goals were going to flow at the Valley. The problem is that both teams play a similar style so neither ends up with much room.

What the result means is that there are now five teams capable of achieving automatic promotion from League One next week. Two of them play at the New Den as Millwall host Swindon. If that game ends in a draw, then both Charlton and Huddersfield could capitalise. Charlton would need a win away to Oldham, whilst Huddersfield would need to do a demolition job at Exeter City, but could mathematically go up by goal-difference.

As it stands, Leeds United lead the way though and that’s all that really matters. A win over a Bristol side who we destroyed 4-0 earlier in the season is all Leeds United need to escape the hell of League One football. In our previous meeting, Bristol had a defence made of play-dough and Leeds United came back in style after our first defeat of the season to Millwall. A similar display next week and it’ll be one hell of a party at the sold-out Elland Road.

With a lot of thanks to Andy Robinson and the usual unpredictability of League One, we head into the final game in a position I think we’d have all accepted at the beginning of the season. 90 minutes of football on Saturday will determine what division Leeds United play in next season and that’s all there really is to it. Our lack of points against the top six this season, the defensive hole Paddy’s injury has left, the lack of goals from midfield and our apparent need to do things the hard way have taken us all on a journey through third division hell that boils down to one game against Bristol. As Winston Churchill once said, ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going…’

With most Leeds United fans more interested in who wears the Whites armband than who will be occupying No. 10 Downing Street for the next four-five years, TSS has decided to express the concerns of some posters and instil a little democracy into our own leadership battle.

Much like the current leader of our great country, the current leader of Leeds United – namely, Richard Naylor – has come under much scrutiny in recent months. Much like Gordon Brown, Richard Naylor is an unelected leader of our never-democratic team, who has been criticised from all quarters for his lack of noticeable leadership skills. In Naylor’s defence however, he does come from the place he represents, unlike a certain Mr. Brown who comes from the cold foothills of Scotland. This is akin to Leeds United being captained by a Manchester born exile – touchy subject to say the least.

The candidates

Jonny Howson is a Leeds-born, Leeds-bred lad playing for his favourite team and quite literally ‘living the dream’. He knows what it means to play for Leeds United and is often seen as the fans representative on the pitch. Leeds United fans are well-known for the love of their home-town heroes, but it’s a potentially disastrous situation as shown by previous hero, Alan Smith. Jonny  is currently the teams vice-captain and brings with him a fair amount of experience in the senior position, having led the Whites earlier in the season whilst Richard Naylor was out injured.

Left-back, right-back, right-midfielder, central midfielder and no doubt centre forward given half a chance, Andrew Hughes will be a surprise nomination to many as he’s often a player targeted for some heavy criticism. However, Hughes’ versatile roles within the side show his eagerness to play for the team regardless of position. Moreover, whilst his ability at left-back is easy to scrutinise, his commitment and effort can’t be. One of those ‘wears his heart on his sleeve’ kinda guys Leeds United fans usually love.

Patrick Kisnorbo would probably be the bookies favourite if anyone other than ourselves were taking this poll seriously. His introduction into the Leeds United side this season instantly solved the defensive frailties we’d been prone to throughout previous years. Unfortunately, Paddy was injured recently and Leeds have suffered ever since. Kis has continually shown his commitment to Leeds despite his injury by travelling with the squad to all their games since. He’s also a big favourite amongst the fans for his fearless, never-say-die attitude that was epitomized by the bandage he wore for most games this season. It covered an untreated head injury from earlier in the season that Paddy had played through the pain barrier of. Still, he is a foreigner… Come over here, steal all our jobs, fix Leeds United’s defensive problems…

Robert Snodgrass is another one of our beloved foreigners that gives everything for the team. Even when things aren’t going well for the Scot and his crossing ends up in the roof of the East Stand, Snoddy’s head never drops and the youngster keeps fighting for the cause. In interviews, he’s told how much he loves playing for the club and wants to be part of a legacy which includes other Scottish greats like Eddie Gray and Billy Bremner. Unquestionably a fans favourite, but does he possess the ability to lead such a great team at such a young age?

The final nomination is Luciano Becchio. An outside shot, no doubt, but his effort is something every Leeds United fan appreciates even when things aren’t going quite right for the Argentinian. Most of his time in Leeds has been spent living in the shadow of prolific goal-scorer Jermaine Beckford, but whilst Jermaine’s goals have undoubtedly put us in the position we’re in, Luci’s work-rate has been a big contributing factor – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed amongst the Leeds United fans and led to Becchio become a bit of a cult hero. A much beloved work horse, but does he have leadership potential?

