SEASON RUN-IN PART 2

RESULTS

Leeds United 2-2 Wolves

Stuart Dallas 4
Cameron Jerome 43
Stefano Giacomelli 50
Will Keane pen 72



Hull City 1-1 Leeds United

Chuba Akpom 42
Stefano Giacomelli 45



Leeds United 4-0 Charlton Athletic

Mirco Antenucci 4, 12, pen 62
Patrick Bauer og 8



Preston North End 0-0 Leeds United



*The final league table will be published in the season review

PLAY-OFFS

SEMI-FINAL

Cardiff City 1-2 Leeds United

Craig Noone 45+1
Mirco Antenucci 51
Stuart Dallas 58



Leeds United 1-2 Cardiff City (4-3 on pens)

Mirco Antenucci pen 11
Marco Silvestri og 31
Kadeem Harris 72

FINAL

Leeds United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion (aet)

Mirco Antenucci 8, 107
Jamie Murphy 87

PROMOTION! Congratulations mate, a long season has been more than worthwhile!

2016-06-11 09:57#233788 mgriffin2012 : PROMOTION! Congratulations mate, a long season has been more than worthwhile!

Cheers mate, the 38 games in the Premier League will feel a lot longer than the 46 in the Championship, I'm sure of it!

SEASON REVIEW

http://m0.joe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/02104804/GettyImages-81230678.jpg


The 2015/16 season ended in euphoria at Wembley for Leeds United with a 2-1 win over Brighton in the Play-Off Final. In a season where the Whites were tipped for yet another ordinary season in mid-table, Leeds confounded the critics and grabbed a 4th place finish, the club's highest finish since it was relegated from the Premier League in 2004.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Apart from the obvious highlights from Play-Off joy, the Leeds fans will look back fondly at the home fixture against Hull City in December, as they saw their team record an impressive 3-0 victory against their fellow play-off contenders and Yorkshire rivals. A rare goal from ex-Hull City man Liam Cooper and a Souleymane Doukara double proved enough to sedate the Tigers on that particular day in front of a 31,000-strong Elland Road crowd

SEASON LOW POINT

Although it's no secret Leeds United struggled in the second half of the season, the low point comes from the first half, when United were thrashed 4-1 by Cardiff in front of their own fans. It was an embarrassing result against a team who at the time, were in the bottom half of the table, an it lead to a few leaked reports of discontent among the players for the way manager Josh Townend failed to control his anger that night. All was forgiven a week later however, as a rotated lineup beat Huddersfield 2-0 away from home, with youngster Jack McKay scoring both goals within 70 seconds of each other on his debut

PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Academy product Lewis Cook has been head and shoulders above the rest this season, with multiple top drawer performances for Leeds. The 19-year-old has racked up an incredible passing accuracy percentage of 73% from the 42 competitive matches he's played in for his club. It's therefore no surprise that he's been called up to represent England at the U19 European Championship in Germany this summer.

FINAL LEAGUE TABLE

The 2015/16 season saw Sheffield Wednesday dominate the Sky Bet Championship, winning the title with six games still to play. Leeds United fell away from contention for 2nd place, but in the end it was a heated battle between Nottingham Forest and Brighton, one which Nottingham Forest won on the last day having dropped out the week before. Missing out in such fashion would prove costly for Brighton as they lost in the Play-Off Final to Leeds. In the end it was a miserable season for fans of Birmingham, Bolton and Rotherham, who saw their teams relegated to League One.


Championship Departures


Key: Promoted, Relegated


Sheffield Wednesday
Nottingham Forest
Leeds United
Birmingham City
Bolton Wanderers
Rotherham United


Championship Arrivals


Millwall
Sheffield United
Bradford City
Norwich City
Aston Villa
Bournemouth

PRE-SEASON

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TRANSFERS

In











Out

Eric Grimes- Released
Jack McKay- Cheltenham Town (Loan)
Alex Purver- Cowdenbeath (Loan)
Chris Wood- Brentford (£850,000)
Salvatore D'Elia- Pescara (Loan)
Jack Vann- Notts County (Loan)
Lee Erwin- St Johnstone (Loan)
Tommaso Bianchi- Ternana (£1.3m)
Ronaldo Vieira- Stockport County (Loan)
Jordan Botaka- Millwall (Loan)
Che Adams- Kilmarnock (Loan)

FRIENDLIES

Farsley Celtic 0-4 Leeds United

Max Gradel 31
Giuseppe Bellusci 42
Jordan Ayew 44
Stuart Dallas 89

Carlisle United 3-2 Leeds United

Alex Mowatt 23
David Atkinson 26
Jordan Ayew 30
Jason Kennedy 40
Stuart Dallas 67
Jabo Ibehre 77

