Leeds were undeservedly trailing 0-2 when David 'Hitman' Healy struck twice in the 2nd half to haul Leeds back into the game against Brighton at Elland Road. It seemed scripted for a Boys Own finish to Healy's dream week after he scored Northern Ireland's winner against England on Wednesday. Surely he would hit a hat-trick and win the game for the Whites and complete the perfect week?
Well no, the footballing Gods are capricious at best and instead of the scripted ending, Sean Gregan toe-poked a Knight cross past Bennett in the Leeds goal for a heart-breaking own-goal in the 83rd minute. Could Hitman Healy save the day? In the second minute of extra time he struck a shot on target, but it wasn't to be - the Brighton goalie saved it! But then up popped on-loan Jonathan Douglas to open his Elland Road account by smacking in the rebound! Joy unbounded for the Leeds fans at the draw despite United being heavy favourites for all three points before KO. There's certainly nothing wrong with the spirit in the Leeds camp at the moment and no doubt after another 2 goals today David Healy will be sinking a few spirits tonight!
This was originally entitled "What the papers say", but most of the online rags give no room to Leeds United now we're in The Championship. Equally as usual, The Guardian is true to its northern roots (Manchester) and provides a match report in its Sunday disguise as The Observer. Read the match report by Spencer Vignes. The Observer Man of the Match - Leon Knight! Shurely Shome Mishtake? You judge...
The latest Championship table sees Leeds United slip to 7th following their 3-3 draw with Brighton at Elland Road yesterday. Leeds have played one game less than most of the teams around them. This is due to the televised clash with Palace being cancelled because they had an Aussie international who had to fly around the world so that the Shitteroos could beat the Krakatoan U-13 Girls XI to qualify for the World Cup. Brings back happy memories of Frank 'Fuckhead' Farina, Hairy Cruel and Bernard 'That'll Be £2 million - No I'm Not A Football Agent" Mandic doesn't it? They make ya think the original transportees weren't that bad after all - and are a clear warning not to breed with the local wildlife when settling on a new continent.
Our next opponents are Sheffield Wednesday who, surprisingly, are languishing one place off the foot of the table. Last season that would guarantee Leeds three dropped points (away to Rotherham, Brighton etc.), however, with the Leeds attack firing on all cylinders (18 attempts at goal in the Brighton game on Saturday) we should certainly be looking to take all three points back to Elland Road on Tuesday. We also need the defence to get over Brighton's triple strike and recover the form that prevented a goal for 6 hours and 23 minutes prior to yesterday's game. If so there could be Howls from the Owls on Tuesday! Sorry... :-)
Former Leeds United striker Robbie Fowler has responded to rumours that he is planning to retire due to poor fitness and lack of games.
Fowler said, "To say that I haven't been motivated to play is absolute nonsense You want people to remember you as a good player and not one who is slipping down the ranks." If that were really the case Fowler should have retired not taken the move to Leeds let alone Manchester City.
Fowler continued, "I don't want people losing respect for me as a player. I want to go out in every game and perform to the highest level. I have no retirement plans. I've had a lot of injuries but I want to continue playing." And, of course, Leeds Utd will go on paying? The concept of earning respect that some professional footballers have these days really stuns those of us that live in the real world...
Strong rumours are circulating Elland Road that the movement of players hasn't finished yet despite the transfer deadline closing. Loan deals are still permitted and Leeds United are at the heart of two of them. The most surprising potential move is that of Matthew KilgallonOUT of Elland Road. Despite the defence of Paul Butler and Sean Gregan managing to keep out the opposition for over six hours of play before Saturday's draw with Brighton, the three goals that were shipped were put down to the experience of the "mature" pairing being unable to cope with the youthful attack that was prepared to run at them. Many observers felt that Kilgallon would have given Leeds that extra speed and agility had he been brought off the bench and so it comes as a shock to most Leeds fans to hear today that Nigel Worthington is seeking permission to bring him to Carrow Road. Nigel, no mean defender in his own days at Leeds is a good judge of defenders and so I think his inquiry alone should persuade Blackwell not to let him go!
