According to the local rumour mill, both Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers have offered Aidy White a contract for the end of this season.

I don’t usually comment on unsubstantiated rumours, but Aidan White is a local lad and I’ve been contacted by a few people claiming to know his family so there may actually be some truth to this one.

It’s also quite feasible that Premier League clubs would take a gamble on young Aidy. With his contract at Leeds due to expire, a relatively small fee is all they’d have to pay Leeds United (for developing him as a youngster).

That just leaves his wages and a signing on fee, which the likes of Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers won’t bat an eyelid at. It’s basically a no-lose gamble for the Premier League clubs and a great opportunity for White.

I suspect Aidan White’s decision will be based upon Leeds’ finish to the season. If we can’t perform a miraculous turnaround on current form, then I predict a mass exodus of players this summer.

The problem we currently have is there is very little hope. After finishing 7th in 2010-11, we need a play-off finish to convince players we’re heading in the right direction. Otherwise, we’re left in a situation where there’s no investment in the team and we’re stagnating in the Championship – they might as well play for Middlesbrough.

In other news, Charlie Taylor has been loaned out to Bradford City, Andy Keogh has returned to Wolves and Andros Townsend has joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur providing a rare moment of cheer in an otherwise gloomy existence. Put down those razorblades…

Did you also know that former Leeds United striker Tom Jennings was the first player to score hattricks in three consecutive games? He did so in 1926, and it’s a feat that has only been matched by Liverpool’s Jack Balmer (1947) and WBA’s Gilbert Allsop (1939).

You’ll find both of these facts in just two short paragraphs of Joe Mewis’ new book, Leeds United Miscellany. Alongside them, you’ll find another 160 pages packed full of Leeds United trivia and stats that will provide something of interest for even the most knowledgeable Leeds United fan.

Like Mewis’ previous book Leeds United On This Day the level of research here is quite frankly astonishing – this isn’t just the quick search of Google people like myself do when a post requires some statistical evidence, but a deep delve into the glorious 92 year history of Leeds United FC.

Whether you’re the kind of person who likes to outsmart friends with your extensive knowledge of all things Leeds United, or just an average fan that enjoys learning about our history, this book is sure to serve up plenty of new information for you to enjoy.

Consider it an encyclopaedia of sorts - the kind of tool you’d use to prepare for Leeds United as specialist subject on MasterMind. 

Leeds United Miscellany is out now and available from Amazon and all good book stores.

Simon Grayson has finally completed his second signing of the summer bringing 34-year-old Michael Brown to Elland Road on a one-year deal.

The experienced midfielder started his career at Manchester City, before spells at Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Wigan. Most recently, Brown was part of the Portsmouth side that came runners-up in the 2010 FA Cup.

Michael Brown has a reputation as a tough-tackling, midfield hard-man and is the type of player many Leeds United fans have been calling for following last seasons dismal defensive performances.

His age will no doubt raise eyebrows amongst some fans, but his experience will be invaluable to some of the younger players in the squad – most notably, his likely partner in central midfield, Jonny Howson.

Here’s a video of Brown’s tackling skill against one Ryan Giggs;

Leeds have allowed Adam Clayton and Ramon Nunez to go out on loan to gain some first team football.

Clayton, signed from Man City, has had limited opportunities and spent part of the season on loan at Peterborough. He now joins MK Dons in League One until the end of the season including play-offs. Simon Grayson sees 22 year old Clayton as a player for the future and is keen to allow him to develop out on loan. Leeds have included a 24 hour recall clause that can be used after the first 28 days of his loan.

Also out on loan is Ramon Nunez who has joined Scunthorpe United on an initial one month deal. Nunez is currently away with Honduras, despite having very limited playing time at Elland Road.  He will join up with Scunthorpe after the international break. After his recent good performances for the reserves many fans have been calling for him to be tried out by Grayson. This loan move will allow us to see if he’s able to cut it in the Championship.

With Jake Livermore arriving on loan from Spurs earlier today to provide competition for places, it seems slightly strange that we should ship out two players. It may be that neither Clayton or Nunez were near breaking into the first team and Grayson wanted someone who could compete for a place or that the manager has his eyes set on another loan signing, though some may doubt that.

As always, we’ll bring you updates on players out on loan in our regular Loan Watch feature.

Spurs youngster Jake Livermore has joined Leeds on loan until the end of the season.

