Three players will be departing Elland Road this week. The release of the squad numbers yesterday presaged Gary McAllister’s thinking about certain personnel and their imminent exit from Leeds before the start of the 2008-09 season.
Unsurprisingly, they are all midfielders - an area at Leeds United that is enormously overstaffed at present.
First to leave is Curtis Weston. Initially he is going on a 28 day loan to League Two side Gillingham FC. As Weston, squad number 41, hasn’t started a league match since the opening day of the2007-08 season it is unlikely we will see him don a white shirt of Leeds again.
Second out of the door is young, 20 year-old, Irish midfielder Robert Bayly. He is joining Darlington for a trial next week. It is understood that Darlo are looking with a view to a permanent signing. Macca has made it clear he needs to get rid of two or three players before the season starts so he can make another signing and loan deals will not achieve his aim.
The final midfielder to leave Elland Road and reduce the budget will be Seb Sora. The Finnish winger has not played for the first team yet but, nevertheless, is on trial at Scottish Premier League new boys Hamilton Accies. They face their first game in the top-flight for 20 years next weekend. Sorsa has already played one game for the Accies on trial and is due to face Linlithgow Rose on Tuesday.
Ian Westlake has been the subject of an inquiry from a Lancashire team but as yet nothing formal is happening. The closer the season comes the less willing Leeds are to consider trials for players that should command a starting place in other teams based on their performances in a Leeds shirt. Leeds are expecting a move for Westlake around transfer deadline day.
Macca remains keen to bring in another two players to Elland Road. With the Bothroyd farce ended by Leeds Macca still has the option to go for Dougie Freedman but the recent signings of Becchio, Showunmi and Snodgrass mitigate against it. Freedman will not come to Elland Road to end his career on the bench, however much Leeds might wish it.
After so many signings Macca needs to look to his defence which is as sparse on cover as his midfield is overloaded with it! Macca appears to have been impressed by the trial of ex-Celt Paul Telfer.
Macca spoke about Telfer and said, “I’ve got a decision to make, and it’s one I’m keeping close to my chest at the moment.”
“He’s an incredibly fit guy and he made the most of his time with us. It’s something we’re weighing up.”
Paul is a known quantity to Macca having played under him at Coventry City and has the required versatility to provide cover for Frazer Richardson and the centre halves.
There has been little comment on the present lack of defensive depth at the club.
All transfer eyes have been on the signing of strikers this summer.
But it seems strange that we have four goalkeepers but only six defenders for four positions! Bradley Johnson can provide cover or sorts for Sheehan and so you could say we have seven defenders, including young Scott Gardner. However we still have six strikers in the squad for two starting places!
This imbalance in the squad needs to be addressed quickly and so we expect any further signings to be at the back.
To bring in Freedman and have the same number of defenders as strikers would be madness with the limited budget that McAllister is supposed to have been given following play-off failure in May.
As Telfer said, “Leeds have a budget which they need to stick to so a lot will probably depend on that, but I enjoyed my trial and I felt fit.”
