Davenport at West Ham

Davenport deal still possible

Contrary to reports last night, there is still a possibility Calum Davenport could sign for the Whites.

After leaving Thorp Arch and heading back to London, several sources claimed Simon Grayson had passed on the opportunity to sign the defender. But the manager revealed today that Calum has personal issues to resolve before any decision is made on his future, and that the defender may yet sign for Leeds United.

Beuna suerte Tres!

Sky Sports has revealed that former Leeds United striker, Tresor Kandol, has finally found himself a new home after his contract at Elland Road was ended this summer. The 29-year old is believed to have agreed a one year deal with Spanish side, Albacete. We wish him well.

Paynter and Snoddy back in training

Injured duo, Billy Paynter and Robert Snodgrass are back in training following injuries that have kept the pair sidelined so far this season. Simon Grayson told the official site that the injured duo were coming along nicely, and that they are currently doing some running work and should be doing some football training ‘in the not so distant future’.

Still to come...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tresor Kandol leaves Elland Road

Tresor Kandol has left Leeds United today after having his contract cancelled by mutual consent. Kandol is now free to find another club.

The Congolese striker was signed by former Leeds boss Dennis Wise in 2006 and impressed during the 2007/2008 season, helping Leeds to climb to 5^th after starting the campaign on -15 points. He was unable to recapture this form though and was later loaned out to Charlton and Millwall. He has since struggled to find his way back into the first team, making just 13 appearances last season. Fans will remember the bizarre incident which saw Kandol sent off after just 20 second on the pitch against Norwich in his last outing for the club.

Although fans will be thankful for Kandol’s efforts during his time at Elland Road and would not deny him the opportunity to find first team football, the loss of a striker is sure to concern many who are still awaiting a replacement for Jermaine Beckford. With Mike Grella and Davide Somma seemingly not in Simon Grayson’s first team plans and Billy Paynter injured for the start of the campaign Leeds currently seem light on attacking options.

Young Scottish goalkeeper Alan Martin has also temporarily left Elland Road for Barrow on a loan deal that will see him with the Blue Square Premier side until January. Martin spent some of the 2008/2009 season at Barrow and Simon Grayson will hope an extended run of competitive football will help the Scotland U-21 ‘keeper to develop and fulfil his potential.

Elland Road bound?

Tresor Kandol today agreed a deal to join Scunthorpe United on the 1st of July when the summer transfer window opens.

Tres’ final game for Leeds United will be one he hopes to forget. After entering the field as a substitution in a crucial game against Norwich, Tres was sent off just 20 seconds later. That result ultimately paved the way for Norwich City to secure the League One title, whilst Leeds had to battle on to the final day. Kandol was never again included in the squad by Simon Grayson.

It’s hard not to link Tres’ move to Scunthorpe with Gary Hooper’s future. Scunny are already resigned to losing their star-striker, and Leeds United have been touted as potential suitors for the last couple of seasons. Scunthorpe are clearly covering their bases for Hooper’s eventual exit, but have Leeds United played their cards cleverly by engineering Tres’ transfer as a sweetener in a deal to bring Hooper the other way?

Leeds are still desperately lacking in fire power after Jermaine Beckford and Tresor Kandol’s exits. Billy Paynter has come in, but is unlikely to replace Jermaine’s 30 goals a season, nor will Luciano Becchio or Mike Grella. Gary Hooper then, would be the ideal replacement.

Unfortunately, until the 1st of July we can only speculate. Instead, let us enjoy the man, the myth, the legend that is TK20. Good luck Tres – Your dance moves will be missed!

After securing promotion to the Championship (albeit the hard way) Simon Grayson has wasted no time in clearing the deadwood and lining-up some new targets.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The wild scenes at Elland Road on Saturday, followed by some hardcore partying that ran well into Sunday morning are now behind us and the focus shifts to the possible transfer targets of this summer.

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.

Leeds United games don’t come much more crucial than this weekend’s visit of Bristol Rovers. Three points for the Whites and it’s goodbye League One and hello once more to the Championship.

As crucial last games of the season go, Leeds United couldn’t have asked for a much easier ride. Since relegation from the Premier League, Leeds have played Bristol Rovers five times, losing none. Of those five games, Leeds have won three and drawn two, netting 12 goals with just 4 in reply.

Our last meeting on the 27th of October last year resulted in the following 4-0 win, with two goals from soon to be ex-Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford. A similar result on Saturday and Leeds United are Championship-bound.

