Painful games against Bournemouth and Brentford, defenitly an off day. I hope that you'll get this straight quick

A tough one to take against Brentford but that Everton win is absolutely vital, potentially season-changing as it has pushed you nicely away from danger and it's good to get a win at the end of a month.

Outside the relegation spots, but a quick change in form could ruin that, keep working!

Just goes to show how tough the league is. The win over Everton will prove to be very important in the coming months - adding motivation and, more importantly, points. The points tally so far is good. You've played some tough games. You'll pick up even more!

t's been tough and it's not going to get any easier anytime soon, but to be the best you need to beat the best. Still outside of the relegation zone and picking up some good results along the way. Keep it going and you'll be in the league for another season for sure!

ScottT: It's a great result, a few more of them wouldn't go amiss

Wolf: We'll have days like that. All about minimising them

Jack: Staying up will be huge for us and if results like that make it happen, I'm all in

Griffo: It's a long hard slog, we'll keep at it

Justice: It's a harder league than it looks. Guilty of mistaking a lack of ambition for a lack of quality in a lot of opponents

TheLFCFan: Stay up. That's the goal, we're not doing bad at it so far


Janik Haberer 6
Ebere Eze 51


The win against Everton gave us confidence, ending a five game winless streak. Up next were Wolves, who had aspirations of qualifying for the Europa League and weren't a million miles away from managing in it. I'd like us to get there soon, but we could do to actually stay in the Premier League first.

We got off to a good start, opening the scoring after five minutes. Shackleton's ball over the top beat Shkodran Mustafi, who mis-timed his jump. Haberer was through one-on-one, inexplicably hitting the pot before burying the rebound. The visitors levelled the scoring shortly before half-time, when Stanislav Lobotka reacted fastest tothe rebound from Daniel Podence's free kick, which hit the woodwork. We got our noses back in front early in the second half, when Ayling's cross from deep found Eze at the far post, who met it with a volley. Wolves got level after the hour with one of the softest goals we'll concede all season. Pedro Neto ran all the way from the halfway line down the right, Costa kept pace with him but offered nothing in the tackle. He got all the way to the byline before firing home. It was poor from Costa, but Ayling offered extremely little in the way of help. It was a result I'd have taken before kick-off, but slack defending held us back in a game we could've won.


Luka Milivojevic pen 75
Granit Xhaka 90+3


On paper, we were on a favourable run of fixtures. We'd taken four points from our first two games of that run and came into this one full of confidence. Palace were treading water in the bottom half as they've been doing for a long time now, so this felt like a big opportunity to get some more points on the board.

After being the better side in the first half, we got ourselves in front with just over ten minutes until the interval. It came from Haberer's cross from the right which was knocked down by Eze for the emerging Perez, who wasn't hanging around. We pressed the self-destruct button with 15 minutes to go. A push from Mings on Arlind Ajeti in the area was spotted by VAR and saw a penalty awarded to Palace. Luka Milivojevic stepped up and fired it home to Casilla's left. We came back at them, looking to regain the lead, but a lapse in concentration near the end cost us dear. Don't get me wrong. it was a terrific strike from the edge of the area from Granit Xhaka, but he was under no real pressure and I found that irritating. It was easily our worst performance of the season. Lacking in any real character or ruthlessness, it just wasn't acceptable by any means.


Janik Haberer 70


After a humiliating performance down at Selhurst Park last weekend, we were back home to face Brighton. Our visitors had raised a few eyebrows so far and looked well in the running for a Europa League place. They'd comfortably retained Ben White over the summer, but I felt we could take something from them.

Despite being the better side in the opening exchanges, it was Brighton who took the lead midway through the first half. It was a simple set piece, with Pascal Gross' free kick from the left finding the head of Shane Duffy. We fell further behind seconds after the restart, when Solly March's through ball played Florin Andone into a one-on-one. After slamming shots at everything but the back of the net, we finally pulled one back with 20 minutes left. Phillips dispossessed Duffy on halfway, played a good through ball to Haberer who got one-on-one, firing home from the edge of the box. Our chances were handed a boost with just under ten to go, when Davy Propper was handed a second yellow for a foul on Roberts. We neither capitalised on our numerical advantage, nor did we look like scoring more than the one goal. It was another wasteful performance and highlighted a need to get it together in the final thrid because it's starting to cost us.


