MAMF4

CC1) For this first round of the Will Carling cup KB rung the changes choosing to rest many first team regulars.

Neil Sullivan was back between the sticks and in front of him Rui Marques made his debut at right back with Stephen Crainey making his return at left back, Sean Gregan was captain as Paul Butler was rested so Mathew Kilgallon partnered him in the left centre half position.

Leeds played a 4-4-2 formation with Danny Pugh on the left,Einarsson and Douglas in the middle with Frazer on the right hand side. Upfront Ricketts partnered David Healy.

The first shot at any goal came on 15 minutes when an Oldham free-kick 30 yards out just went over the bar. Our first reply came a minute later when Healy lurking on the edge of the box hit a ferocious shot that was well saved.

It was a decent first half with both teams passing the ball about well however Oldham's approach play came to nothing as our centre half's inspired by Sean Gregan had a brilliant if easy game.

Leeds went ahead on 20 mins when a free kick out of defence by Oldham was headed back into their half by Gregan the ball at pace looped over the midfield and went to Ricketts who challenged by a Latic defender who headed the ball towards the edge of the 6-yard box was picked up by Ricketts who hit a superb half volley into the bottem corner of the net. Ricketts took his goal really well and you would have thought that this extra confidence would spur him on, unfortunately it did not, he was stuck in the old routine.

Four minutes later we went 2-0 up with Frazer drilling the ball home from the edge of the area. It was game set and match at this point. Gregan and Killa had the Oldham forwards in their pockets.

The second half was not as entertaining as the first as it was really job done for Leeds. Einarsson who had a decent first half puting himself about a lot was quit and less effective. In fact it was due to the midfields inability to support the front men that we were unable to capitalise on our lead. Healy had two chances in the second half one a golden opportunity from 8 yards out but a defender managed to get a leg on it and block the shot for a corner, when really he should have burried it.

Frazer played well on the right but was rarely supported by Rui Marques who never went on the overlap and looks lost at right-back, if he is the same at centre half then this guy should go home now for he was ok at defending but offered very little in support in an attacking situation.

Stephen Crainey had a good solid game at left back and looks a better player than Dan Harding.

KB made only one substitution bringing on Blake for Healy on 81 mins, Blake passed the ball inteligently but by then the game had already been one.

All in all another clean sheet and a satisfactory nights work in front of 14,970 diehard fans.

Marks out of ten

Sullivan................7 very little to do
Marques.................5 No support forward
Gregan..................8 Solid/dependable
Killa...................8 Dependable
Crainey.................7 Worked hard
Pugh....................6 did ok
Einarsson...............7 better first half tired in 2nd
Douglas.................6 Reasonable never tired worked hard
Richardson..............7 great goal worked his nuts off
Healy...................7 Should have scored, fed peanuts
Ricketts................6 good goal, nothing else to show for work put in.

10th September 05 Leeds 3 Brighton 3

Leeds started with Bennet in goal with Kelly,Gregan,Butler,Harding at the back. In the midfield it was Lewis,Gylffi,Frazer,Derry with Hulse and Healy up front.

The Brighton fans were in good voice but were singing the same old boring songs, "Your not famous anymore" sh*te and booed Dan Harding whenever he had possession and "Wa**er" aimed at him too.

Leeds started off like a steam train and we went close three times within the first seven minutes.
Lewis went close on five minutes when he sent a direct free kick just over the bar from 25 yards. Hulse and Healy should have scored but did not.

Brighton took the lead on 28 mins when they broke down the right and Leon Knight poked the ball home, we were stunned as it was all Leeds up to that point.

6 minutes after the break Brighton went 2 up the ball was played out to the West stand side and Dan Harding was way out of position Leon Knight put in a cross and Carole scored. We were all in shock, we could not believe that shitty Brighton were winning 2-0. Dan Harding was way out of position and playing poorly.

The game changed on 57 minutes when KB made a double substitution when he brought on Douglas and Cresswell, for Frazer and Hulse who did not have his bestest game in a white shirt.

Healy clawed two goals back on 65 and 70 minutes and you believed that we were on the up and a Derby County 1997 style comeback was on the cards.

Then again Harding was way out of position for the upteenth time and the ball was crossed in from the right and Gregan deflected the ball passed a helpless Bennett.

I sensed that it was going to one of those games where you knew that we were not going to win.