The 21 year old Tottenham academy product has had previous Championship loan experience and featured for Ipswich Town against Leeds earlier in the season.

He is described as a powerful young midfielder by the Spurs website and arrives to add competition for places though it’s unclear as yet how much a role he will have to play. The likelihood is he has been brought in to add a more physical option to our midfield.

At 21 years old and with limited playing time due to injury, he isn’t the experienced campaigner many fans were hoping for. Simon Grayson though sees him as a hungry young player and a good addition so hopefully the signing will work out. His loan deal will cover him to play for Leeds until the end of May should we reach the play offs.

On a train journey back from London the other day there was a red topped newspaper at the side of me, left by a previous passenger. After draining the battery of my phone with a hour of Invasion, I picked it up and flicked through until an article about Manchester United being the most hated team in football caught my attention.

This was but one survey and conducted on a pretty small scale, so we shouldn’t be too concerned that we lost out to the Salford Yanks. It did however make me wonder whether or not Leeds United have become a little bit more likeable with our prolonged absence from The Premier League?

Talking to fans of the Premier League teams, I’m often told how much they miss the games with Leeds United. That whilst there are few teams they hated more than The Whites, Leeds are a club that always upset the natural order of things and create an atmosphere like few others.

In our absence, opposition fans seem to have developed an unmistakable respect for what Leeds United brought to the Premier League. It may not stretch to outright admiration, but once upon a time you’d have found few supporters of Chelsea and Manchester United publicly acknowledging Leeds are worthy of a place amongst the elite. You’d have even less chance of finding recognition from the national rags, who only a few years back  used the vilification of Leeds United to increase their sales almost on a weekly basis.

But seven years since our relegation, a resurgent Leeds have been mixing it up with the big boys and receiving national acclaim for our cup performances against some of the countries biggest teams. Performances against Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal not only served to remind the Premier League of it’s forgotten son, but also cast Leeds United in an uncomfortable warming glow.

It wasn’t just the team that received the praise, but the ‘dirty Leeds’ supporters did too. For a fanbase who are born to expect nothing but universal criticism and condemnation, and who not only revel in the hatred but actively encourage it, praise is something we care little for and have no idea how to accept. But there it was, and here we were uncomfortably smiling and maintaining order, confused and slightly scared, totally baffled by this seismic shift in attitudes.

Where does it all end I ask? At this rate, by the time we return the Premier League we’re in danger of becoming as neutral and boring as Arsenal. There’ll be promotion celebrations at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Alex Ferguson will end his boycott of the BBC, just so he can publicly welcome Leeds back to the Premier League.  It’s just not right.

For me, this quote from The Guardian in 2004 sums up perfectly how I expect Leeds United to be viewed;

Leeds United don’t care for popularity but they demand to be respected and feared.

Sure, it’s nice to be nice sometimes, but that’s just not Leeds United. Our place in the natural order of football is to be the rank outsiders that rise to the top every few years just to upset the balance and annoy the big boys. We’re the team that for no apparent reason, clubs like Norwich hate passionately just because everyone else does and that’s the accepted norm. Hating Leeds United is as much a part of British culture as a cup of tea and the full English breakfast.

And it’s this very hatred that makes Leeds United interesting. It defines and inspires us. It’s the ‘us against the world’ mentality that makes a trip to Elland Road something most teams relish, but also mark down as a potential banana skin, regardless of relative league positions and current form. You just never know with Leeds United – the fiery northern mentality is so deeply engrained into the psyche of every fan that collectively they’re capable of creating an atmosphere that changes score lines. An Elland Road in full voice can not only spur Leeds United on, but also terrify the opposition.

Once promoted back to the Premier League, I for one will be doing everything within my power to ensure Leeds are as hated as ever. That no neutral supporter dares use the words Leeds United without ‘Dirty’ placed before them. The natural balance needs to be redressed. The national rags need their pantomime villain, Manchester United fans need to remember what proper rivalry was and most importantly, Leeds United need the hatred to inspire the defiant performances we built our success upon.

Strikers

No one will be surprised to see that the biggest story today is Jermaine Beckford. The majority of Leeds United fans are already resigned to the probability of Beckford’s departure, but Simon Grayson offered some room for optimism by telling reporters that Beckford had received a new offer from Leeds United. Grayson went on to add that it wasn’t easy when the competition is from Premier League clubs (Everton, Newcastle) but he remained hopeful that the striker would stay.