I’ve also added an option to vote for ‘other’ so those that feel someone has been over-looked can select this option and add their comments below. The current captain has also been included in the poll for those of you that still believe Richard Naylor is the right man for the job. Thanks go to Mike R for suggesting the idea as well as the people who debated the captaincy issue on a previous post.

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MK Dons appeal for Doumbe

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

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

Ben Parker awaits news

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

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

Snoddy and Kis line-up in team of the year

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

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

Becchio in L1 team of the week

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

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

With the closure of the loan transfer market came Simon Grayson’s last throw of the dice for our promotion dreams. With injuries to key players Jermaine Beckford and Patrick Kisnorbo, Larry had one final chance to get things right to save Leeds United’s promotions dreams, and most probably his job.

However much I like Larry, the one thing he has to do this season is secure promotion. An incredible start meant it was ours to lose, and of course, we’re doing our best to make sure things aren’t easy. If he fails at the final hurdle, no matter how close he comes, it simply isn’t close enough. Tough as that may be, he’s in charge of one of the countries biggest clubs and with such a big job, comes big expectations.

The first area Larry addressed was the most obvious one. When Kis went off injured against Millwall, our defence fell to pieces. With Rui still injured, a replacement seemed the best way forward and for that, he turned to Preston North End and their out-of-favour centre-back Neill Collins.

Already, an unhappy and disillusioned Leeds United faithful have been quick to criticise this move due to his lack of success at Preston. I must admit, I have my own reservations too, but if you take a closer look at his history, you’ll see he’s been quite successful elsewhere; most notably, Wolves.

This could be an absolutely disastrous signing, as many of Simon Grayson’s loan signings have been. It’s a signing forged in desperation and adversity, so it’d be no major shock if Collins wasn’t the answer to our prayers. However, I’m feeling quite optimistic about his arrival. He’s a player with an established career at a higher level, desperate to prove his worth and undoubtedly looking to secure a future away from Preston. Only time will tell, but he’s definitely got a lot to play for so shouldn’t need much motivation.

Sticking with the defence, Shane Lowry returns from Aston Villa to fill the troublesome left-back vacancy that has been a constant weakness since Ben Parker was sidelined through injury.

I’ll probably take heavy criticism for this, but I was actually quite impressed with Lowry. He didn’t make the brightest of starts admittedly, but before he returned to Villa injured, he looked like he’d started to gel with the rest of the team and was certainly more successful than Andrew Hughes. Won’t be the most celebrated of signings, but he’s here to fill a void and it was a necessary move on Grayson’s part.

Finally we come to Sanchez Watt who joins us on loan from Arsenal. The Gunners are expecting great things from this youngster who Wenger brought in as a 15-year-old. When it comes to youngsters, no one has a better eye than Arsene Wenger so the young winger may be the one to watch as our season draws to a close.

Coming from Arsenal, he may be just what we need in that he’ll be familiar with passing the ball on the floor (something the rest of the team have clearly forgotten). Watt is also said to have electrifying pace and likes to run at players. Just the attacking threat we needed on the wing then?

A few months ago, the above three signings would have had my mouth watering, but after such incredible flops as Cardiff’s Capaldi, seeing will most definitely be believing as far as I’m concerned. It’s a shame the depth of the squad wasn’t used more when it should have been as a team of Leeds United’s size really shouldn’t have to resort to desperate last minute loan deals.

Going in the other direction is Liam Darville to Rotherham United and Andy Robinson leaves for Tranmere. I guess it was only a matter of time with Robbo, but his move highlights the kind of players we have available to us that have gone unused since Simon Grayson’s arrival. If the loan signings pay-off and we get automatic promotion then you can’t really question Larry’s judgement. However, if the season ends with Leeds United still in League One, the departure of Andy Robinson and David Prutton will be brought under intense scrutiny.  

So, the dice are rolled, jobs are on the line and tens of thousands of supporters expect. No pressure.

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

This was another below par performance from Leeds and the result is no more than they deserved. Although there was an improvement on Tuesday’s performance, there’s still several issues that need to be addressed;

“What the **** is going on?”

Formation

We’ll start with the ever changing line-up, which yesterday was as below at kick-off.