FC Basel 0-0 Leeds United

St. Gallen 0-2 Leeds United

Alireza Jahanbakhsh 36
Liam Cooper 89

Young Boys 1-0 Leeds United

Florian Farinet 59

Leeds United 2-0 Bury

Bradley Dack 18
Chuba Akpom 78

Leeds United 4-0 Doncaster Rovers

Jordan Ayew 7, 11
Hope Akpan 56
Chuba Akpom 81

Leeds United 1-0 Charlton Athletic

Chuba Akpom 90+1

IN BRIEF

Elland Road purchase plans shelved
Townend agrees new contract in wake of Leicester approach
Leeds United Academy development gets underway
Leeds part company with assistant manager Paul Raynor
Derek Fazackerley appointed as Josh Townend's new no. 2
Fixture list won't be kind as Leeds face Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham at the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season

*Disregard the BB Code error at the end. It's not even there when I go to edit the post, so I can't figure out what's going on[/spoiler]

Can't wait to see how you fare in the PL!

2016-06-12 20:58#233885 mgriffin2012 : Can't wait to see how you fare in the PL!

With City, Arsenal and Spurs as my first three opponents, I can!

AUGUST ROUNDUP

RESULTS

Manchester City 5-1 Leeds United

Sergio Aguero 24, 34, 41
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 36
Kevin De Bruyne 39
Hope Akpan 57
Yaya Toure pen 73



Leeds United 0-1 Arsenal



Leeds United 2-0 Peterborough United

Alireza Jahanbakhsh 69
Max Gradel 79



Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leeds United

Harry Kane 21
Heung-Min Son 40
Christian Eriksen 45+1

TABLE

As expected, the first three games have firmly rooted us at the bottom of the table. No one's to blame for this, all we can do is try to pick up points in the games where we actually stand a chance.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH

No one has really stood out as being particularly great, so this award is given based on the player that- over the three league games- has looked most likely to make something happen for us. He assisted the only goal we scored and has spearheaded the few counter-attacking moves we've made. Well done Max Gradel[/spoiler]

Really unfortunate start or the season mate, you'll begin picking up form once your signings are settled in!

2016-06-14 09:46#233989 Jack : Really unfortunate start or the season mate, you'll begin picking up form once your signings are settled in!

Or once we start getting fixtures where it's actually possible to pick up at least a point

FIRST HALF ROUNDUP

Ok, I have to apologise for this, but I got carried away playing the game. I just got so sucked into it and ended up at the end of December without updating the story. So I'll compress the months I haven't yet covered into this post, and endeavour to not get carried away in the future

RESULTS

SEPTEMBER

Leeds United 1-2 Newcastle United

Remy Cabella 1
Chancel Mbemba 21
Chuba Akpom 71

We started too slow in this game and struggled in the full-back positions. We eased into it in the second half but lacking in any real urgency. A very disappointing result to say the least.

Leeds United 0-0 Everton

It was a relief to finally get our first point of the season but we should have won this game. We had creativity going forward, but no end product which really cost us in the end.

Chelsea 0-1 Leeds United Capital One Cup Third Round

Max Gradel 34

This game defined the term 'smash and grab'. We set up to hit them on the counter and once we went one up, we shut up shop. Cue a barrage of Chelsea chances as our defence took an absolute battering, but they held firm, and we walked away with one of our most memorable results of the season.

Sunderland 2-1 Leeds United

Jose Holebas 26
Dominic Solanke
Jordan Ayew 85

Like the Newcastle game, we were too slow off the mark and went two behind again. We took too long to get into the game and in the end, our goal was just too little, too late.

OCTOBER

Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United

Our team finally appears to be gelling at this stage, holding firm once again against very strong opposition. We showed some promise at the break but at the end of the day, we were delighted to come away from Anfield with a point and a clean sheet.

Leeds United 1-0 West Ham United

Max Gradel 58

In this game, Max Gradel became the only Leeds player to score in every league the club has competed in, adding to his tally in League One and the Championship from his first spell. This was a brilliant performance and very pleasing to finally get our first win.

West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Leeds United

Lewis Cook 31
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 37

Another very pleasing performance drew another very pleasing result. Lewis Cook's goal was the highlight of this game as he ran along the edge of the box and without even pausing to turn, lashed it straight into the top corner, putting the Leeds fans behind the goal on cloud nine.