Final score: Bristol Rovers 0-4 Leeds United
27th October, 2009. Memorial Stadium, Bristol.

Leeds United goals: Beckford (9, 65), Vokes (55), Kandol (87)

Jermaine Beckford at Scunthorpe, Tresor Kandol at Millwall and now Davide Somma at Lincoln. It seems whenever we loan a striker out, they go on to change the course of the respective teams season, no moreso than Davide Somma who seems to be almost single-handedly saving Lincoln City from non-league football next season.

Two goals against Bournemouth at the weekend took Somma’s tally to seven in nine games and unsuprisingly left the Lincoln City fans raving about his ability. Back at Elland Road meanwhile, Leeds’ star striker has failed to find the back of the net in over a month with Leeds’ only goals coming from Gradel, Becchio and Richard Naylor.

Whilst Leeds’ form has taken a turn in the right direction, it does seem that whenever Beckford isn’t firing on all cylinders, we invariably suffer. It’s no surprise then that some Leeds United fans think Somma may be worth recalling and given a chance in the first team. On the evidence of his two goals below, it might not be a bad idea.

His second goal looks like something straight out of the Tony Yeboah school of shooting and could well net him the League Two goal of the season award, whilst his first shows the kind of clever finishing Leeds United sometimes lack, dummying the keeper before rolling the ball home with all the casualness of a striker bursting with confidence.

Post-Brentford shooting practice clearly paid off last night as Leeds thrashed Tranmere away by four goals to one. The game wasn’t quite as one-sided as the scoreline suggests and this was a more confident Ttanmere team than early in the season, spurred on by their recent victory over Southampton.

The major difference between the Tranmere and Brentford match wasn’t the quality of opposition. If anything, Tranmere probably caused more of a threat than Brentford did, who simply came to Elland Road and parked the bus. The change from Saturday was quite simply what Leeds did with all the chances they created.

On Saturday Leeds squandered a ridiculous amount of chances. Brentford got a goal totally against the run of play and Leeds were left chasing the game. At that point the scoreline read 0-1, but it could quite easily have been 4-1 if Leeds had been a little more clinical infront of goal and showed more urgency to get ahead.

It was clear early on that there would be no such problems tonight as Leeds set out to right the wrongs of Brentford and get their promotion campaign back on track. Robert Snodgrass opened the scoring after just nine minutes and Beckford doubled the lead just seven minutes later from the spot.

Leeds had the momentum and looked confident once more, but Tranmere had other ideas and pulled one back just three minutes later after Leeds failed to clear their lines. Less than 20 minutes gone and already 2-1.

When confidence is so slow and everything is going against you, conceeding a goal at that stage could have led to a ten men behind the ball approach from a lot of teams, but Leeds pressed on and restored their two goal advantage ten minutes before the break. Luciano Becchio the scorer with a diving header from Jermaine Beckford’s cross.

The final goal of the game came midway through the second half sealing the three points for Leeds United courtesy of Jermaine Beckford. The confidence levels had clearly and visibly risen by this point, so much so that Beckford finished off Tranmere with a cheeky well-taken lob.

The ups

“Thankyou for your fantastic support” - The fans, as always, were brilliant.

Shooting practice – I know I’m stating the obvious a bit here, but getting four goals in one game is some achievement when you look back and consider the amount of chances we’ve squandered over the last few weeks.

Beckford - Gets a lot of stick whenever things are going badly. Tends to be the one singled out for the criticism of every fan up and down the country, so perhaps he should take all the praise when we win? Two goals and an assist, not a bad shift in my book.

The substitutions – Still can’t see what Paul Dickov’s bringing to the party, but the introduction of Max Gradel and Tresor Kandol late on was much more positive than we’ve seen in recent weeks.

The downs

Their goal – All that really sticks in mind is their goal which came after several amateurish attempts to clear the ball from Leeds. A bit of panic in the box, the ball flew around wildly and eventually someone stabbed it across the line. Poor, but we can afford the odd mistake when we’re scoring fluently. On another week, that goal would have probably cost us points.

I imagine that, like me, the majority of readers are fans of Soccer AM and will therefore have seen the following clip but for those that haven’t, here’s Jermaine Beckford and Neil Kilkenny being interviewed not long back (but before Enoch’s transfer).

Not so shocking was that Beckford is considered the worst trainer, David Prutton is the joker (watch any interview with him, the mans a comedy genius) and Tres the best dancer; the MJ tribute act he did on crossbar challenge was hysterical.