Leeds deserved a point for all their hard work and fair play they did not roll over like they did last season, they played with heart and passion.

was really pi**ed off with Harding who was having a mare, Leeds got there just deserts when Douglas got his first goal scoring at the Death.

MAMF of the match was a toss up between Derry and Healy, but with two goals the Irishman wins the prize.

24th September 05 Leeds 0 Ipswich 2

It was a perfect day for football at Elland Road today, warm and sunny and a great playing surface to suit however such conditions don’t guarentee a home victory.

A crowd of 21,676 saw Leeds go close on 2 minutes when Eddie Lewis swung over a cross from the wing which found Rob Hulse but from our position in the south west corner looked like Hulsey had just put the ball wide, however Leeds were awarded a corner which came to nothing as usual.

Leeds had most of the possession in the first half with Ipswich hardly having a sniff. Hulse and Douglas did well winning the ball just outside the Ipswich penalty area swinging the ball over and found Lewis whose resulting shot cannoned off the Town Bar.

Kelly found himself in acres of space however his many crosses were often too high and poor. Without the suspended Healy Leeds on too many occasions opted to play the high ball to Cresswell and Hulse.

In the first half Leeds were the better team but the Ipswich Town defence was well marshalled at the back by De Vos, who easily soaked up any Leeds pressure.

Derry was having a fine game in midfield pinging about some lovely cross field balls, unfortunately most of them found Kelly but for all Derry’s intelligence, Kelly’s final ball lacked conviction. Even Kelly’s free kicks were poor, wasteful, and came to nothing. Why Blackwell persists with him I will never know….maybe because he is on £20k per week KB probably feels that he has to play him because of his high wages?.

29 minutes Ipswich had their first meaningful attack…..and scored. A high ball into the box from Dean Bowditch found former Swindon striker Sam Parkin who scored with a free header. Even at this stage I felt that we could win this game…if only we played as a unit.

On 43 minutes Sean Derry went on a mazy run into the box and he was felled in the area by Jim Magilton. It was one of those runs that you just knew was going to result in a penalty. Referee Mark Halsey had no choice and pointed to the spot. Up popped Richard Cresswell, who in his run up never looked up blasted the ball against the bar to miss a vital equalising goal.

The second half was far worse than the iffy first. Gylffi Einarsson was again shite and thankfully he was replaced on (59) by Frazer. In an attempt to gain parity Kelly went off to be replaced by Robbie Blake but a slightly suspicious offside looking Sam Parkin scored his and Ipswich’s second a minute later slotting the ball to Sulli's left.

Leeds huffed and puffed but looked disjointed a lot of the time, Ipswich played neat football where as Leeds had plenty of the ball, they did not do much with it. It was poor however some might say on another day we could have won 4-1, but it was not to be.

On this evidence Leeds are an above average mid-table team, but one feels that give us a bit of time and we are going to hit this league like a steam train!, well I hope so. Keep playing Kelly at right back and Einarsson in midfield and we will offer nothing. It is all good and well spending millions on a potent strikeforce but if the supply line is ineffective then we will be perennial strugglers.

Hulse had an off day, Cresswell looked a better striker and Leeds missed David Healy so hopefully we will be able to bounce back on Wednesday night and give Derby county a tanking.

MAMF of the match….a player who without doubt was today head and shoulders above anyone on the pitch, a player that must be heading the vote count for player of the season at this early stage.

He ran his bo**ocks off today, stand up and take a bow.

Sean Derry.

28th September 05 Leeds 3 Derby 1

In ancient Egypt "Seth" was the god of chaos, thankfully tonight on his first return to Elland Road former white Seth Johnson did not cause any. He played in the centre of the midfield, playing a neat and tidy game but nothing to catch the eye.

Leeds started with Frazer on the right replacing Gylfi Einarsson who dropped to the bench.

Leeds could have had a penalty in only the second minute when Micheal Johnson tangled with Richard Cresswell in the box only for referee Salisbury to wave away the Leeds protests. Leeds started the brightest and looked hungrier after the unlucky defeat to Ipswich on Saturday.

The first part for Seth to play came early on when he brought down Cresswell near the centre circle.

Jonathen Douglas had the first shot on goal 18 minutes but his 18 yard effort was straight down the throat of "Farnley white" look alike Lee Camp. A few minutes later Shaun Derry who again was having a great game in midfield shot wide after some great wide play from Frazer.

It was all Leeds in the first 20 minutes but again like the Ipswich match all the shots were just wide or straight at Camp. Lewis also went close this time from some good play from Kelly, but this was just the calm before the storm.