However, the possible move to Norwich City seems to be confirmed by the other rumour about a loan into Leeds United of a central defender from Birmingham City. Martin Taylor is unsettled at St Andrews following a £1.25m move from Blackburn Rovers 18 months ago that has seen him play second fiddle to first choice pairing of Upson and Cunningham. During his time with the Blues he has made just 15 Premiership starts plus four sub appearances and two cup games.
All this speculation raises questions over the future of Rui Marques, who can play in all defensive positions but now seems to be third choice in all of them! Perhaps it is Marques who will be moved on if Taylor comes to Elland Road.
reenwich-born Jermaine Wright headed home to London today on a three-month loan. The out-of-favour, right-sided, Leeds United midfielder will join Millwall FC until December 2005.
Jermaine Wright now of Millwall
Jermaine was seen as a major signing by Kevin Blackwell at the start of the 2004-05 season; he came on a free transfer from Joe Royle's ipswich Town and was almost an ever-present in their successful team of the 2003-04 season. However, Wright's Leeds United form was poor throughout the 2005-06 season and the Leeds fans didn't really take to him because of it. Despite promising a fresh start in interviews during the close season he has only managed three games this season (including the opening day fixture against his new club). In each of the three games he was substituted by Fraser Richardson.
It now seems that Blackwell has lost patience and is hoping that fresh pastures will bring out the undoubted talent that Wright possesses.
Have Your Say on Jermaine Wright joining Championship rivals Millwall
Ricketts Scores On Blues Home Debut Michael Ricketts Scores for Scumbag Ridsdale
13th Sept, 2005 :: by Mal Content
M
ichael Ricketts took just eight minutes, on his home debut, to score for Scumbag Ridsdale's Cardiff City against Leicester City!
Dai Ricketts Boyo
A Ricketts League goal is something Leeds fans have waited a year to see... and are still waiting!! Clearly a diet of leeks and caerphily rather than Yorkshire Pudding is what the new-look slimline Michael needed! Michael got on the end of a cross, whipped in by on-loan Jason Koumas with a diving header - it was his first goal in forty-seven league games! Obviously God is looking after Ridsdale for his own purposes - unless it's another great biblical power looking after his own, which may explain Ridsdale's cloven hoofs (athlete's foot, my arse, Peter! You're fooling no one!) - can anyone else smell sulpher when passing Ninian Park? Hang on, where's that choral music coming from? Isn't that the theme from Omen? ... eeek!
Third Leeds Player in Four Days Scores For Another Team!
13th Sept 2005 :: by Jan-Eirik
First we had Sean Gregan scoring an own goal for Brighton on Saturday which nearly cost us the game. Next we learn that Michael Ricketts has ended a 47 League game drought at last - by scoring on his home debut at Ninian Park whilst on loan to Cardiff! (They are currently under the "leadership" of Peter Ridsdale). And the final irony - Jermaine Wright who joined Millwall on-loan for three months today has just scored another debut goal - this time the equaliser for the Lions against Hoddle's Wolves! Jermaine scored just 3 goals for us in 40 games! Smeg!!!
After shipping three goals against lowly Brighton last Saturday Kevin Blackwell has wielded the axe in a big way for tonight's match against Sheffield Wednesday. Biggest sufferer is young Dan Harding who isn't even in the squad. He is replaced by ex-Bhoy Stephen Crainey. Bennett, Richardson and Rob Hulse all drop to the bench. Hulse is replaced by ex-Owl Richard Cresswell as Blackwell chooses to recreate the Preston NE frontline of Healy and Cresswell. Surprisingly Einarsson keeps his place after a poor performance against Brighton, mind you Jermaine Wright is now playing (and scoring) for Millwall so maybe his options are limited!!
Here's the teams for tonight's match against the Owls.
New Leeds United midfielder Steve Stone is facing a further two more months on the sidelines with a further occurence of the Achilles injury. Steve has yet to play for Leeds Utd after moving to Elland Road in the close season on a free transfer from Premiership Pompey.