I’m reluctant to say that I think he’ll leave because I said that in January (and at this time last year), but it seems unlikely that he’d turn down the chance to play for Everton to remain at Leeds. Whatever happens, Beckford should be remembered for the goal-scoring machine he was. For all the controversy, he always did what we paid him for and for three consecutive seasons, he’s been our only consistent source of goals. I wish him well.

With or without Beckford, we need some more fire-power upfront. Regular readers will remember my relentless insistence that we sign Gary Hooper back in January and he remains a likely target. The striker position is often the biggest page turner, so don’t be surprised to see us linked with everyone from Gary Hooper to Billy Sharp to Cristiano Ronaldo (not that he’d be welcome). Losing Beckford leaves us looking very weak in this area. Those that remain – Becchio, Kandol, Somma and Grella – are either unproven or fail to provide goals on a regular basis, so it’s essential that we bring one, if not two more experienced strikers into the team.

Midfield

The midfield is an area many fans have been concerned about all season. When it’s good, it can be the engine that powers us past teams in second gear, but for too long towards the end of the season it became inconsistent and offered little support to a shaky defence. That said, I don’t necessarily think we need whole scale changes. Jonny Howson remains inconsistent, but I often feel that’s because he’s left playing a position that doesn’t suit him. When sent on solely to attack like he was against Bristol, he showed us exactly what he’s capable of.

I’m not overly concerned about the midfield because I think the Championship is a different style of football that may suit some of our players more. It’s certainly not as scrappy and as rough as League One and we now have the added bonus of not being everyone else’s FA Cup final. It’s been repeated by everyone throughout the season, but what we do need is a Batty-esque type player. Someone who will mix it up and offer support to the centre-backs. Doyle’s tried to play this role, but not always successfully. Elsewhere, it’s just shedding the deadwood and adding quality depth (which applies across the entire team). I’d like to see Arsenal approached about the possibility of a season long loan for Sanchez Watt, who has shown real glimpses of class, but may not be ready for a top four Premier League side.

Defence

This seasons defence has been a story in it’s own right. From the best defence in the league to one that looks like it had never played together before, all in the space of nine months. It’s hard to say who will be able to cut it in the Championship, but my primary concern would be the full-backs. We’ve struggled in the absence of Ben Parker all season, and this should have been resolved in January.

I’ve been puzzled for a while as to why Rui Marques didn’t return to the team because him and Kisnorbo were the best central partnership we’ve had in 2009-10. Richard Naylor has been a great servant of the club, but his time must surely be up. There’s a few others too that need to be set free, so I suspect the defence will be where most of our changes are made.

Finally, there’s the goalkeepers Higgs and Ankergren. Both have served us well this season and it’ll be a shame to lose either of them, but it’s hard to see Simon Grayson not moving for a new number one. That said, both could probably play in the Championship so if the money is a little thin, we might be set for another season of watching Casper’s goal-kicks head straight into the stands.

So, long summer ahead…

I guess whatever happens this summer depends entirely on money. Anyone who thinks the majority of this team couldn’t make it in the CCC is kidding themselves – after all, this is the same team that knocked Manchester United our of the FA Cup, gave Liverpool and Tottenham a run for their money and destroyed League One for most of the season.

Whole-scale changes are unlikely and unnecessary. What we need to do is trim the deadwood and replace it with some quality and depth, but there’s a lot of players in this team more than capable of playing at the next level and it’s only fair they are given the opportunity to prove it.

There have been some ups of course. Every cloud does have a silver lining, but in Leeds United’s case, the cloud is a monstrously big black one and the silver lining is a fine, almost invisible shimmer around its edge.

It’s not only us fans that suffer the consequences of this seemingly never-ending sequence of disasters though. Our friends, family and loved ones can often fall victim to the aftermath too. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that my mood on a Sunday morning can often be dictated by the result the day before. Although it makes no sense to anyone other than those that live, breathe and love Leeds United, the 460 mile round trip to watch Leeds United fall to pieces in Gillingham is something I wouldn’t have missed for the world – no matter how annoyed I was afterwards.

My head tells me it’s just a game and that I’m insane for spending such an enormous amount of my income following this team through thick, thin and thinner, but somewhere inside me there’s an irrational love for this club that keeps me coming back time and time again, like a beaten wife to her abusive lover.