Ankergren

Hughes, Naylor, Kisnorbo, Lowry

Howson, Doyle, Kilkenny, Johnson, McSheffrey

Beckford

The midfield is in no particular order as it was hard to make sense of who was playing where to be totally honest, such was the lack of order it seemed to possess. The key thing to note here however is that Beckford is upfront on his own, whilst our bench harboured the likes of Becchio, Gradel and Snoddy.

More to the point, on the pitch was McSheffrey, who I was led to believe was a forward. Clearly not a natural midfielder, would probably benefit from playing alongside Beckford as he’d be a much better targetman for the long-ball Leeds are insisting on playing at the minute and can also hold the ball up and create chances, which is what Beckford needs to be of any benefit to the team.

Much like when Luciano Becchio was playing alone upfront, Beckford was massively ineffective as a lone striker with poor support from the midfield. Leeds’ final ball was so poor that the Brighton keeper could have probably taken the day off and the scoreline wouldn’t have changed too much. Beckford and Becchio need each other to produce the goods. They both bring something to the party and neither can play alone.

I’m starting to think we’re dropping a striker in order to accomodate McSheffrey who must have been promised first team football. I don’t mind that as McSheffrey is a good player, but he needs to be playing alongside Beckford to keep the balance of the team and give us any real threat going forward.

The penalty

It was never a penalty in a million years, but these things happen. The referee was totally useless throughout and both teams had to cope with him so no sour grapes from me in that respect. Leeds had all the possession and really should have walked it against a pathetically weak Brighton side who we battered 3-0 in the reverse fixture.

The long ball

It’s becoming really annoying seeing balls pumped long to players who can’t bring them down. The supporters were once again whinging at Beckford for failure to move and fight for the ball, but he’s so useless in the air there was probably little point. The team plays better when we have some sort of flow and pass about a bit, but they just don’t seem to have the confidence to try and play football at the minute.

The celebration

The players goading Gus Poyet after we scored was totally unacceptable in my mind. Whether it was deliberate or has been taken out of context, I aren’t entirely sure. Maybe they were intending to celebrate with their own bench? I know Grayson wasn’t pleased anyway and nor was Gus by the sounds of things and it’s hardly surprising really.

The positives

The substitutions

Once we’d made our three changes we were back to our normal shape with Luci and Becks upfront and four in midfield. Snoddy, who started on the bench for some reason, came on and had an instant impact and it was no surprise he got the goal. After falling one down, it was the only time we looked threatening, but since this coincided with going back to basics in terms of line-up and formation, I’d suggest this played more of a part than anything else.

The defence

A million times better than on Tuesday. Doyle and Howson in midfield were nullifying attacks before they became a threat, leaving Brighton with nothing but the long ball option and Paddy was there everytime to head clear. We look so much better with them three in the team from a defensive aspect that if the formation remains the same, I think the clean sheets will return soon.

Max Gradel

Max was the victim of an absolute horror challenge that saw Brighton reduced to ten men late on. I honestly couldn’t believe he got up and played on afterwards as he must have been in some pain, so credit to the youngster for his determination.

The fans

Unlike midweek, it was a good turn-out with 24,000 there to cheer the Whites on. Good to see such a sizable crowd despite things not going our way at the minute. That said, the patience is growing thin and the growing sighs around the ground reflects the times. Most notable chant of the day was a chorus of “What the …. is going on?” when Brighton scored. No booing at the end though thankfully.

Overall

Better but still with flaws. It didn’t surprise me at all to see us improve massively when we went back to 4-4-2 and got the regulars back on the field. I hope we start the next match with the line-up that’s served us well all season and if we are going to play McSheffrey, then hopefully it’ll be alongside Beckford rather than out of place in midfield.

Defensively we looked a different team from Tuesday night, but upfront we’re lacking in ideas, despite the vast array of attacking players at our disposal. Back to basics for me. The worrying thing is that the gap to the play-offs has closed massively so whatever the reasons behind the current slump, they need sorting sharpish.

Can’t deny I’m worried at the minute, but not entirely surprised. Years of supporting Leeds tells me that we never do things the easy way and this season looks to be no exception. I have full faith in Grayson’s ability to turn things round, but the longer this goes on, the more the fans will lose confidence and the more the morale of the support drops, the harder it will become.