34 year-old Stone originally suffered the injury in July and was only expected to be out of contention for two months.
Leeds United manager Kevin Blackwell tried to put a brave face on the disappointment when he told leedsunited.com that Stone is 'getting the best physio care at the club' and 'that he was desperately unlucky to suffer the injury so early on but hopefully he will still play a big part for us this season.' Back just in time for the play-off final? Lets hope he doesn't become another Jonathan Woodgate and have to wait 515 games for his debut!
During his time at Elland Road, unflattering epithets illustrated that Jonathan Woodgate's Leeds United team mates didn't think he was the sharpest knife in the drawer. Nonetheless, we are told he has learnt to speak Spanish fluently during his time at Real Madrid, though he has had to find something to do during the 515 days between first team games!
Tonight, his new linguistic skills would have enabled Woodgate to understand the colourful comments from the Bernebau faithful as he hammered home a headed own-goal, from 20 yards out, in the 24th minute of his Real Madrid debut against Athletic Bilbao.
He rounded off the first half with a booking in the 44th minute for a tackle for which a less sympathetic referee would have issued a straight red card. Olé!!
Update: In order to make his debut possibly the worst in fooball history, Jonathan Woodgate was sent off 20 minutes into the second-half when he received a 2nd yellow card for a challenge that really amounted to obstruction by a player who hasn't played competitively for 17 months. He was caught out for pace and as the last defender he had to go. Jonathan will take some small satisfaction from the fact that the 10 men of Real Madrid beat Bilbao 3-1, to lift themselves out of the relegation zone of La Liga and all the way to fifth! Any faster rising up the league and the players would need treatment for nosebleeds!!
Richard Cresswell, Tuesday's hero against Rotherham United, with his brace of first-half goals, became an instant zero this afternoon when he missed a first-half penalty (he struck the bar) and with it the opportunity for Leeds United to equalise. Joe Royle's Ipswich Town went into the break 1-0 up after a 29th minute goal from Sam Parkin; his third of the season.
Former Leeds Utd Championship-Winning Captain, Gordon Strachan, now manager of Celtic, received an unexpected boost to his campaign for the Scottish Premier League title when arch rivals, Glasgow Rangers stumbled this luchtime, losing 0-1 away at Hearts. Hearts have been revitalised by ex-Ipswich Town and Derby County manager, George Burley this season and are now leading the SPL. Today's game against Rangers was said to be a test of their mettle, a challenge to their ambition to win the SPL, and Hearts have passed it with flying colors. The decline of Rangers, despite raising over £50m by a share issue in the summer, and void left by the departure of the Blessed Martin (O'Neill) from Celtic, has led to the most exciting SPL competition in 20 years, long may it continue.
Gordon Strachan, won't be celebrating the slip-up by Big 'Eck's Rangers just yet as Celtic have gone 0-1 down at home to Inverness Caley Thistle!! Poor old Strachers has had a miserable start to his career at Celtic, a humiliating 5-0 European defeat and failure to qualify for any European competition, defeat in his first Old Firm game, failure to keep hold of Craig Bellamy and now he faces defeat by Caley Thistle -- ask John Barnes what that does for your managerial career at Celtic. But at Leeds United, Strachan was always inspirational and so Thistle has better stay focussed.
Update: Gordon may miss the Order of the Boot, Celtic have gone ahead courtesy of the often underrated Craig Beattie in 57th and 67th minutes.
Here's a list of all football matches that can be seen (legally!) in the UK between now and January. For live Saturday afternoon football see your local publican with a dodgy live feed from Dubai TV!
Leeds United's unbeaten home record looks to be over as Sam Parkin doubled his, and Ipswich Town's goal tally in the 70th minute. Leeds United now need to repeat the come back they achieved against Brighton when they were 0-2 down but ended the game 3-3. Cresswell's first half penalty miss now seems even more expensive.
Dai Ricketts Boyo