Paul Butler went in the book on 22 minutes after he went through Stern John with a typical centre half type challenge from behind.

Three minutes later Leeds made a substitution which changed the game. Richard Cresswell went off injured to be replaced by the lively Robbie Blake. Again Leeds missed another chance when captain Butler headed an Eddie Lewis corner just over the bar.

It was a sense of deja vu from Saturday, Leeds bossed the game and Derby hardly had a look in. It would have been cruel if the Rams had gone in at half time in the lead. Leeds had a tad of luck for the first goal of Rob Hulse's hat-trick. A floating ball into the box was headed out by a Derby defender but the ball fell kindly to Robbie Blake who slipped as he hit his shot goalwards from around 16 yards out, Camp had his shot covered but Hulse stuck out his right leg to guide the ball in the opposite direction to where Camp was diving.

The goal spurred Leeds on and the crowd were in bouyant mood giving Seth some stick with chants of "What a waste of money", "Sicknote, sicknote give us a song" and " Theirs only one shit sicknote"

The referee gave us nothing and on 35 minutes Butler was wrestled to the floor, his offender had their arms fully around his waist and dragged him down, again the ref gave nothing. It was a deffinate cast iron penalty....even Stevie Wonder would have seen it.

The Leeds fans soon forgot the incident as seconds later on the next attack Blake fed Lewis who hit a superb cross into the box and the incredible Hulse was there again to steal in front of Camp to nod a great second goal for himself and the whites.

Seth tested Sulli with a shot but the keeper was equal to it.

Hulse's hat trick came two minutes before the break, Eddie Lewis went on a great run but his stinging shot was spilled to Hulse who's preditory instincts put him in the right place to slam the ball home from close range.

After the break Derby made a triple substitution bringing on Dean Holdsworth of all people. It turned out to be a masterstroke for Derby as it picked them up and they began to take the game to Leeds, Morten Bisgaard was having a superb game in the middle pulling the strings for them. It was frustrating to watch as they began to boss the game, Shaun Derry seemed to be the only player in midfield who was up for a battle. Frazer was trying hard on the right and put in a few telling crosses but Douglas and Lewis became shrinking violets. Apart from 25 minutes in the first half, Lewis to me offered very little, he seems afraid to take a player on infavour of stopping and playing it sideways.

Derby got there goal after an inswinging corner was deflected home by Sean Gregan, the goal earned itself to lady luck more than shear skill.

Leeds had a few chances to put the game to bed but were unable to do so. We deserved the three points and that is the main thing however what will possibly worry KB is the way in which we let Derby come at us. Hulse was quiet in the second half, maybe tactically i would have taken him off and with the game already won brought on Gylffi to man mark the very impressive Bisgaard to nulify the Derby attacks.

Kelly's balls!!! were again poor, Crainey was not at his best, but Ian Moore made an appearance, spending more time on his arse than on his feet. He put in a typical Ian Moore performance and in the dying minutes he blasted a ball into the kop.

All in all a great game for a neutral but a game of two halves for us whites fans. Three points and up to sixth, Blackwell back in peoples good books.

MAMF of the match, Hulse will get all the plaudits for his 3 goal salvo, but apart from that Hulse does not look like the fit Hulse of last season and sometimes it showed. For sheer hard work effort and at times "Class" this games MAMF of the match again goes to Shean Derry.

18th October 05 Leeds 2 Southampton 1

Southampton manager Harry Redface will have left Elland road thinking his side had been “Robbed” tonight as his side conceded two stunning goals scored by Robbie Blake and Rob Hulse.

Leeds played the usual 4-4-2 with Sean Gregan keeping his place along side Paul Butler, suprising after his poor display on Saturday . Dan Harding kept his place at Left back. Robbie Blake again partnered Rob Hulse up front.

Leeds started off the brighter, playing to the south stand and could have gone ahead as early as the first minute, Frazer Richardson crossing from the right wing but the ball ballooned off a Southampton defender straight onto Hulse’s forehead but it must have surprised him as his header flew just inches over the bar.

Five minutes later the very lively and speedy 16 year old Theo Walcott making his full debut brought a good save out of Neil Sullivan. It was not going to be the last time that the youngster was going to scare the Leeds defence with his lightning pace.