I’ve left this match report a little longer than usual as I felt writing it yesterday whilst I was still fuming from the worst display I’ve seen at Elland Road this season wouldn’t have made for good reading. I could see so few positives yesterday that it would have simply been a list of our faults. The only problem is that time hasn’t changed my opinion of the match and I’m still at a loss to find anything good to say about the Leeds team of Tuesday night.

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.

A trip down South to the team that sounds more like a Chinese takeaway than it does a football club was quite an exciting one surprisingly enough. Even though I knew it was unlikely Jermaine Beckford would play and Kis was still out, I couldn’t help but get ahead of myself and predict a 3-0 win to the Whites. Not sure whether it was naivety or logical thinking, but Leeds’ wealth of attacking options for me were destined to destroy the pitiful Southerners.

In the first half things went as planned. Leeds dominated possession, had pretty much all the notable chances and were just missing the deft touch infront of goal that would give us the lead we so blatently deserved. Nothing to worry about though. All we’re missing is a striker capable of making something out of all this possession and attacking play and bobs your uncle. As chance would have it, there just happened to be a young American striker on the bench, described by many of his team mates as the most skilful player in the squad, and who has proved before that he can make a difference.

Unfortunately, Larry stood firm with his starting line-up and put his faith in Luciano Becchio, who, quite frankly, looks lost without Jermaine Beckford lately. I don’t want to be over-critical of a player who has given his all for Leeds United, but the difference between him and Becks was shown to all when it came to penalties against Carlisle. Whilst you’d have to prize the ball from Jermaine Beckford’s cold dead hands to get any chance of taking a scoring opportunity away from him, Luci doesn’t seem to have the same self-belief, nor does he have the same ability to get into key positions and score the vital goals on a regular enough basis.

Max Gradel meanwhile, was trying absolutely everything to find an opening and worked tirelessly throughout. It really did seem like if anything was going to happen, then he’d be involved somewhere along the lines. So, imagine my lack of surprise when it was Max who was removed to finally get Grella on the pitch for his standard fifteen minute cameo appearence. Anyone watching the game knew the right move was to get Gradel alongside Grella and torment Orient into submission, but for whatever reason, Simon Grayson decided to stick by the largely ineffective Becchio for the full 90.

When you’ve had every chance, all the possession and somehow not scored, it’s inevitable you’ll live to regret it and on 83 minutes, Orient took the lead. To be completely honest, I wasn’t even surprised as I’ve seen this happen so many times before, but credit to Leeds. They kept going and fought for an equaliser which came in the dying moments when Bromby’s throw-in caused havoc in the box and an Orient player put the ball over his own line. Lucky would be an understatement, but a point is no less than Leeds deserved.

 So, what did we learn from Orient? The true value of Jermaine Beckford would be my answer. Whether it takes him three chances to score or not, he’d have had fifteen chances in this game and we’d be sitting back on top of League One. Failure to capture another capable striker in the January transfer window may still come back to haunt us. We’d have been better off with Dickov on the pitch, and the thought of him signing for Leeds disgusts me.

The ups

Domination: It was too easy for us to retain possession at times and dictate play, but with no one to turn it into goals, a fixture from which we should have easily taken three points turned in to one where we dropped two.

Attacking options: With a reshuffled midfield, Leeds had a ridiculous amount of attacking options that could cause any team in the division problems. The problem we had however, was that our “Inconsistent, takes him six chances to score” striker wasn’t in the box to convert any of them.

Max Gradel: Good response from Max after the antics of the JPT. Was involved with everything and seems eager to shine for Leeds United.

Keep fighting: The last second equaliser was a tribute to the never-say-die attitude these players have shown all season. Shame we were in the position to need one to start with mind.

The downs

Becchio: It’s not so much Becchio that the problem is with, it’s the lack of a goalscorer alongside him in the last two games. We’ve had the ideal opportunity to let Grella show us what he can do and missed it to accomodate more midfielders than we could ever possibly need. I’m in danger of becoming repetitive but what on earth does Grella have to do to get in the starting XI?

Beckford: Kinda links on from my previous point, but what on earth would we do if Beckford was to become injured for the next three-four months? If Grella isn’t given the chance to shine, then I suspect we’d be freefalling back into the play-offs for another year in League One. All hypothetical of course, but once again I’m worried by our failure to sign another striker in January.

Defence: The difference Kisnorbo makes is ridiculous. The defence had maybe two problems to deal with all afternoon and one of them found the back of the net as no one could challenge for the assisting cross.