Leeds United - Power to the People

Diazepamll Thanks

walkinshaw Should be up by the end of the week

I really liked the locker room talk in that update, it had a sense of realism to it. Lovely, keep it up.

Icarus Thanks a lot man

These updates are looking really nice so far, keep it up and this could be a very nice story!

AlexTHFC Thanks

Presenter: At the end of his first month in charge of Leeds, just how has rookie manager Alex Crook fared as manager? Jim White has more.
White: Its been a busy month here at the Yorkshire club. I’ll start with transfers. Sol Bamba, Dario Del Fabro, Edgar Cani, Zac Benedicic and Granddi N’Goyi all sent back to their parent clubs. Crook has clearly seen them as surplus to requirements, and has terminated their loan contracts. The squad has been strengthened significantly though Natalie. Arsenal keeper Emiliano Martinez has joined on a 3 year deal in a fee estimated to be around half a million pounds.


Tough-tackling midfielder Calum Butcher has also joined for around 300,000 pounds.


But most impressively, former Rangers and Liverpool centre back Danny Wilson has joined for a confirmed 450,000 pounds.


I managed to speak to Crook earlier. He said that he was excited to have these players join ranks. He told me that the deals were completed with half upfront and the rest to be paid over the next 4 years. The club saved about 20k a week on wages from the termination of those loan deals, and I’m lead to believe that this cash was used to finance these deals.


Results
Getting close to level that I’d like to be at. Very unlucky to concede on many occasions.




Player of the month
The award has to go to Billy Sharp this month. He scored 3 goals, set up 3 and always looked dangerous.

Jim White - gotta love a bit of Jim White

Good signings for Leeds, it's unfortunate about the defense you may want to tweak around a bit... Maybe the defensive line is being played too high?

Tallery Who else for transfer news?

Icarus I have it sorted now, but its a couple updates away

Presenter: We have Leeds boss Alex Crook on the line now, Alex welcome to the show. Firstly, how would you sum up the current situation at Leeds.
Crook: We’re struggling. Yes there’s positives to the situation, but come the end of April, the league won’t give us extra points for positives. But we’ll get over our slump this month. If you look at our fixtures, we should be taking points from all but most of them. The boys are desperate to put a run together. I'm looking forward to October.



Presenter: You mentioned some positives from the recent performances, what are they?
Crook: For once, Sam Byram’s performances are going from strength to strength. We have a real gem in Sammy and he’s been flawless recently.
Presenter: On the topic of Byram, the Leeds first team regularly features academy products, such as Byram, (Lewis) Cook, and (Alex) Mowatt. Are these players really good enough? Mowatt, for example, has come under heavy criticism from fans and pundits alike recently.
Crook: Yes. These boys are more than capable, and would get into any team in the league. Every players has his highs and lows, and I have no doubt that Mowatt will silence the critics when he returns from injury.
Presenter: The team are currently in 20th position and are 3 points above the relegation zone. Do you think your position as manager is under scrutiny?
Crook: I think that people won’t be happy, but will understand what I’m trying to here. The football we’re playing is positive and exciting, and we’ll soon reap the rewards from this. Anyone can boot a ball into the 18-yard box and hope for the best. We want to play good football, and I think we’re showing signs of real class in our play.



Presenter: Mr Crook, thank you for your time.
Crook: Thank you.

Player of the month
Without a shadow of a doubt, October’s potm goes to new recruit Danny Wilson. He scored the winner on his debut, and was solid for the rest of the games. Brentford could have beat us by 3 or 4 without him. Sam Byram is a close second.

October Update

October? Pfft, more like, uh-ohcobter! Terrible joke, terrible month. Started ok and finished ok, but everything inbetween was useless. We were sloppy at the backs, and couldn’t finish to save our lives. Things aren’t looking good. Adryan went back to Flamengo with a broken arm on advice from the medical team. The results are below, and one thing is clear to me. Things have to change. I’ll sit down with the coaching staff and work out something new, but the high energy exciting plan has failed. My job must surely be on the line, we’re aiming for a top half finish.

My performance had been poor as season, and my results worse. I was called to a meeting with a fan group to explain myself. Given the fan-ownership of the club, I feared the worse.
Crook: Good morning, you must be the fan group, which one of you is Mr. Brian Davies, I’m told you’re the figurehead of the group. Ah, on the far right, please gentlemen, be seated. There’s tea and refreshments on the table behind you, help yourselves.
Davies: Enough of the political crap please Alex. You aren’t going to sweeten us up with tea and biscuits. Why are we in a bloody relegation battle? You spent more money on players than we have in years!



