4 in 4, okay not quite a goalrush – but by our standards pretty damn good!

Who would have thought that we could be saying that given the turmoil of the last ten years. According to the BBC sport website, Chris Woods 5 goals so far puts him above Will Grigg, and he isn’t even on fire yet! The game on Saturday was the gift that just keeps giving, it was like getting two thirds down your Bovril and finding that you never stirred it properly and the last bit swilled around tastes that much meatier. From Janssons tackling, to a solid performance in midfield by Phillips and O Kane, Sackos pulsating runs to the goal, bit of nifty passing and we were dominant! It’s like driving past the Haribo factory in Pontefract on Starmix day and taking a huge gulp of sugary air in – buzzing!

From the off, Sackos heads to goal with a weaving run from the centre circle, but balloons it into the South Stand. Then, Ipswich goal kick, Pontus takes it off the receiving tractor boy, long ball to the waiting Wood, down the wing and bang – outside the box, just off the post. What a statement of intent! Cracking goal before half time, Bartley gets it, passes to Pablo, to Sacko, to Wood, to Dallas, to Taylor, ball across the goalmouth, Wood – goal. Fantastic bit of team play and Wood full of confidence, buzzing. Well deserved cheers from the 22k crowd at half time and everyone talking about what there is to come. The defence look rock solid, the midfield of Phillips and O Kane steadying the ship, and the interplay of Hernandez, Dallas, Sacko and Wood, showing so much creativity. Yes, the finishing could be tighter, but what matters is, they were in the right place at the right time to create the chance in the first place. It would have been great to increase our tally, we could and should have won that 4-0, but that cracking Phillips free kick saved and the chance handed to Wood on a plate by the goalie passing to him foiled, it all still shows that we have something left in the tank in the 2nd half. Last season, games were two, sometimes completely, different halves. This season, it looks like we start as we mean to go on, and it is good feeling inside.

Bristol City tomorrow, a long trip down but we have momentum on our side. There has been so much talk about Jansson, but Captain Bartley is doing a brilliant job, and even if Bridcutt is fit, I would still give the armband to Bartley anyday. Our defence is getting stronger and stronger with the 3 new lads, Bartley, Jansson and Ayling. At times on Saturday it was like watching Streets Of Rage with Axel and Adam Stone (if you don’t get this look it up). All it needed was the Pine Pot sign and that Casio keyboard music. Can’t say that Ayling bears any resemblance to Blaze apart from the hair, but Blaze was always the better kicker, and therefore the best two player combination was always Axel and Blaze……

Get your game on!

Let it grow, let it blossom, let it flow – Clapton – Genius. Just to be clear here – NOT the Disney princess song.

Slumming it in the West Stand on Tuesday made me think about what the Club needs to do to get itself back on kilter. To my left was a muted, sparsely populated Kop, to my right were the comfortable looking padded seats of the corporate enclosure, with even fewer Tuesday night adventurers, cue Stealers Wheel.

Hopeful that I was of seeing Tyler Denton and the side that satisfied against Luton, I must admit that the side that Monk started with was a bit more conservative than what I assumed he would play. 16 changes between us in the teams that played at the weekend apparently, Owen Coyle with bigger fish to fry than the Cup, after Blackburn glorious first win over Rotherham at the weekend. The first half was nothing to write home about after Coyle’s shot in the first minute and that save by Silvestri before the half time whistle, the game was desperate for changes by half time. There was nothing inventive in the midfield, Antonsson got little or no decent service and looked forlorn up front on his own. I’m still unsure where Roofe is meant to be playing, as he doesn’t look like a forward, but then seems detached from midfield, teething problems I suppose. Hernandez comes on in the 60th minute, and we start to see some change, a few good runs, but still lacking in the final third. Coyle sees that and raises the stakes by sticking Emnes on. The “predator” starts running amok in our defence, and Silvestri pulls off a save and clears the follow up with a punch out. Then, Hallelujah! We are definitely not going for extra time and penalties! Wood comes on for Antonsson at 70 minutes and he starts chasing everything down like a dog on a mission in a butchers shop. Then it starts coming together, first Roofe has a pop, then Hernandez balloons a shot into the Kop. Grimes comes on for a flat footed Mowatt, a couple more shots on goal and then bang, Hernandez has a shot, comes off the post or keeper pushes it to Roofe.  Roofe crosses it to poacher Wood, and in it goes! 4th round here we come! Grown, blossomed, flow-ed!