Allan Saint-Maximin 7
Jamaal Lascelles 25
Santiago Arias 43


With two heavily disappointing defeats coming back-to-back, we were presented with a chance to take points off another side lingering in the bottom half with us. A trip to St James' Park awaited, our first since a Chris Wood goal on 94 minutes snatched a point in a 1-1 draw when we met in the Championship in 2016/17. Casilla was ruled out with a virus and with Will Huffer also injured, we turned to 19-year-old Elia Caprile, signed from Chievo last summer.

We didn't get off to a great start and found ourselves behind very early on. Matty Longstaff threaded a through ball to Allan Saint-Maximin, who no one had picked up and who buried it one-on-one. We pulled ourselves level a few minutes later, when Costa's cross from the byline on the right found Eze, who met it with a sweet volley. Midway through the first half, Newcastle were back in front, when Saint-Maximin's free kick found the head of Jamaal Lascelles, who had no one even in the same time zone marking him, giving him a free header on goal. Our next equaliser came from an unlikely source, when Shackleton's through ball found Ayling, who's shot hit Karl Darlow before he scored the rebound from a tight angle. They got back ahead for the third time in the afternoon just before half-time, when Danny Welbeck played it to Santiago Arias down the right, who Mings apparently couldn't be arsed closing down properly. Arias got one-on-one and made no mistake. When it was looking like we wouldn't get level again, we were presented with a golden opportunity from 12 yards with just over five minutes to go, when Arias brought Douglas down in the area. Eze stepped up and tucked it into the bottom corner to Darlow's right. The character shown was encouraging, but what was infuriating was that we finally got it together up front, but then defended like bad amateurs at the back. At least we didn't lose again.


Marcus Rashford 45+1
Anthony Martial 52


This is what I'd been looking forward to since we were promoted against Barnsley. After 16 years, we were back playing our fiercest rivals in the league. We'd met a couple of times since- that famous FA Cup victory in 2010 and the one we try not to talk about in the League Cup in 2011- but nothing beats derby day in the league. They'd won five titles and a Champions League, whilst we'd been in League One and been in administration since 2004 so this fixture represented the hotly anticipated return to normal service. Casilla was better after contracting a virus, but I forgot to put him back in the team, so good luck Caprile!

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts took the lead. Marcus Rashford ran from the halfway line and similar to Neto's goal for Wolves the other week, he was almost entirely unopposed before firing home. They doubled their advantage shortly after the restart and it was Holding who was to blame. His haphazard headed clearance went as far as Rashford. He idly watched Rashford's ball fly over his head and into the path of Anthony Martial, who found himself one-on-one. Game over. Or was it? We pulled one back midway through the second half, after some patient build-up, Costa's cross from the right was headed home by Haberer. Game on. We pulled level with five minutes to go, when Phillips dinked a lovely ball over the top which Harrison took a touch and fired home. As unhelpful as the defence were, the forwards gave absolutely everything. We showed immense character to get a point in such a big game, few teams go 2-0 down at Old Trafford and live to tell the tale. Although if we're being cheeky, few teams go 2-0 down at Old Trafford full stop!


After an eventful Roses Derby on Boxing Day, we were back to Elland Road to welcome another of the 'big six', as Liverpool came to town. The reverse fixture saw our opponents grab the points after a dogged performance had kept us in the game until very late on. Perhaps as karma for forgetting to include him in the side against Man Utd, Casilla picked up a knock, so I was forced to play Caprile again.

A goalless draw was a good result for us. We defended superbly (for a change) and with the chances we did create, we were unlucky not to have scored. It was a highly pleasing performance against a very strong side, especially coming just two days after a breathless 90 minutes in Manchester.


We've gone six games without a win and only lost a point in our lead over the bottom three. To be six points clear at the halfway stage is huge for us and one that sets us up well for the second half of the season. On the negative, it's my first full month without a win and that does eat away at me. On the plus side, we put in much better performances towards the end of the month and a home game against Middlesbrough is our next league fixture, a huge chance to pick up some hugely important points. This is where it gets interesting...


After taking a while to get going this season, Ebere Eze is finally starting to get through the gears and has had a good month in a Leeds shirt. He's bagged three goals and assist, making him the biggest contributor to goals for us this month, which has helped us keep picking up points. If he carries on like this, I fancy us to do well in the second half of the season and hopefully there is more to come. Special mentions go to Janik Haberer, whose continued goal scoring form has been huge for us and Elia Caprile, who despite conceding a few in the games he's played has done well when called upon in difficult circumstances.