On ten minutes Leeds took the lead, a great cross from out on the right by……wait for it “Gary Kelly” found Rob Hulse on the penalty spot to plant a firm header to Antii Niemi’s right, the keeper dived at full stretch but to no avail. It was a great goal and Leeds thoroughly deserved their early 1-0 lead.

Soon after Eddie Lewis from a free kick curled a ball over the wall only to see his effort hit the post and out to safety.

Southampton played the ball around quite neatly and Ricardo Fuller went close with a curling low shot that went narrowly wide.

Leeds extended their lead on 24 minutes and what a goal it was. It must be the goal of the season so far. I don’t know if it was a rehearsed set piece or not but it was a beauty either way. From a free kick just inside the centre circle, Shaun Derry rolled the ball to the feet of Rob Hulse just on the edge of the Saints box, quickly he laid it off to his right where he found Robbie Blake who curled a stunning shot again to Niemi’s right. 2-0 Leeds. At this point we must have thought that it was going to be a rout.

For some reason Leeds sat back and took there foot of the pedal and from now on it was mainly Southampton who had the best chances.

On 24 minutes Jonathan Douglas did not get his foot in and a Saints player lofted the ball high and over towards the Leeds box. Butler got his head on the ball but that only helped by taking some of the sting out of the ball. From Butler’s header (you can’t really blame Butler) the ball looped up and dropped onto the right boot of Theo Walcott who hit a first time volley at the Leeds net. Neil Sullivan got a hand to the ball but there was enough pace on the ball to see it go over the line. 2-1….Game on.

The first player to go into the book was Derry who went in on Neil Mcann to severe for the ref’s liking.

Theo Walcott was have a brilliant game, he was a constant menace, his pace was unbelievable.

In the second half it was more or less the Southampton show, Dan Harding having a better game at left back came to Gregan’s rescue as old Sean’y boy was turned inside out again by Walcott.

Leeds’ first real effort in the second half came on 52 minutes when Eddie Lewis went on a run at goal and was brought down on the edge of the area. From the resulting free kick Robbie Blake hit a curling ball around the wall which hit the post and the follow up shot was put wide.

Sean Gregan was eventually replaced by Killa on 54 miutes to add a bit more to the back four. Gary Kelly was his usual self launching plenty of high balls on to the not so tall frame of Blake, on the deck Kelly was given a torrid time by Neil McAnn who beat him for pace and skill many times and was able to get in one or two good crosses.

Healy replaced Blake on 63 and Frazer was replaced by Gylffi as Kevin Blackwell tried to change the game. Again it was mainly Southampton who were taking the game to Leeds and both subs went largely unnoticed.

It was a case of bad/near misses from the Saints but of the high balls pumped into the Leeds box were dealt with quite well by Paul Butler.

18,881 turned up and went through a gamut of emotions tonight. We toiled well but again our midfield let us down. Derry was not at his best but was the pick of the crop, Douglas was doing a great impression of the invisible man. Lewis played well and kept trying. Hulse and Blake took their chances that came to them but apart from that they were given little else to feed on.

Southampton will definitely feel that they should have got more than one point out of this but gained nothing. We won and yet again we did not show our true potential, the spanking of a side at Elland road is not far away, just roll on January so the Blackers can get his cheque book out and buy Leeds a couple of quality midfielders that we are evidently lacking.

MAMF of the match………hard to say????.

21st October 05 Leeds 1 Sheff Utd 1

It was a top atmosphere at Elland Road tonight and on reflection of play them maybe the 1-1 scoreline was a fair result.

I will not do a long drawn out MAMF report as most of you will presumably have seen this game live on SKY.

Leeds played a 4-4-2 formation with the only change from Tuesday night's victory over Southampton was that Shaun Gregan was dropped to the bench and in his place came Matthew Kilgallon.

For the top team in the division the blunts were a well organised unit and played a lot of there football down the Leeds' right as they had pace and intelligence from Alan Quinn and Phil Jagielka, But for all the play they had they were not as good as the Saints who by far seem to be the best team that we have played this season at home.

I predicted a Leeds loss, however even after quarter of an hour it was easy to see just how far Leeds have progressed in the last six months since our 0-4 result to the blunts last season. It was not going to be one way traffic...and it wasn't throughout the match.

Both teams had great chances to go into the interval in front, Hulse missing with a diving header, but it was a half chance. Sullivan pulled off some great saves to deny the visitors.

