Leeds

[shelleybeach]

it's early days but there's no way leeds are going up this year - so it's a battle to survive or mid table mediocrity for now

[LeedsMariner#4]

dont think we can count out a play off place yet
however a few things need to change for that to happen
ive heard rumours off people in leeds that all is not well in the camp

[omni]

You can hardly say promotion is gone. It's very dissapointing, the plan was that promotion was to come this year, but Blackwell's gone so I guess the plan has gone too.

[LeedsMariner#4]

Leeds 0 Stoke 4

[johnnywarren]

Leeds' season hit a new low as Stoke secured their first away win of the season in fine style to send John Carver's side into the bottom three.
The excellent Lee Hendrie opened the scoring after seven minutes with a superbly-struck free-kick.

Andy Griffin slammed in a drive before the hour mark and Danny Higginbotham's header made it 3-0 shortly afterwards.

Leeds' Robbie Blake had a penalty saved, before Ricardo Fuller completed the rout with two minutes remaining.

leeds team: Leeds: Sullivan, Kelly, Butler, Kilgallon, Wright, Douglas, Westlake (Stone 59), Derry, Lewis, Healy (Blake 59), Horsfield (Cresswell 26).
Subs Not Used: Warner, Foxe.

heres the problem - put foxe on for a first team start!!!!

[omni]

I'm disgusted by that, good to see JC issued an apology.

[johnnywarren]

Time for Leeds to act is now
Championship | Leeds United
by Chris B - BBC Sport 15 October 2006

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Whatever is going to happen next at Leeds United, it needs to happen quickly.

Saturday's thumping home defeat by Stoke showed that if the fans who called for - and got - the dismissal of manager Kevin Blackwell last month thought things could not get any worse, they were wrong.

An insipid display means that five months after reaching the Championship play-off final, Leeds find themselves in the bottom three.

Another relegation is unthinkable. Or is it?

There is not an atmosphere of doom and gloom at Elland Road just yet - more anger and frustration - but the signs are not good.

Leeds currently attract less than half the number of supporters they did when they were in the Premiership - there were just over 18,000 present for the visit of the Potters - compared to the 40,000 who saw them take on Chelsea in October 2001.

I have never seen so many supporters leave a game with almost half an hour still to play than I did against Stoke.

They walked out after Danny Higginbotham had made it 3-0 to the Potters, with chants of "What the hell is going on?" ringing around the stadium.

That is the question chairman Ken Bates must address in the next few days.

First he needs to choose a new manager.

Caretaker boss John Carver has as good as admitted that the Stoke result had cost him any chance of getting the job permanently.

"I know what my ambitions are but I have to be quite honest and say possibly this ends my chance of getting the job," he said.

"The result doesn't help my cause but I will take it on the chin."

Bates' former Chelsea cohorts Dennis Wise and Glenn Hoddle are mooted to be in the running but supporters' choice Alan Curbishley has ruled himself out.

When fans are talking about David O'Leary returning as a serious prospect then you realise they do not know where their club is heading to next.

Whoever Bates does bring in must motivate an underachieving team, and get the fans behind the team - the players need them.

Heads on the field had already dropped by the time Jonathan Douglas's scuffed late shot was met with derisory cheers by his own fans, ironically celebrating a shot on target after 70 minutes.

"You're not fit to wear the shirt" was the chant from the fans remaining at the final whistle and you could hardly blame them on the back of what they were watching.

There are still terrace heroes in the squad - striker David Healy and defender Matt Kilgallon to name but two.

But rumours that one or both will be sold in the January transfer window will do little to quell supporter unrest.

Part of the reason for the massive drop in attendances are the ticket prices Bates set as a way of bringing the club out of the financial mire he inherited.

Fans paid upwards of £30 for their seats on Saturday - the most expensive in the Championship.

And those that do pay expect more than what they saw against Stoke.

"What the hell are you here for?" asked the fan next to me as his fellow supporters turned on their team.

With the fans arguing amongst themselves and his team in the relegation zone it is time for Bates to act and make Leeds united again.

[LeedsMariner#4]

there is a rumour doin the rounds that butler has been stripped of the captaincy, meaning that foxe could come in in his place.
just signed adam johnson from borough on loan for a month, hopefully replace lewis

[omni]

"Another relegation is unthinkable. Or is it?