The managerial merry-go-round marches on in the Premier League. Nemad Bjelica lost his job at Leicester after a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle put the Foxes down in 16th. He's been replaced by OGC Nice boss Frank De Boer. After over four years together, Sheffield United have parted company with Chris Wilder, with the club struggling in the bottom three, He's been replaced by ex-Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

In the Championship, there haven't been any sackings, but the remaining vacancies have now been taken. Doncaster Rovers boss Darren Moore has taken the QPR job, Sam Ricketts has left Shrewsbury Town for Huddersfield Town, whilst Man City coach Ben Wilkinson has taken the job at Sunderland.

In the Carabao Cup, Norwich's run came to an end with a 4-0 thrashing by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal have progressed with a 1-0 win over Liverpool whilst Wolves are also through, having smashed Bristol City 5-1 at Ashton Gate.

In the FA Cup, we've been handed a home draw against Norwich City. Other intriguing clashes see Nottingham Forest host Leicester in an East Midlands derby, Everton host Man Utd, Arsenal host Birmingham, Chelsea host Bolton whilst Sheffield Wednesday play a Yorkshire derby against Barnsley.


That's all from me for now, Been a tough month results-wise, but hopefully we have some better news next time!

May not be winning but you aren't losing all too many. Points against Liverpool and United are big and those results will keep you ticking along nicely.

Two initially disappointing results but to respond on three separate occasions against Newcastle was slightly encouraging. Followed up by two massive results against United and Liverpool, in particular the latter with keeping a rare clean-sheet.

I think you can be relatively pleased with the performance thus far. There's obvious things to improve on but consolidation will be more than enough and that looks set to be what you achieve.

Take from the riches and giving away against poorer teams. It's a nice place for a newly promoted side, just you need to perform better against teams like Brighton & Palace.

My god look at the bottom of the table... not even a single win!

No surprise to see Eze doing so well at the moment. That 85th minute Harrison equaliser against Scum would've sent the fans into raptures! Decent work in the league this season.

I wouldn't be too disheartened about the lack of wins recently. The points tally is still good and you're over the most difficult part of the season for a newly promoted team. Still got plenty of work to do to survive but you've certainly got plenty going your way.

Looks like this will be a year of trying to settle in the PL. Also one tip: don't buy Kemar Roofe again at Leeds, he's horrible at my save at the moment haha, was injured for some time too

TheLFCFan: Results against the 'big six' will be huge

ScottT: I'd like to think we can put up a fight when needed. We'll find out just how big a fight in a couple of months

OneMoreGame: We are the Robin Hood of the Premier League

Griffo: Still on to smash Derby's record!

Jack: They were both slow burners, but once they got going, they really started helping out

Justice: The 40-mark is the aim, but as long as we've got a comfortable enough cushion over the bottom thrre, we'll be fine

Wolf: I'm sure we'll manage without him


I thought I'd switch up the way I do the January transfer window and any August arrivals after the first game of the season. I'll run through them before the fixtures, so that the fixtures make a little more sense.


Our first January arrival was agreed in November, so we were able to have him straight at the club on New Year's Day. Joao Carvalho arrives from Nottingham Forest for a fee of £11.5m, having played a key role in a side that reached the semi-final of the Championship playoffs last season and that have been hovering around the top six for most of the season. He's a playmaker that has been brilliant for Forest, with an eye for goal as well as a pass. He was signed to replace Pablo Hernandez (more on him later) and will be a valuable to our side.


We've been looking for a left-back to compete with Barry Douglas for some time now and we finally have one. The strategy we settled for in the summer was to move Tyrone Mings to left-back and sign another centre-back (the arrival of Rob Holding). With Tyrone MIngs' performances being inadequate at best wherever he played, it became apparent we'd need to bring someone in. Step up Carlos Clerc of Spanish outfit Levante, brought to the club for £6.5m. Clerc is more of a modern wing back, getting forward at every opportunity and his physical stats back his ability to do this. He's 28 years old, but he's a quality addition nonetheless and will be a massive help to us at least in the medium term.