This season has once again taken Leeds United fans on a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions. Leading the way early on and opening up a good lead at the top, Leeds United were unbeatable until the nasty thugs at Millwall drew the first blood. Leeds bounced back though with successive 4-0 wins that sent a statement of intent to the rest of League One.

As the season progressed, Leeds United were reminded of better days when the Premier League giants Liverpool visited Elland Road. Not even the most optimistic breed of Leeds United fan was predicting a win, but Leeds held their own and despite ultimately losing the match, there was a sense of pride amongst Leeds United fans few have felt for years. Liverpool may have won the match, but Leeds had shown millions they were on the rise again with a fearless display that almost paid off.

The seasons climax came in January though. Leeds were flying in the League and it seemed as though no one could stand in the way of our title challenge. The draw we’d all hoped for came next. FA Cup Round 3 – Manchester United v Leeds United.

"That" Jermaine Beckford goal

Expecting a slightly more defensive Leeds United was probably Man U’s downfall. Leeds came, they saw and they conquered. It was no fluke either. Leeds attacked from the off, and for the thousands of us that were lucky enough to have tickets to Old Trafford that day, we witnessed the proudest moment in our clubs recent history as Jermaine Beckford’s solitary goal knocked Man United out of the FA Cup. “We’re not famous anymore!”

Leeds dropped out of the FA Cup in the next round after taking Tottenham Hotspur to a replay, but these were proud days for the resurgent Whites. We’d held our own against Premier League competition, knocking out the English champions on their own soil in the process. As Leeds United ups go, this was the climax of a season. .

This being Leeds United however, when everything is going so magnificently well, something has to go wrong. Whether it was the Jermaine Beckford January transfer saga, a fitness problem caused by lack of rotation, our poor showing in the transfer market or an adverse impact of too many loanees unsettling the squad, the Leeds United rollercoaster was starting to derail.

The form dipped, and game by game, Leeds’ hold at the top loosened. By the end of January, Norwich had overtaken Leeds at the top and things didn’t improve. Despite a substantial lead on the play-off places, Leeds simply couldn’t turn things round quick enough and at the beginning of April, Leeds United dropped into third and the dreaded play-offs started to look like a reality.

Luckily for Leeds, through a combination of improved form and the rest of the league failing to capitalise on our errors we regained second place. A dismal points haul against the top six, disastrous results against the likes of Gillingham, Walsall and Exeter and the ongoing love/hate relationship between the fans and Jermaine Beckford could all be used as reasons to why we failed, but the truth of the matter is, this is Leeds United – We always do things the hard way!

What it all comes down to is one game. 90 minutes of football at a sold-out Elland Road against a Bristol Rovers side with absolutely nothing left to play for. Win, and we’re promoted. Lose, and the gates are opened for the rest to jump in. Whatever the fans think about the current playing squad, the manager’s tactics and selections or Jermaine Beckford’s selfishness is irrelevant. These people have put Leeds United in a position to escape third tier football. They’ve done it the hard way, but this is Leeds United and deep down inside, however frustrating they may be, it’s the ‘ups and downs’ that keep us coming back.

Keep fighting Leeds – We’re almost there!

Don’t forget to cast your vote in the TSS Player of the season poll by clicking here. Voting closes on Sunday at midday.

Managers will inevitably make mistakes and Simon Grayson’s run as the untouchable saviour of Leeds United has undoubtedly come to an end after he chose to pick the same team that battled hard at White Hart Lane for a fixture in the league just a couple of days later. Call me fickle, but when things are going well and he makes the right decisions, I’m the first to praise him. Equally, when things are going wrong and he insists on putting so much focus on cup games nobody cares all that much about, he’s going to open himself up to scrutiny and his decisions lately should be the first thing everyone points the finger at.

Last night, the team once again looked jaded and disorganised. Swindon Town, although more than deserving of the result simply aren’t as good as it makes them look. On a better day, I have no doubts that Leeds would have returned home with three points, but we lacked fight and determination throughout. Swindon simply wanted it more and whilst they gave 110% to earn the victory, Leeds gave about 40%.

For a club who allegedly has the most depth in this league, we seem to be having a hard time showing it when it matters. Teams that can afford the kind of cup runs we’re currently on have 23 players they can rotate throughout the weeks to keep the performances up, but Grayson has stuck with the same eleven far too often lately. It beggars belief that David Prutton was sent out on loan to one of our promotion rivals (where he scored) when this team is clearly in desperate need of freshening up with rotation.