We took the lead on 53 minutes, Sean Derry passed to Robbie Blake who ran cross field and passed to Frazer on the right, controlling the ball he went passed the Blunts right back easily and once in the area he let rip with a thunderous shot that nearly broke the net and gave Paddy Kenny no chance.

What was frustrating was that the referee Alan Wiley gave Leeds buggar all and in one example Gylfi Einarsson was brought down from a rash challenge, he gave nothing then ten seconds later a Blunt was fouled and he blew up when their foul was much worse????? explain that one Wiley?.

The Blunts were causing us a few problems, especially when they brought on Gillespie and Webber to add some pace to their attack.

They got the breakthrough on 69 minutes, the ball came into our box and if Kelly had have booted the ball into touch then they would'nt have scored, however he arsed about with it, lost possesion and a case of comic book defending did not help as the ball found Kabba on the edge of the box and he rifled in a shot through a ruck of legs to equalise.

Leeds highest crowd of the season 23,600 witnessed a great game that must have proven to be a great advert for the Championship. Overall maybe a draw was a fair result but if Kells had not f***ed about with the ball we would have got another 3 points. With 7 points got from the last three (tricky) games Kevin Blackwell will certainly be happy. As a supporter i know that i am.

MAMF of the match: Killa.

5th November 05 Leeds 0 Preston 0

On page 4 of today’s programme notes, Kevin Blackwell was stated as saying “Today I’m looking for a massive improvement”, as he was extremely angry after the Crewe defeat. Did he get that improvement…..did he bo***cks, it was cr*p, it was like re-living last season.

Liam Miller on loan from Scumchester Rovers started in the No:17 shirt,playing in midfield alongside Shaun Derry, Sean Gregan again was on the bench, and got good applause from the Preston fans who once worshipped him. Other ex-Preston players Healy and Lewis were booed every time they had possession.

It is five games since Leeds won a match and the performance reflected that. There is no flow or spark in the team and most of the play was long balls up field for Healy and Hulse to chase. Both strikers had off days and could not keep the ball which put extra pressure on the defence as the ball kept coming back. I would have thought that Healy would have been up for this game but, to be fair they were fed peanuts, often chased lost causes. Neither striker looked dangerous as Preston defended stoutly.

Liam Miller was the pick of the midfielders, playing neat passes and the odd good flick here and there. What impressed me was that he was able to pass and play with both feet. Shaun Derry was busy but rarely threatened. Lewis was his typical self, not really imposing on the game and bereft of electric pace needed to be a good “winger”. Frazer tried hard but he ain’t no right midfielder.

Leeds had the ball in the net early on as Healy had a goal disallowed as he headed in a Kelly corner, we could not see why it was disallowed from our seat in the west stand.

On the half-hour mark I said to my colleague that the game had “0-0” written all over it. It was a dour affair, and to be fair Preston played neat football, defended well and overall they were the better team.

Douglas eventually replaced Richardson on 72 minutes, but even he did nothing to influence the game, Robbie Blake replaced Healy a minute earlier but again he was fed peanuts.

Overall United are bereft of ideas, Miller played well but what lets us down is that our full backs offer very little as an attacking option, Harding is poor in the tackle and never goes on the overlap to get in crosses, the same can be said for Kelly, albeit his tackles are ok, but a high ball into the box are easier prey for the opponents defenders. Balls to feet or into space are far more effective than a 50/50 high ball into the box.

Lewis is a poor man’s Kewell and Frazer is poor as a right midfielder. The crowd was only 22,289 and on this evidance can only get lower, playing this brand of football is never going to entice the stay-aways back. Kevin Blackwell needs to take a good hard look at the players that he has brought in, his team tactics, motivation and team play. Back in the summer he said that he wanted players who would sweat for the shirt, where that player is I will never know.

MAMF of the match, probably Killa by an inch from debutant Miller.

22nd November 05 Leeds 2 Burnley 0

It was bloody cold at Elland Road as the Whites claimed a second victory on the bounce. They played a 4-4-2 formation with the only change being David Healy being given the nod to play on the right of midfield.

Leeds could have been in front as early as the 4th minute, Eddie Lewis got in a great cross from the edge of the area, Matthew Kilgallon got in a great header but it smashed against the underside of the bar and bounced down to safety.

Leeds never got into gear in the first half, Burnley’s No:18 Nathan Dyer was causing our defence all sorts of problems with his pace, however his final ball on most occasions let him down. Burnley were to have a lot of possession but Akinbiyi and Dyer did not really cause us too much of a threat, Akinbiyi for Stoke last season was far more potent with his chasing and harrying but tonight he was luckily for us not on the top of his game.