Another position where we've needed an addition for some time is in goal. Illan Meslier returned to FC Lorient with us opting not to exercise the option to buy, leaving us with Will Huffer as the next senior keeper. Talented though he is, he was injured when we needed him and we could've done with a better option anyway. We went to the market on deadline day and picked up Maarten Vandevoordt, a young keeper we've been monitoring for just under a year. The 18-year-old has been signed on loan with an option to buy for £15m, a high price tag for a keeper with just two league appearances to his name so far, but he is extremely highly thought of at his parent club, KRC Genk, and has been tipped for huge things in the future. I think he'll go a long way in the game and if he continues the great work he's putting into his development during his time here, I'd have no problem taking him on as a long term replacement for Casilla, who is getting on a bit now at 34 years old.




It was that time of year again and the FA Cup was back around. We'd been handed a home tie against fellow Premier League side Norwich City, not a tie that really whet the appetite, but I expect performances by default, so I wouldn't allow any slacking.

The only goal of the game came midway through the first half, when Todd Cantwell led a counter attack, dinked it over the top for Emi Buendia, who shot for the far corner. It was a soft shot that Caprile got a hand to and really ought to have held, but it slipped away from him and over the line. I was disappointed with the performance only, thoroughly not arsed about being out of the FA Cup in the context of this season.


Ebere Eze 5
Jack Harrison 14
Jack Harrison 44
Patrick Bamford 69


With the FA Cup out of the way, we could now concentrate solely on survival. After a run of six league games without a win, we came up against Middlesbrough, a side who had contrived to get to January without a win. They had picked up another couple of points last month, putting them on a whopping four points for the season. They wouldn't argue against the notion that they're down already, so this fixture couldn't have come at a more crucial time for us.

We got off to a flyer, scoring on five minutes. It came from Ayling's cross from the right which was flicked on by Bamford, before being lashed home on the volley by Eze. We doubled our advantage ten minutes later, when Shackleton pinged a ball out to Harrison, who cut inside from the right, skinned Adam Andersson and curled it into the bottom corner. On the stroke of half-time, we added a third. Douglas sent over a free kick from a deep position on the left, which was headed home at the far post by Harrison. They snatched a consolation goal back immediately, when Victor Mongil played it to Juanpi on the underlap on the right, Juanpi ran in on goal unchallenged and fired home. We finished them off with 20 minutes remaining, when Ayling sent a through ball from a wide right position, which Bamford finished first time at the near post. It was a brilliant, ruthless, professional performance when we really needed one. A vital three points.


Giovanni Lo Celso missed pen 26
Dele Alli 30
Davinson Sanchez 55
Toby Alderweireld 86


After a much needed return to winning ways, it was back to the hard grind. Our last visit to White Hart Lane came in a 2-2 draw in the FA Cup in 2010, during our League One days, with Beckford scoring twice including a last minute equaliser from the spot. As they say in these parts, they've done up the gaff a bit since we were last here.

Just over the midway point in the first half, we were hit with two bits of good news and two bits of bad news. Bad news: we gave away a penalty. Bad news: Woolfenden was sent off for the foul committed. Good news: He was sent off for elbowing Harry Kane in the face, meaning Spurs' talisman was unable to take the penalty whilst he received treatment on the sidelines. Good news: Giovanni Lo Celso stepped up and smashed it wide. That was only a temporary relief, we went behind five minutes later, when Rafa's free kick from the right was met with a strong header from Dele Alli, which hit the bar on its way in. They doubled the lead ten minutes into the second half, when we failed to clear a corner and Heung-Min Son played it short to Davinson Sanchez, the centre back. Davinson Sanchez, the centre back, hit the sweetest shot he'll ever hit in his life, smashing it into the top corner. We got ourselves back in with a shout with just under 20 minutes to go, when Son's backward pass caused some indecision between Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris, which Patrick Bamford capitalised on with a first time finish. Alderweireld became the next centre back to score an uncharacteristically incredible goal, curling one past Casilla as we failed to clear another corner.

To summarise, it was a dick move from Woolfenden to put us on the back foot in the manner that he did. Having said that, to concede three goals from set pieces in a match is absolutely inexcusable.




After a disappointing performance at Tottenham, the time had come for Man United to visit Elland Road, less than three months after the dramatic 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

The only goal of the game came after a matter of seconds and was down to another fuck up. Marcus Rashford had got to the byline and wasn't really going anywhere, but Ayling took it upon himself to lunge in and bring him down inside the box. Rashford stepped up and buried it low to Casilla's right. As for the rest of the game, we actually played well and created some good chances and were unlucky to not get a point. Unfortunately, some dimwitted play from our right-back gave them a head start and made it hard for us.


