3 May 2008 - Home
2 v 1 Gill'ham
Johnson, Kandol
Att: 38,256
Coca-Cola League One
October 2005 Leeds United Archive
UNITED IN PLAY-OFF PLACE
2nd Oct, 2005 :: by Chris
Yesterday's goaless draw at Watford means that Leeds United stay in the all-important sixth and last play-off place. Ken Bates won't be happy, it means that the squad qualify for win bonuses from now on!
Elsewhere the Blades remain top of the pile despite losing to second placed Reading - expect to see Warnock on an FA charge anytime soon after he gave the referee the usual hairdryer treatment - the man is never happy! But the defeat ended a fantastic unbeaten run by Sheff Utd which is good news for us as we play them in three weeks (to be shown live on SKY). Crewe, second placed after the first game of the season are now back in more familiar surroundings, in fact, they are bottom; Sheffield Wednesday having vacated that position with a 3-2 away win. Luton and Mike Newell continue their remarkable start to the season with third place; meanwhile Norwich and Palace fans must be wondering where it all went wrong as they wriggle about in the mid-table mire. Other pre-season favourites are looking good, Wolves are in fourth position, effectively leading the pack chasing the top three; Southampton and Ipswich are immediately below Leeds United. Michael Ricketts scored again yesterday for Cardiff City who move up to 11th position; that's three goals in five games during his loan period and a couple of the Leeds strikers will be beginning to worry about his return to Elland Road if he carries on like that!
This is getting ridiculous. Michael Ricketts, 25 league games without a goal for Leeds United, struck again on Saturday for his temporary employers, 'Bastard' Ridsdale's Cardiff City. That's his third goal in six games or a strike rate of 50%! Fans of Ridsdale will be pleased to note that Fatboy's Blues lost the game 1-2 to Mike Newell's high-flying Luton Town. Rumours are that Blackwell is considering offering Fatboy a current Leeds striker in order to pull back in-form Ricketts to Elland Road.
Do you think that we should bring Ricketts back? Have Your Say on this story on our forum.
Last night a strong Leeds United reserve side was savaged by a lively Wolves team, at Elland Road. One high point was that Robbie Blake had his shooting boots on and scored our only goal. With the hiatus in fixtures caused by the international games Blackwell wanted Blake to maintain his match fitness; especially with the frustrating news about Richard Cresswell's long-term injury.
Despite the long term injury to Richard Cresswell which means that Blackwell needs every striker in his squad (Ricketts excepted), journos insist on trying to sell off David Healy to a Premiership club. The latest today is that Alain Perrin (or is that Regy?), the under pressure manager at Portsmouth, sees the Northern Irish strker as the solution to his scoring problems.
Why is it that no one sees Rob Hulse as the solution, he's the better striker. It has to be said that Ken Bates might by tempted by a £2m bid for the player. The catastrophic decline in attendances at Elland Road mean that no reasonable offer can be refused, unless Leeds Utd fans get off their backsides and out of the pubs and actually pay to see their team play again...
Richard Cresswell will be out until after Christmas after a scan has confirmed serious knee ligament damage. Richard went off injured after 25 minutes of Leeds United's 3-1 win against Derby.
Manager Kevin Blackwell believes Cresswell's setback justifies his summer speding spree on strikers.
"You're going to need four or five who can come in and score goals. We had to go out and get the players. Now we have lost Richard Cresswell I don't want to be sitting here being smug and saying I told you so, but I am sitting here being smug saying I told you so".
Inexplicably Kevin Blackwell is reported to be making a move for Aston Villa's central defender, Gary Cahill. Why? Moreover, it's a proposed loan move. Why?
Firstly, apart from a solid pairing of, admittedly old stagers, Sean Gregan and Paul Butler, Blackwell has Matthew Kilgallon and Simon Walton in reserve. Wasn't Rui Marques meant to be a versatile defender too? Simon Walton hasn't played this season, after appearing 25 times last season. Apparently Liverpool are sniffing around Elland Road and it isn't our hubcaps they're after - they're loitering with intent, set to steal yet another young player for peanuts. Good enough for Anfield but not Elland Road? That's a phrase you'll rarely see in print. Luckily for us unlike the treacherous Carson and Kewell, Walton doesn't wet his pants at the thought of playing for the Scouse-scum - he's Leeds United through and through. But what message would it send to Walton and Kilgallon if Cahill comes to Elland Road?