Leeds United 1-1 Liverpool (4-2 on pens) Capital One Cup Fourth Round

Lazar Markovic 45
Alireza Jahanbakhsh 66

This was another memorable night as football, as we knocked another strong favourite out of the competition to advance to the quarter final. We looked very assured in the second half, and played very well in extra time to push it to penalties. As with last season's play-off semi final, Silvestri jumped to the rescue, saving Jordan Ibe's penalty to send us to the next round.

Leeds United 2-1 Swansea City

Max Gradel 32
Jordan Ayew 59
Florin Andone 84

Another spectacular performance rounded off a superb unbeaten month. We were a very potent threat going forward, and didn't let Swansea's goal make us wobble. A very encouraging result.

NOVEMBER

Stoke City 2-1 Leeds United

Xherdan Shaqiri 25
Stuart Dallas 26
Stephane Sessegnon 65

Defeat at the Britannia finally brought us down to Earth. We were unlucky in this game, losing out to a very impressive Stoke side that's come on leaps and bounds since we were last in a league with them.

Leeds United 1-1 Chelsea

Chuba Akpom 48
Diego Costa 88

What pleased me about this is that I was disappointed we didn't win. Once we got a goal against the run of play, I was hoping we could get away with grinding out a 1-0 again, and we came very close, but it wasn't to be. This game demonstrated how far we've come since our poor start in August and September.

Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Leeds United

Glenn Loovens og 42

Everyone loves a win against their local rivals and we're no different. This time, there was more at stake, with Wednesday being sucked into the relegation zone and us looking to push even further away from it. It was a struggle, and a very even game, but that goal will give us great encouragement going forward.

Bristol City 2-4 Leeds United Capital One Cup Quarter Final

Luke Freeman 24
Max Gradel 26
Karim Ait Fana 36
Chuba Akpom 47
Stuart Dallas 66, 78

It was a struggle at first away at the surprise package in this competition, but the difference in quality showed in the second half. Stuart Dallas was particularly impressive, and despite being one of 'the old boys', was the difference on this occasion.

DECEMBER

Leeds United 4-2 Crystal Palace

Jairo 5, 38
Stuart Dallas 44, 77
Bradley Dack 58
Max Gradel 76

Although we've beaten better teams, this will stand out as the highlight of the season, for the way we turned around a two-goal deficit to come away with three points. Stuart Dallas continued the form he showed against Bristol City, and could well light up the Premier League if this continues.

Leicester City 0-1 Leeds United

Max Gradel 29

In a very solid away performance, it was our player of the season so far that won it for us and played an outstanding 90 minutes of football. This result saw us touted as contenders for a Europa League spot, which speaks volumes about how far we've come since our six-game winless start.

Leeds United 0-1 Watford

Robbie Brady 80

This was a flashback to our early season form, where we just didn't get started. We were average for a lot of this game, but at least this result will bring us back to Earth and stand us in good stead to put in improved performances.

Nottingham Forest 1-2 Leeds United

Freddie Sears 24
Max Gradel 38, 62

This was the game in which Max Gradel announced himself to the rest of the league as a game changer. His pace and dribbling was a constant threat for Forest, and he fully deserved the two goals he scored.

Leeds United 2-0 Southampton

Stuart Dallas 16
Chuba Akpom 29

It was very pleasing to win so convincingly against a team now considered to be our 'European rivals'. This was an amazing result, and something that has defined our recent form.

Leeds United 0-1 Manchester United

Matteo Darmian 36

This game was built up as the pinnacle of our calendar year. We've had an amazing 2016, and were about to wrap it up at home to our fiercest rivals on New Year's Eve. We played very well, and were unfortunate to have lost out in this contest. This is not the last Vicente Del Bosque and Man United will hear of this.

TABLE

We've turned the Premier League on it's head with our turnaround in form. We're well clear of the relegation places and are within four points of a guaranteed Europa League spot. Of course, the objective has always been to avoid relegation, so we'll be putting the European dream to one side and just work hard on getting as many points as possible to keep widening the gap between us and the bottom three. Watch this space.

BEST PLAYER

Our best player has undeniably been Max Gradel. We see it all too often in football where a player will return to a former club for a second spell and not quite have the same impact, but Max clearly didn't get the memo. He's the club's top scorer and he's a large part of the reason we're now being tipped for Europe.

FOUR ARRIVE AT ELLAND ROAD

1st January 2017


Following an announcement in October [*editor's note: apologies for not mentioning that in the last update] that Josh Townend will be given £33m to spend this month, Leeds United have confirmed that four players have joined the ranks at Elland Road.