So that was the football. Now the rest….. Eight thousand and a bit! There are about 14,000 season ticket holders, granted, quite a few live a distance away, and you can’t always make it to midweek games on a school night. But come on…….I suspect that had we drawn Scum or Chelski or Arsenal, they would have found some way of getting to ER or they would have given their season ticket to someone who could. And our fans have the audacity to take the piss about other teams who don’t fill their grounds. Yes, it was expensive on the day, but given it was £15 for season ticket holders, the turn out was poor. On a previous social media post, I was told that even if ticket prices were lowered to £10 adult and £5 for kids, we still wouldn’t fill the ground. So what is the solution?

For a start, should we have got a “big” club in the draw last night rather than The Tweety Birds, and should we progress into the next round and get that “glory quarter final/semi final”, Leeds United should offer those who bothered to turn up on Tuesday first dibs £10 tickets and a bonus £10 ticket for a mate. After that, then they should charge £15 for season ticket holders. Ruthless but fair.

Secondly, we just need to put a decent run in, league and cup.

Thirdly, let’s get behind the team good and proper. Give them the confidence to go in for the kill and rather than sneak a one-nil win, lets win by a decent margin, that goal difference may count for something in the end.

What a difference 4 games makes! A fortnight ago Monk was close to losing his job and the naysayers were all doom and gloom. Now the little seedlings have sprouted, with a bit of care and attention the sky is the limit – well The Premier League is actually….

………….remember from tiny acorns do mighty oaks grow

..And now we’re solid – solid as a rock

The immortal words of Ashford and Simpson October 1984 transposed nicely on Saturday by Messrs Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson. One of the best displays our defence has seen in many many years. After the pasting of the poultry farmers on Tuesday, courtesy of a cross from Hadi Sacko deftly turned into the net by Big Chris Wood, and then that header from Bartley from a free kick, it was onwards and upwards for the early morning trip to South Wales.

Due to lack of interest / apathy following Huddersfield / long distance to travel / allergy to Wales / early kick off due to “Skew” Sports / the prospect of a heavy-night-of-drinking-instead-of -going-to-bed-and then-a-full-day-out (delete as appropriate), there was a select group of travellers who turned out bleary eyed in the early hours of Saturday. The passengers who perhaps were looking forward to a nice bit of kip after being out since 9pm and ending up at McDonalds feasting on a Big Mac Meal at 2.30am, were sadly disappointed as the Battlebus rolled on into the night courtesy of DJ Tim The Driver and the 80s Smash Hits Mega Mix cd.

However, after a (brief) refreshment stop, it was wagons roll onto Junction 33 and then onwards to Cardiff stadium, sans the unlucky two (apologies, but when the Boys In Blue say we gotta go – we gotta go! See Fanzine Issue 11, page 11 for further reference). We were greeted by bright sunshine and all was good in the Land of Sheep and Bluebirds-not Red Dragons.

The goalkeeper keeping his Kisnorbo headgear, perhaps channelling the inner spirit of Tuesdays storm up the table, and new Captain Bartleys’  good account pre match, gave us a positive edge.  What appeared to be a non event from the stand, of Luke Aylings’ tackle in the first half, actually looked like a two footed lunge on the replay – oops, and the first half could be summed up with neither side having bragging rights really… then out came the sunshine. Well, out came an arm, crashing down on Jansson in the box, and Wood dried up all the pain/rain with his cool and calm penalty. On the telly (yes – I recorded it), there was much discussion about the “new rules”, albeit not so new, actually rules that have always been there but are now being “focused on” this season by referees. Which begs the question, are all rules meant to be ignored until “focused on” by referees? Last season, it was “excessive response to gain advantage” or in normal speak “doing an Ashley Young”. However, as much as I disdain the Japan 2020 Olympic Pool hopeful (sorry Tom Daley), the truth is that most footballers do this, even our players, not just in the PremierInnShip. We all laugh at the replays that the social media-ites post for us, and pour scorn on the likes of Costa yet ignore the fact that Becchio and Beckford were guilty of the same, as were Viduka and Kewell, but the less said about that traitor the better really. Both teams were guilty as charged for wrestling in the box, but having just been warned by the referee for handbags-at-five-paces, Paul Trollope was on unsteady ground moaning about the unfair decision on Connelly.