Why would Blackwell want a second-stringer at Villa when he's being linked with a move for Brede Hangeland of Viking FC? Leeds United are not here to provide out-of-favour Villa players with a few competitive run-outs. A loan move for a Villa player is nonsense. Blackwell's not short of cover for the central defenders and what is the point of getting promoted with loan players who are going to be playing against you, not for you, in the Premiership next season? Hopefully, this Cahill story is nonsense, because if it is true then it would be Blackwell who is making no sense!
David Healy failed to repeat his scoring success against England in today's World Cup qualifier against Wales at Windsor Park. Northern Ireland lost an exciting, high-tempo match 2-3, a game which featured some lovely goals and was exciting right until the 93rd minute when David Healy had his best chance of the game - a shot from around the penalty spot in a crowded area which was then blocked. John Hartson of Celtic and Wales missed a penalty to make it 3-0 to Wales in the first half. Within 5 minutes of the start of the second half Lawrie Sanchez's side had scored twice and levelled! Ryan Giggs, who seems to have remembered he is eligible to play for Wales recently scored with a free kick which the goal keeper messed up to win the game. Although neither side can qualify for the World Cup, the result does affect their world ranking and, therefore, the standard of opposition they face in the draw for the next World Cup.
Scotland's impressive international revival under ex-Glasgow Rangers manager, Walter Smith ended this afternoon, together with their hopes of reaching the 2006 World Cup after they lost at home to Belarus 0-1. Belarus is famous for two things - firstly; being the last remaining unreconstructed Soviet-Communist country in Europe and secondly; only having won away from home once before in their entire history! Ouch!
David Beckham's return to the Theatre of Queens for England against Austria ended disastrously in the 59th minute with two yellow cards issued within a minute of each other, both for offences against Andreas Ibertsberger. The second yellow card was caused by a blatant dive by the Austrian and so the red card should be rescinded but the first yellow card, for a raised arm, is still enough to ban him from the Poland game on Wednesday. David Beckham becomes the first England captain to be dismissed. That is Beckham's second red card for England, he is now the only man to ever receive two in an England shirt - there have only been ten sendings-off for England in the history of the game!
It is possible that the red card if not rescinded will ban Real Madrid's Beckham from the opening game of the World Cup proper in Germany! FIFA have yet to decide if cards from the qualifying games will be carried over to Germany. England lead 1-0 thanks to a penalty by Chelsea's Frank Lampard but obviously only have ten men. Sol Campbell has limped off to be replaced by Rio Ferdiand, who apparently wasn't good enough for an opening slot against Austria! Good to see his career is hitting an all-time high since he left Leeds United.
Fans of Portsmouth and West Ham will be disappointed to learn that Leeds United have decided to keep former Manchester Unted trainee and current Northern ireland international, David Healy, at Elland Road. Despite rumours that a £2 million bid would secure his services in January, Kevin Blackwell has been quoted in that well-known organ, The Star on Sunday as saying,
"David is a massive part of the future of this club and he is not for sale."
Everyone knows that if you work for Ken Bates you don't make pronouncements about club assets without clearing it with him first. So we can be certain that the top-scoring Northern Irish international is staying with Leeds United despite the opportunity of a quick £1.4 million profit. It also suggests that the finances at Leeds United are far more stable than many tabloids and the gutter press would have Leeds United fans believe.
Ex-Leeds United players suffered mixed fortunes this week. After his nightmare debut (own goal, sent off)Jonathan Woodgate's Real Madrid nightmare continues. After 515 days off with injury he has succumbed again, though this time, thankfully, it is his ankle rather than his troublesome thigh that is the cause of the trouble. Even more galling though is the fact that is the injury occurred in a friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
George Graham's third Dutch signing (after Molenaar and Hasslebaink), Clyde Wijnhard, has been kicked out of Darlington, where he was last season's top scorer. Darlington boss David Hodgson said:
"Clyde will not be playing for the club any more, his future lies elsewhere. The decision has been made following discussions with Clyde and the PFA. It is in the best interests of Clyde and the football club that we part. It is disappointing that it's reached such a conclusion, but now Clyde has the chance to try his luck elsewhere."