There is not an atmosphere of doom and gloom at Elland Road just yet - more anger and frustration - but the signs are not good."

That sums it up, I've followed Leeds down to the championship but it's going to be hard to go down to the depths of League 1. I'm absolutely disgusted with the way Leeds United have been playing and someone needs to give them all a kick up the arse.

[marinerbhoy]

leeds united have again lost, this time 2-1 to leicester at elland road. meanwhile, the mighty lilywhites from Preston have come from 2-0 at halftime to win 2-3 away to ipswich and take outright 2nd spot behind cardiff. that playoff last season must seem so so so so so so far way now!

[LeedsMariner#4]

Leeds 1 Leicester 2
another loss!!!
Kilgallon was sent off as well!!!
The more games roll by with these results, and performances, i dont think another relegation is unthinkable Omni

[johnnywarren]

Leeds 1-2 Leicester
Leeds' nightmare season continued as a dreadful defensive display handed Leicester victory at Elland Road.
Danny Tiatto put the Foxes ahead after 29 minutes when he crashed home after Leeds failed to clear in their area.

Matthew Kilgallon was sent off after 55 minutes for fouling Elvis Hammond, and Iain Hume calmly added a second for Leicester with 10 minutes left.

Leeds skipper Paul Butler pulled one back when he headed home Gary Kelly's cross five minutes later.



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Leeds caretaker boss John Carver said:


"The defeat hinged on two decisions. The first was the sending off. We will be appealing against it.
"The second was whether the ball crossed the line (when a chance was cleared off the line by Leicester). I have watched it and the ball was about a yard over."

Leicester boss Rob Kelly said:


"We had lots of chances but scoring is the hardest thing and a couple of weeks ago we could not score.
"So I am not going to be greedy, I thought we created chances and as long as we do that we will score. But we had enough chances to have killed them off.

"The strange thing is our away performances have been good and we have not been beaten very often."



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Leeds: Sullivan, Kelly, Butler, Kilgallon, Crainey, Douglas, Derry, Johnson (Westlake 90), Healy (Foxe 57), Cresswell (Blake 79), Moore.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Richardson.

Sent Off: Kilgallon (55).

Booked: Cresswell, Butler, Healy, Douglas, Derry.

Goals: Butler 87.

Leicester: Logan, Stearman, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Johansson, Low (Maybury 87), Williams (Welsh 23), Hughes, Tiatto (Sylla 90), Hammond, Hume.
Subs Not Used: Henderson, O'Grady.

Booked: Hughes, Welsh.

Goals: Tiatto 29, Hume 81.

[omni]

I'm absolutely disgusted, for all those who called for the sacking of Blackwell, I hope you're getting some sick pleasure out of this because I'm certainly not.

Dave: I know, scary isn't it, but no, come on mid-table saftey, ugh never thought I'd say that with Leeds in the Championship.

[marinerbhoy]

what was the crowd? this couldnt be happening to a more selfless club

[shelleybeach]

league 1 is coming

[marinerbhoy]

shelleybeach said:

league 1 is coming

has much as i would like that to happen, it wont. the championship is so tight this year that if leeds win one game they would jump up a few spots. if, lets just say, they win 3 or 4 in a row, they would be at mid table there. look at pne. if they lose one match, then they could drop to 6th(i think). leeds wont fight relegation.

[jazasydneyfc]

They won't go down (Southend, Hull and the Wendys are my tips)... But they won't go near going up. They can nail an upper mid-table finish with their squad - but it needs to start now. If they finish below the halfway line and find themsevles selling the likes of Healy they will end up doing a long-term Ipswich.

[LeedsMariner#4]

Leeds have to get out of the losing habit, and string a couple of wins together
games at home against stoke and the foxes should provide this oppurtunity but they didnt
we need a manager appointed quickly to give some stability to the club

[Sam]

im vry worried bout me beloved leeds...just remember the days of kewell, viduka, keane, ferdinand, matteo, woodgate, milner, smith, fowler, harte and robinson....among others....
the pain is too much!

[bobandbill]

don't forget McMaster...