Crook: Ah, I see what the problem is already Mr Davies. Patience. A group of footballers isn’t like a kids toy. You don’t just wind them up, put them out on the pitch and win every game 4 nil. We’re gelling. We’re adapting. We’re improving. Ask anyone involved in the first team and they’ll tell you the same? Look out that window to the training pitch. Pick any player, anyone you like, and they’ll tell you the same bloody thing! Mr Davies, I am a patient man, but I have no time for people who are as stubborn and rude as yourself. If anyone here has a sensible question, I’ll be more than willing to take it.

Mr Davies left immediately. I continued the talk with the group, and it was very productive. There really was a feel good factor around Elland Road from then on, despite the losses to Reading and Sheffield Wednesday (My first derby). In those two games, plan B came into effect, and we lost them late on chasing an equaliser. A 5 man midfield. Beat the opposition by numerical advantage, forcing them out of position and taking advantage. The Rotherham game was crucial. We had to win it. For both morale, and my job. Fortunately, some fans did have patience, and faith. Former Fan Favourite (alliteration ftw) Lucas Radebe spoke in support of me the night before. We won 1 nil. The win was massive. Despite the loss to Norwich, we’ve put together a nice run of performances. Top half by January? Don’t rule it out.



Player of the month.
Danny Wilson was excellent once again, but I’ve decided to give the award to our great Dane, Casper Sloth. We’re scoring goals and creating more chances than ever before, and this can be partially created to the advanced playmaker. He even managed to score one for himself.

Great update, and nice to see big Steve Morison getting on the scoresheet! 14 games is very early in a season so you have plenty of time to adjust and battle near the play-offs, I don't see why not

Presenter: I’m delighted to welcome Leeds manager Alex Crook back to the show. Alex, you were last here at the end of September, can you summarize how your team’s season since then.

Crook: We’ll we lost all of our pre-season form and moment, and then found it again in the middle of November. We were plunged in relegation battle, and now we’ve beaten top of the league and narrowly lost to second with an injury-ridden squad. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m delighted to say that we’re back hitting our targets again, and over time our league position should adjust itself to where we want to be.





Presenter: I’d like to talk a little bit about some characters who’ve criticized you of late. Firstly, Steve Morison, just what has gone on there?

Crook: We’ll one morning a group of the lads came to my office to discuss some things with me, Steve was among them. They were all annoyed with our current form, and blamed my choice of formation. I sat down and discussed it with them, and within ten minutes or so they could all see it from my point of view, and agreed that progress was being made. Steve wouldn't budge however, and continued to criticize my management. There has been no other one-to-one conversations between us.

Presenter: So Steve hasn’t demanded a transfer or first-team football?

Crook: 100% no.

Presenter: Next, two managers of Yorkshire-based sides have publicly, well, humiliated you. What do you make of this?

Crook: I think humiliated is an over exaggeration. Firstly we’ll deal with Mr.(Steve) Evans. He said that I should have lost my job by now. I’ve a couple things to say about that. That fat turd clearly has no idea what he’s talking about. My side beat his 1 nil at his ground. If he thinks I should have lost my job, what about his? Secondly, our sides are level on points, and there’s only 4 points between 21st and 12th. I think he’s shown just how unprofessional he is with his comments there. (Steve) McClaren’s comments were purely just an awful attempt at mind games. He can, and probably will, consider himself extremely lucky to walk away from that game with a 1 nil victory.

Presenter: Thats all we have time for I’m afraid, Mr. Crook thank you for your time. Its been a pleasure.

Crook: Thank you.

Player of the month.
Despite missing the last two games through injury, Alex Mowatt gets potm for November. He set up 4 goals in 2 games and looked the most likely to make something happen.

Jack Don't get me started on Morison! Thanks for the support though

December Update

We blew it. We only went and bloody blew it! It was within our grasp, and we blew it. We were 3 points away from the top half, and we lost 3 games by a goal.



But i’m optimistic. We will push up the table. We've survived a horrible run of form, and it must all be up from here.



January should be an interesting month. We host Manchester City in a cup-tie, and I've a couple transfers targets up my sleeve. Just one slight problem…



Player of the month
Everyone’s favourite Jamaican box-to-box midfielder, Rudy Austin, gets the award this month. His work rate was incredible, even for his standards. He seemed to never miss a tackle, and even managed to grab the winner against Ipswich.