Back to the game, one – nil up, two shots off Green’s post with help from the “you’ll never beat Kisnorbo” bandage and some storming defending by newbie Jansson stamped our authority on the game. Hernandez greedily shot wide despite a fantastic Wood run into space but then redeemed himself with that cracking shot, which I believe was Skew Sports News HQ’s Goal Of The Day. Cut to shot of the Secretary looking rather peeved that the customary Leeds-to-win bet hadn’t been placed and there you have it. Winner winner – chicken dinner. Pontus Jansson and Captain Bartley chased round the pitch by a cameraman at the final whistle, hey presto –  finish where we started.

Well done Garry-with-two-Rs! The team look like they are gelling, the Ayling Bartley Jansson trio at the back seems to be getting better and betterer. Stuart Dallas giving us a bit more of an option in midfield and Kane making a good start. If we get a whole season out of Wood, who knows where that will take us. Blackburn tomorrow, perhaps Monk will keep the faith with Tyler Denton and the team that took it to Luton Town, who knows. Either way our defence is getting stronger, the foundation to Fortress Elland Road.

Cheers

MPO

In tribute to the great Nile Rodgers, will we remember… the 10th afternoon of September? Could this be the turning point of the season? The crowd turned on Monk after the disappointing display against the Top of The Table Chihuahuas, and although I didn’t bother with the radio interview, I believe that was not received well either.

So what can I say? The new boy Pontus Jansson put in a good debut, the Kop needing some prompting to get behind the team in the first half. It was a slow start, but I was pleased that we hadn’t conceded a goal at half time, especially given our recent form. I was surprised with the captaincy going to “back for good” Bridcutt, but I suppose Cooper is out of favour with the Forest shenanigans and granted the choice between our long(er) established players is a little limited. Could giving Mowatt the Captaincy and playing him in the middle of midfield, instead of switching out on the wings with Hadi, which incidentally completely threw me, be the making of Mowatt? I still think that Murphy and/or Big Dave would have made a difference, especially dealing with that Mooy bloke. In fact either of them would have dealt with him quite efficiently, seeing as he was the main cause of concern. The rest of the ankle biters did more nibbling than snapping. Yes, we did keep them restricted, if that was Monk’s game plan, however, once they scored, we didn’t create very much. We had one good deep corner from the young lad, Phillips, the rest of the deliveries unfortunately failed to get past the first defender, so bit more consistency needed there, but there’s potential in him. After the game, all you could hear was negativity, not unfounded of course, but Mowatt did technically have a couple of shots. One that ballooned comfortably into the upper tier of the South Stand in the first half and then the little toe poke at the death. I don’t think he expected the ball to come to him to be fair, and even Kevin Be Bruyne failed to put a similar chance in the back of the net at Salford, so at least he had a try. He also supplied the cross to Woods’ header, which should have been met with more conviction. Antonsson also went down under a challenge in the first half at the other end of the ground, which I couldn’t see properly.  However,  given that we seem to be burdened with “Premiership” referees, whether it was worth a penalty shout or not, would be here nor there. The tackle by Mooy on Bridcutt in the first half, was waved off by our hard-as-nails captain, but it was clearly a two footed lunge and should have been a sending off. Even the German Huddersfield Head Coach admitted that it would have been a red card in Germany – but alas the rules in Premiership football are obviously different, must be why England haven’t won a tournament since 1966 – we have different rules over here! Probably the same thinking with goalkeepers, ex England international v Silvestri, I know which one I would pick.