James O’Conner had a great chance to equalise for the Clarets on 13 minutes but his rasping 20 yard pile driver was turned round the post by Neil Sullivan.

Our next chance came on 15 minutes with Shaun Derry also raining a shot in from 20 yards but it was straight down the throat of Brian Jenson.

The joke of the game came soon after when Robbie Blake cut in to his left but John McGreal got his foot in and kicked the ball out for an obvious corner, referee Bates gave a goal kick when it was so obvious that it was a corner…it was mechanically impossible for it not to be as Blake dropped his left shoulder and took the ball to his left. The referee was given ironic applause as the big tv screen showed a couple of replays proving that he got it wrong!!..

Half way through the first half and still Burnley were in more control of the game than us, they played the ball around well but to be fair most of their chances were half chances but still they would have been disappointed to go into the break still at 0-0. Our only other chance of note was Eddie Lewis who was found out on the left by Blake only for his shot to hit the side netting.

The Burnley fans were in good voice throughout and sang the old beauties like “There’s only one Peter Ridsdale” and a new one on me “Smithy’s gone, your fans have too, they’ve all f***ed off to watch Man U” and the best one…..”Your just a small town in Bradford!!!!!!!!!”.

A few minutes after the re-start Rob Hulse had the ball in the net, most of the 21,318 crowd cheered only for it to be ruled out for some reason?.

Like Saturday, Leeds came out for the second half a different side. We played better football and looked more in control. The only down side to our play was on the left hand side, Dan Harding is too soft in the tackle and needs to firm up a bit and in my opinion Eddie Lewis is nothing special, a lot of the play came to nothing on the left, Harding does not get up the wing enough to supply the decent crosses that he can do, he sits too deep and often launches too many high balls instead of penetrating crosses.

It was Lewis who actually helped us get the first goal, Blake in a central position was having a good game and fed Lewis who ran at his defender Michael Duff brought him down just inside the area, it was a definite penalty.

As at Southampton Healy stepped up and hit a low penalty to Jenson’s left, Jenson got a glove on it but it went in and Leeds were 1-0 up on 55 minutes.

3 minutes later Burnley had the ball in the Leeds net, Jon Harley hit a lovely fee kick into the goal only for it to be disallowed due to it being taken too quickly.

Leeds second goal was a real gem of a goal. Robbie Blake hit a Beckham style free kick into the top left hand corner from 20 yards.

Overall the result was better than the performance. The first half was utter garbage but the second was much better, even the crowd got behind the lads by chanting ole’ at some of the many passes that we strung together.

Fair play to Blackwell for getting the lads to pay better in the second half, why they can’t do it in the first I’ll never know. Against a better team they could have won it by half time, they did not and Leeds claimed another three points and just as important…a clean sheet.

MAMF of the match is a toss up between Shaun Derry and Matthew Kilgallon, with maybe “Dezza” just shading it.

3rd December 2005 Leeds 2 Leicester City 1

This in my opinion was a very frustrating game. Again we made it hard for ourselves with many passes going astray and free flowing football hardly to be seen.
Fair play we were playing a confident Leicester team who were buoyed by the recent 4-2 home drubbing of the Blunts. But whilst we toiled and laboured hard it was the visitors who played the neater football, and with young Ryan Smith on loan from Arsenal have a left sided midfielder who looks better than Eddie Lewis and maybe could do a job for us once his loan has expired? .

With Douglas, Gregan and Einnersson missing Kevin Blackwell drafted in Simon Walton for his first game of the season. Walton looked slow, sluggish and off the pace in the first half but looked a better player in the second.

Leicester battled hard in the first half and created many half chances and I have never known an away team get as many corners as they did. The first 20 minutes or so belonged to us Eddie Lewis went close hitting the bar (the 14th time this season that we had done) and the ever battling Rob Hulse had a goal disallowed for an offside offence.

Freakily the foxes could have taken the lead from a corner, the ball was whipped in and from (I think) Paul Butler got his head on the ball, and it flew onto the crossbar, rebounded onto Neil Sullivan’s head and back over the bar to safety.

The comedy moment of the match also came in the first half. Leicester had an indirect free kick centrally to our goal around 22 out. One of there players knocked it to his right expecting someone to run up and curl it round the wall but the other players just stood there motionless, Healy or Miller (lookalike) saw this and ran up to the ball and stole possession.