I said after our last league game that the FA Cup run had come at too much of a price to our league form and I’m disappointed to be proved right once more. We have a lot of players who could do a decent job in JPT and FA Cup games, like Grella, Tres, White and Robinson, but they’re largely ignored whilst the same names appear on the team sheet time and time again. We’re at that time of the season now where Saturday and Tuesday fixtures will occur almost every week (something that isn’t helped by the amount of rearranged matches for the cups) and we have to start utilising this apparent depth or we’ll be sliding down the table faster than the interest accumulates on Manchester United’s debts.

Whilst I’m putting the brunt of the blame on Simon Grayson shoulders, the players shouldn’t escape scrutiny either. There was some seriously suspect performances last night and no matter how tired they maybe, I expect every player on the park to give 110% week in, week out for the amount of money they earn. They’re professional athletes at the end of the day. If they can’t handle three hours of football a week, there’s something fundamentally wrong with our training regime.

Coming up to the end of January now and Leeds United still haven’t won a game in the league this year. Colchester up next and a must win game now, or things are really going to start getting hairy at the top. Luckily, Charlton lost the other day to offer us some respite, but Norwich continue to perform well and for some reason, their six-fingered fans seem to have a bit of a hard-on for us and have spent the last 12 hours filling their forums and ours with endless dribble about us blowing the lead and them being superior. At this moment in time, it’s hard to argue against them, so let’s hope Simon Grayson can offer us something to fight back with when Saturday comes.

Leeds United did go in for Lee Barnard, but were beaten to his signature by Southampton.  Apparently, the reason he chose Southampton over Elland Road is because he didn’t want to move north, which would make sense. Clearly, this was never about climbing the ladder for Lee, or he’d have definitely chose Leeds. No disrespect at all meant to Southampton, who I fully expect to make the play-offs, but promotion is still a dot on the horizon for them. The play-offs are a bit of a lottery that everyone wants to avoid (especially us).

£10m bids for Beckford?

This mornings papers are claiming that Leeds may now receive offers in the region of £10,000,000 for Jermaine Beckford! I was willing to help him pack and drive him where ever when people were quoting £3m, but for £10m I’ll carry him to the next club on my shoulders. Whilst I don’t doubt the FA Cup games have turned a few heads, football will have gone to a whole new level of crazy if we get £10m for Jermaine.

Maximum impact

Max Gradel should become our first permanent signing of the January transfer window today as he undertakes the necessary medical at Elland Road. The Ivorian youngster impressed Leeds United fans immediately after arriving on loan three months ago and there’s been calls for Grayson to ‘sign him up’ ever since.

Max has clearly enjoyed his time at Leeds United and spurred on by the overwhelming love he’s received from the clubs supporters, he almost immediately handed in a transfer request on his return to Leicester.

Return of Rose?

According to The People, Leeds are preparing to make a move for former academy starlet Danny Rose, who currently plays for FA Cup opponents, Tottenham Hotspur.

Rose met his former club in Saturday’s clash and gave a pretty impressive performance throughout. However, the appearence was a rare treat for the youngster who has spent most of his time so far out on loan. It’s believed Bolton (who are coincidentally our opponents in round 5, should we beat Tottenham) are also hoping to get Danny in on loan. Rose is believed to prefer a move to another Premier League club so the chances of him returning to Leeds are slim.

Snoddy here to stay

They say always end on a high and today, that particular high is provided by Robert Snodgrass who hit all the right notes after our draw with Tottenham telling The Times that he didn’t want to leave Leeds United;

“If they don’t want to sell me, I don’t want to leave, there’s no point. This team will be there at some point in the next two years.

“Everything is set up to go right back to the top.

“There’s no point being here if you think it stops when we get to the Championship.”

Reading between the lines, that statement could be taken as a bit of a dig at Jermaine Beckford, but in another interview Snoddy defended our “lazy” wantaway striker;

“Becks is just a clinical finisher and he’s rapid. Sometimes people say he doesn’t work too hard but you have to pick and choose.

“What do you want? Do you want the goals or do you want a striker who works hard? I think I prefer the goals, to be fair.”

Goals vs work rate? Where have I heard that argument before…