Elland Road was the scene on Friday for the U-21 international against Austria which the young lions duly lost 1-2 to the Young Kraut Wannabes. Three ex-Whites were on display and thankfully the Leeds fans amongst them did OK although the Scouse fan dropped another bollock. Aaron Lennon's Man of the Match display brought out the gushing side of Peter Taylor's character. He said of Aaron (now with Spurs)
"This is the first time I
have ever worked with Aaron and he is a very good player who wants to
keep on improving."
He continued in like vein:
He was outstanding. He got the man of the match award and deserved it. The boy is a real talent. He is very clever and quick and when we got the ball to him in the first-half we looked like we were going to win."
Fellow Leeds Utd fan, James Milner (on loan to O'Leary's Villa from Newscum Barcodes) turned provider for Carlton Cole to give England the lead though he later fluffed his own chance to score, though overall he had a good game. It's hard to believe that Milner is still young enough to play for the U-21 side. Scott Carson who jumped ship to be with his boyhood heroes Liverpool, à la Hairy Cruel, is turning out to be a real Liverpool keeper, though sadly not of the Ray Clemence type. He appears to have caught the devastating Scouse Keeper Virus that affects all who enter Anfield and turns international keepers into unreliable, shite (David James, Chris Kirkland, Sander Westerveld, Jerzy Dudek - the list goes on, only matched by in number by the keepers who caught the Manchester United Ridiculous Goalkeeper Syndrome). Anyway, not for the first time in an England shirt, "Careless Hands" Carson dropped a long shot and Marc Janko nipped in to score the winner. Early in the second half poor defence had already allowed Austria to equalise.
Perennial narcissist, Lee Bowyer, now of Newcastle Barcodes, was in court again last week, presumably he has a season ticket? This time it wasn't to do with violence but rather his ability to drive within the rules. Yes, Lee, they have rules for that too! Allegedly, Rat-Boy was caught doing 112mph in a 70mph zone and the numpty topped it off by overtaking a panda car during the offence. Interestingly, he has entered a plea of not guilty this time around, I guess his speedometer is more accurate than that of the police. This is the second hearing of the charge. He claims he didn't get the summons for the original hearing where he was found guilty in his absence - maybe his postman is too scared to deliver to Bowyer's lair?
Brian Deane, who left Leeds Utd for Sunderland last season to end his second spell with United, is currently failing to impress Down Under. Deane is now playing for Perth Glory but current manager, Steve Mahon, says,
"I'd be lying if I said I was pleased with him. If he came out and said he was happy with his performance, then I'd be a bit baffled. I've spoken to Brian briefly, he's disappointed with the situation and with his form."
Don't worry Brian, the Socceroos think Harry Kewell is the Kangaroos bollocks, so what do they know about football?
Back home but further down the leagues several ex-Whites made their mark this weekend. First was undoubtedly Andy Keogh on Friday night, playing for Scunthorpe against fancied Tranmere. He needed only 22 seconds to give The Irons the lead away from home. The went on to win the game 2-0. It was Andy's 6th goal this season. Fortunes were a little more mixed in the Boston v Notts County game, where Julian Joachim tried to emulate Keogh and took just 25 seconds to score an impressive, individualistic goal for Boston. However, it was a game that Noel Whelan will want to forget after picking up two yellow cards, also for Boston who ended up with nine players and three points..
Rob Hulse pulled up in training yesterday with fresh ankle ligament trouble. Blackwell said to the YEP,
"Rob's suffered a recurrence of the problem he had this summer. It's obviously a problem with Cresswell out, and I'll have to look at my options."
This leaves Blackwell with just three fit strikers at the club and seems further justification of his starting the season with six strikers at Elland Road. But with with the loss of the top scorer and with only Healy, Blake and bit-part player Ian Moore fully fit, the question once again becomes, does Blackwell recall Michael Ricketts from Cardiff City where it seems he has discovered his shooting boots with three goals in five games. If David Healy is injured playing for Northern ireland in tomorrow night's meaningless World Cup tie then Blackwell will have a real crisis on his hands and no option but to recall the 'slim-again' striker.