The goal came on 41 minutes. Leeds won an indirect free kick on the “D” of the Leicester box. Robbie Blake rolled the ball into the path of fellow striker David Healy, who curled one round the wall into the back of the net. Scotland’s no:2 Robert Douglas dived full length to his left but was nowhere near the precisely placed shot.

Leicester will have felt aggrieved to go in the break 1-0 down, as Sulli had not been a spectator. He was called into action several times to pull off good saves from Ryan Smith, Elvis Hammond and Joey Gudjonsson.

Leicester regained parity on 69 when Rob Hulse right on the edge of the area felled Gudjonsson and referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot much to the dismay and annoyance of the Leeds crowd who felt that the offence had happened outside the box. (Eddie Gray on radio Leeds said that it was inside the box…just). Gudjonsson took the penalty to give a deserving Leicester side the equalizer.

Leeds again took the lead four minutes later, Robbie Blake out on the left cut in and ran towards the “D” and hit a shot towards goal that took a deflection of Matthew Kilgallon and put us 2-1 up. Killa will claim the goal but it owed more to luck than skill.

The Leicester players protested that Killa was in an offside position and because of foul and abusive language, referee Dean sent off centre half McCarthy.

With the clock ebbing away Craig Levein brought on strikers De Vries and Dion Dublin, but with only having ten men they took the game to Leeds and gave it a go.

In the end we got the three points and our fourth win on the trot pushing us up to third place. It was not pretty with in my opinion, with Leicester playing the neater football. To have had a shots target on and off goal that was higher than the home side (9-14), the foxes will definitely feel hard done by and if they perform like they have done today then they may make the play-offs come May.

But I am not interested in them, Leeds for some reason play better football in the second half of games need to up it in the first and kill off their opponents.

Healy on the right was one gear ahead of the rest, Hulse battled like a warrior, Blake played some neat and inventive balls. It was at times a disjointed game so as for man of the match it was hard to single out one player. Yes David Healy did well scoring his eighth of the season but the real heroes today in my opinion were our centre backs Killa and Butler who today get my MAMF’s of the match.

10th December 2005 Leeds 0 Cardiff 1

We got beat by a team who were up for it, far more than the home side. Cardiff got the double over us courtesy of a free kick by the very lively and impressive Jason Koumas on 31 minutes.

Cardiff only had just over 200 supporters in the ground, but the Leeds fans were in better voice than normal soon started chanting anti Ridsdale chants.

Sean Gregan came back into the side at the expense of Simon Walton. He was later replaced by Jonathan Douglas (69 mins) as he failed to live with Koumas who was all over the place and pulling the strings for Cardiff.

Leeds offered very little and were very disjointed, it was/is the worst game seen at Elland road all season (as I type this I have just had a text from a fellow fan who says that it is the worse game that he has seen in the last few years).

If we are to believe that we are promotion candidates then we are having a laugh. We were crap, sorry for the bad language but we were that bad. Eddie Lewis had a typical non-inspiring game, Healy played reasonable on the right side but the poor man has to play with the ever decreasing in talent, Gary Kelly. On the other side Dan Harding again gave nothing to the team as an attacking option, he was replaced by Danny Pugh on 56 minutes.

Rob Hulse for the tenth consecutive game failed to score and is starting to look like a shadow of the man that scored a hat-trick against Derby back in September. But fair play to Rob he never gives up and always gives 100%, he again was fed peanuts so a goal is hardly going to come his way if the supply line is not there.

Cardiff came with tactics to stifle the whites, top scorer Cameron Jerome played alone upfront and reminiscent of teams last season played with five in midfield, however they came to play football and some neat football they played. They were up and at Leeds from the off as Leeds failed to break through their midfield and defensive barrier.

Baardif took the lead on the half hour when Gregan brought down Koumas clumsily and got a yellow card for his efforts, from 20 yards out Koumas curled a beauty of a free kick round the wall and it precisely nestled in the net to Sulli’s left. From our view in the south stand the wall was set too far to Sully right. It was a text book free kick and thoroughly deserved as Cardiff had earlier hit the bar from Glenn Loovens’s shot.

The second half was slightly better but you know that you have thrown in the towel when Robbie Blake (poor) was replaced by Ian Moore.

Again i am pi**ed off at seeing lesser teams play better football than us when we are at home…..lets face it and I have been saying it for a while know (this is only my view) Leeds are poor.