The most expensive signing, and reportedly the first to agree a deal, is 21-year-old Zach Clough. The young striker arrives from Bolton Wanderers for £7m. Clough has been playing in League One this season, although you could point out to the critics that Bradley Dack made the same leap in the summer and has blended seamlessly into the side.

Another striker to sign for Leeds is Benik Afobe, of Bournemouth in the Championship. Afobe has scored 8 goals in 16 starts for the club since his arrival, and will be hoping for a much better run of things at his new club, where he arrives for a fee of £5m.

At right-back, Leeds have signed Derby County's Cyrus Christie for £6m. Right back is a position where United have struggled: Berardi has been booked 8 times and sent off twice for the Yorkshire outfit this season, and in his absence, Lewie Coyle and Scott Wootton haven't been able to cope with the demands of Premier League table.

Leeds' cheapest signing in this influx of transfer arrivals is another right-back in Ivan Piris, who arrives from Serie A side Torino for £500,000. The 27-year-old hasn't pulled up any trees this season, but Townend evidently sees something in the Paraguayan, who has made 36 caps for his country.

Big fan of Afobe, should be a solid signing! Keep it up mate

JANUARY ROUNDUP

RESULTS

Sunderland 1-1 Leeds United Capital One Cup Semi Final First Leg

Dominic Solanke 47
Chuba Akpom 53

This was a very even game and a draw was probably a fair result. We didn't let their goal affect our game and it showed when we equalised just six minutes later. This result put us in a great position ahead of the home leg.

Leeds United 3-0 Brentford

Jordan Ayew 20
Chuba Akpom 78, 87

We were on top for a lot of the game, but struggled to create anything significant for a long period of time. Then of course, we brought on Chuba Akpom and scored twice in ten minutes.

Leeds United 0-2 Manchester City

Raheem Sterling 51
Javi Martinez 89

With Man City having a woeful season, I was hoping we'd be able to make amends for the 5-1 thrashing we received on the opening day. It wasn't to be as they went at us hammer and tongs and deservedly ran out winners.

Arsenal 1-1 Leeds United

Alexis Sanchez 67
Zach Clough 86

It's particularly pleasing when anyone grabs a late equaliser, but there are few more satisfying sights than seeing a young striker for whom you spent £7m score a late equaliser away at Arsenal. We played very well in this game and deserved to at least take a point away.

Leeds United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Zach Clough 37
Nacer Chadli 49

It was great to see Clough score again, particularly to put us in front. It therefore visibly detracted from our attacking threat when he was taken off injured in the second half. Still, a draw is a very respectable result against the league leaders.

Leeds United (3) 2-0 (1) Sunderland Capital One Cup Semi Final Second Leg

Stuart Dallas 23
Chuba Akpom 52

The players put in an exceptional performance when it mattered most to send us to Wembley for our second final in two seasons. It was a maginificent night and one for the fans to savour for a long time.

Hull City 0-1 Leeds United FA Cup Fourth Round

Alex Mowatt 90+3

A late winner did little to disguise the fact that we were really poor in this game. It was no where near our usual standard of football, but we're through to the next round, and our form in cup competitions continues.

Leeds United 1-1 Sunderland

Steven Fletcher 60
Charlie Taylor 70

A busy January probably contributed for us not being able to assert our dominance as much as we would have liked. It was also the reason we lost Taylor, Gradel and Jahanbakhsh to injury, and they'll be sorely missed in the coming weeks. At least we didn't lose.

TRANSFERS

In

Benik Afobe Bournemouth £5m
Cyrus Christie Derby County £6m
Zach Clough Bolton Wanderers £7m
Ivan Piris Torino £500,000
Bright Enobakhare Wolverhampton Wanderers £875,000
Michael Morrison Middlesbrough £1.6m
Heiko Westermann Real Betis £80,000

Chuba Akpom's loan deal has also been made permanent for £12.5m.

Out

Lewie Coyle Birmingham City Loan- End of Season
Luke Murphy Norwich City Loan- End of Season
Scott Wootton Rotherham United £160,000
Casper Sloth Birmingham City £275,000
Liam Cooper Sheffield Wednesday £1.1m

Kalvin Phillips has been recalled from a loan spell at Partick Thistle

TABLE

We've dropped further behind the European places than we would have liked, but given the fixture list, that's to be expected. Hopefully we can pick up points in our more winnable fixtures and beat Arsenal in the League Cup final so that we can make Europe regardless of league standing. Obviously, the priority remains to be survival so there'll be no hurt if we're not in the Europa League next year.