So to the game tomorrow… I will be there and so will the other 14,000 season ticket holders – that’s what the stats will say. Come on Garry with two Rs, we are at home, we should be playing a starting 11 who are willing to thrash the opposition 4 -0. If we win and then get a result in the 3rd round next week, we are looking at 4th round in the League/Milk/Rumbelows Cup (deleted as age appropriate) and then we certainly won’t be remembering…

MPO

August Bank Holiday looms and with any luck, the weather at Forest will be better than Fleetwood away. Although, I will not complain if I am soaked to the skin but see us score 7 goals in one game again, and I don’t mean in that a Bamba/Bellusci own goal scenario either. Technically the ball hit the back of the oppositions net, that’s a goal for me, regardless of whether they are penalties/extra time/blah blah blah.

A decent result at Luton, a goal on debut for the lad Tyler Denton and a completely different team to Sheff Weds. Blackburn at home in the next round. Yes, not “glamour tie” and no new ground to visit, but I am happy with a winable game, we just need to keep winning. The club have tried to entice crowds back to Elland Road with the season ticket offers this season. Letting you buy a childrens season ticket anywhere in the ground was a good idea. Most clubs want you in a family area and historically if you had kids and wanted to take them to the game, deserting your mates and moving to the (magnificent new) East Stand was the only option. So, good decision there, as long as parents/relatives are taking responsibility for any colourful language the kids are exposed to, that’s fine. I would hope that for the Blackburn game, the powers that be will try to encourage more of this, and before this starts getting anyones back up, at least the club are trying. I am fed up with this whole “well the ground won’t get filled if you paid people to come” and “we’re not paying to watch the reserves play” attitude. Yes, so you don’t like Cellino, you don’t agree with whatever he’s done, he’s the Antichrist and small children,  puppies, kittens and fluffy bunny rabbits will burn in fire and brimstone etc. etc.etc. We heard you the first time. Freedom of Speech and the constitution whatever, everyone is entitled to their own views, myself included, but not everyone wants it shoved down their throats. I didn’t agree with the “Bates Out” march through town and I didn’t agree with that “coffin stunt” and the airplane nonsense. If you are that inscenced with what is going on, it’s easy, don’t turn up! That’s the sensible thing to do, hit the club where it hurts, by the revenue. Please don’t get tickets and then spend the game booing players or singing /shouting expletives at the guy. For a start, he probably doesn’t care what you think, secondly it DOESN’T support or help the team and thirdly, especially for away games with ticket restrictions, someone who actually wants to be at the game could be in your place and enjoying it, whether we win , lose or draw. Someone not so far away refused to go to Elland Road for a whole season, despite paying for a season ticket, so just do that. If you are honestly going to a game, hoping that Leeds do badly, just so you have the opportunity to have a go, then, like Zammo, just say no! As for not playing the first team players, yes, that was a surprise at Luton, but we won. Plus, it is a good thing that we at least have players who will be able to come in when the first team get injured. Ultimately, we have options to choose from, plus at least the manager is open to playing these options. When Beradi and Taylor were both out, it proved costly, and last season it was clear the midfield desperately needed something different but we didn’t have it.

While I am on about Garry (with two rs) Monk, good luck to you man! Well done for taking the job and accepting the risks involved, unless for the last 12+ months you have been oblivious to our Chairmans propensity for dispensing managers. Personally, I think Big ( but not so big by the end of the season) Steve Evans did an ok job for us, and he should have been given a bit longer (at least to Halloween 2016) to see what he could do. Last season we had alot of injuries, Wood, Antenucci, Beradi, Taylor and lack of available options, but towards the back end, we got some decent results. Steve also came to LUSC meetings, proudly wore his LUSC tie to a game and engaged with the fans, so for me, he showed his appreciation for our support, priceless! Come on Garry, Deputy Yates wants his photo.

My parting statement for August is that my views are my own. My views may change through the season, but I am allowed to do that, and no doubt someone will point them out to me if and when I do. The one thing that will not change is my views on our ex chairman. There has been alot of talk/presumption/rumours/speculation etc in the press about takeovers and billionaires etc. as well as the obligatory manager sackings etc. Frankly, I don’t care. The papers hate us, notably some more than others, and we are probably not on a certain TV company’s Christmas card list either. There is only one certainty, apart from death and taxes of course, we will never know the truth, but many are happy to continue to guess. Leeds United will always attract headlines, and headlines sell. We may not be famous anymore but maybe infamous….

MPO

Infamy….