The biggest laugh of the day is when I read the programme notes and Kevin Blackwell wrote “ IMPROVEMENT HAS COME FROM THE HARD WORK IN TRAINING”….what f*****g improvement it was not on evidence today.

Lets just hope that it was an off day, but something tells me that it wasn’t as we have seen all this too often this season.

It just shows how inept we are in midfield; it still lacks bite and creativity. The forwards are not going to get goals when the midfield supply line is missing and the full-backs offer no support, we need the full backs to watch videos of Dorigo and Sterland going forward, how to get in good crosses.

Roll on Shaun Derry coming back into the fore, how we miss him….MAMF of the match…..the supporters in the south stand for there constant “We are the champions, champions of Europe” chanting.

26th December 2005 Leeds 3 Coventry 1

They say “What goes around, comes around ”. and it certainly did today as Leeds beat a neat football playing Coventry City in this boxing day affair, witnessed by Elland roads highest attendance of the season 24,291. With Leeds having already hit the woodwork on fourteen occasions this season it was payback time from lady luck who was on hand to shine down on Leeds today.

Despite the scoreline this was not a stroll in the park as it may suggest, for Micky Adams will have thought that the City coach driver had run over a black cat en-route to Elland road, twice in the first half, City had hit the woodwork and had a effort cleared off the line but yet went into the interval a goal down.

The referee C. Webster from Geordie land had a mare of a match and gave very little Leeds way and was definitely was the most whistle happy ref that I have seen in years.

Coventry playing to the South stand in the first half, played some lovely football and were spurred on by old war-horse Don Hutchinson who was making his second appearance here having played earlier on this season for Millwall.

Early on and Coventry could have taken the lead when McSheffrey swung over a cross from the left and their target man Dele Adebola got a head on it only for the ball to shave the post and go out for a goal kick to us.

Coventry were starting to take over the game in the first half, a lot of there attacks started at the back with Robert Page but once near the Leeds goal did not look like scoring as Sulli and the woodwork were in fine form.

Leeds took the lead on 34 minutes as Jonathan Douglas burst into the area, picked up the knock down and blasted his shot passed the hapless Fulop in the Coventry goal who will have been furious at his static defence.

City will have been disappointed to have gone a goal down as they had a large majority of the play and dictated it for parts of the game, a lot of fans around us were growing listless at the Leeds performance as we were not playing like a top four side and again we were witnessing a display of neat football from a side many places below us in the table.

Micky Adams must have said to his players at half time “More of the same lads”, as they came out again playing neat football and with Hutchinson and McSheffrey in fine form again started to dictate the pace.

Coventry equalised on 58 minutes with a goal of sublime quality, it was a goal that a player scores only once in his career. Don Hutchinson ten yards out from the touchline and level with the box hit a thunderous volley that sailed over everyone and into the top of the net giving Sulli no chance, probably as he least expected it.

If Hutchinson’s goal was good, it was a one off and Three minutes later Leeds took the lead with a goal that will go down in my opinion as one of the goal of the season. For all there sloppy play earlier on, The team conjured up some one touch football magic reminiscent of premiership quality. Blake and Healy exchanged passes and Healy on the right (who had been quiet on the wing for most of the match) crossed the ball into the path of Robbie Blake who hit a stinging shot from just inside the penalty area, pure class the build up, the shot the goal!!!!.

On 80 minutes Leeds made the game safe as Blake found Richard Cresswell in acres of space out on the left, Cressy ran at the City defence and into the box and from an acute’ish angle hit a shot passed Fulop for a goal that was fully deserved as he had been playing well all game. Cresswell showed some great neat touches and held the ball up well.

Again Leeds left it to the second half to start running the show (well the 2nd half of the 2nd half).

Late on Coventry missed a penalty after Michael Doyle was bundled over by Paul Butler, McSheffrey hit his penalty too high and saw it rebound off the bar and to safety.

Coming out of the ground we could not believe that we had just witnessed a 3-1 victory but hey, it is about time that lady luck shone down on us and thankfully today she did.

MAMF of the match is a tad difficult today as quite a few players endeavoured and toiled hard today, I will give it to three players, Killa, Blake and Cresswell.

The comedy moment of the match came when my little lad Harry (5) asked me who was warming up with Hulse?, I replied that it was “Jermaine Wright”, he replied…..”Oh is it…. I can’t see much brown on him!” as he could not recognise him.

Piczo