Soares 58
Chris Wood 81
Ante Palaversa 88
Soares 90+3


After playing three of the 'big six' in our last five league outings (playing one of them twice), I was looking forward to something slightly easier to get into *Harry Hill sideways stare at the camera*.

We dominated the first half, and probably should have been 2 or 3-0 up at half-time. Instead, we opted to dick about with it and concede just before the hour, when Diego Laxalt became the latest winger to enjoy the freedom of our right-hand side. His shot hit the post and Soares couldn't miss the rebound. We got level shortly after, when Harrison broke down the left and pulled it back to Joao Carvalho, who hit it first time from the edge of the box to open his account in a Leeds shirt. In the last ten minutes, we took it upon ourselves to completely capitulate. First, two ex-Leeds players linked up when Charlie Taylor's cross from the left was headed home by Chris Wood. Next up, Laxalt sent over a cross from the left, which was headed straight at Casilla by Dwight McNeil before the dopy shithouse dropped it, leaving an easy finish for Ante Palaversa. Capping off the display, Palaversa sent a cross from the left which the defence opted not to react to, giving Soares a nice easy finish.

Words can't explain how much this utterly fucked me off. Wasteful finishing in the first half was twinned with borderline match fixing at the back in the second half. I think/hope it'll be a long time before I see us come remotely close to playing this poorly.


Mason Mount 7


After an absolute humiliation at Turf Moor last week, the only way is up. Or in this case, up against it. One of the last fixtures I wanted to play after a 4-1 humbling against Burnley, was an away trip to Chelsea. On the positive side, Carlos Clerc completed his move the day before, giving us flexibility at left-back. For a very good reason, we'd abandoned the stance of just practicing our style, in favour of a full week of triple defending sessions. Here's hoping we had learned something...

It didn't get off to a great start and after about five minutes, we were behind. Ousmane Dembele (I'll touch on that later) sent a cross from the right, which Mason Mount met at the near post to fire Frank Lampard's Chelsea into the lead. You could forgive me for fearing the worst. But a minute later, we pulled level, when Douglas' inviting free kick from the right was met by Holding's header at the far post. I couldn't believe my eyes ten minutes later, when Douglas played in Harrison on the underlap and the Man City loanee curled it into the far bottom corner from the edge of the box to put us ahead. Even more unbelievable was when just before half-time, after fighting tooth and nail to hold on to the lead, we doubled it! Ayling sent a cross over from the byline which Harrison headed at Kepa before burying the rebound. We finished the job with full time just minutes away, when after some good link-up play between Harrison and Clerc down the left, Harrison pulled it back to Eze on the edge of the area, who touch a touch before smashing it beyond Kepa's reach.

That result alone was unbelievable. In the context of coming into the game off the back of a 4-1 battering a Burnley, I was absolutely speechless. Truly incredible.


He was a massive contributor to our promotion push last season and now he might be just as important to our bid for survival. Jack Harrison has been on fire this month, chipping in with four goals and two assists, including an absolute masterclass against Chelsea. Honourable mentions go to Ebere Eze, who contributed two goals and showed some real quality to help us put Middlesbrough and Chelsea to the sword and Barry Douglas, whose assists at Stamford Bridge were massive for us.


In the Carabao Cup, Arsenal and Leicester will face off in the final. Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2 at the Emirates after a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Leicester bounced back from a 3-2 defeat at Molineux, beating Wolves 2-0 at the King Power Stadium to send them through to Wembley.

In the FA Cup, shocks have been in short supply, although Leicester were knocked out the Third Round, losing 1-0 away at East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest. Man United were also knocked out in the Third Round, losing 3-2 to Everton at Goodison Park, who were knocked out in the Fourth Round by Bournemouth. Portsmouth are through to the Fifth Round after a 2-1 win against Middlesbrough.

With no managerial ins and outs in the Premier League or Championship, we can get into other transfers. In the biggest piece of business in the window, Ousmane Dembele made the switch from Barcelona to Chelsea for £98m. Elsewhere, Eduardo Camavinga signed for Man City from Stade Rennais for £42m; Alex Iwobi left Everton for Leicester in a £23m switch; Aleksandar Mitrovic moved to Bournemouth in a £21m deal which also saw Jack Simpson move to Fulham; and Fred became one of a growing number of players chasing the money in China, leaving Man United for Hebei Fortune for £12.75m.


That's all from me for now. Out of the remaining months of the season, only April has four fixtures, with three in each of the rest, so updates may come a little quicker. Just a little heads up. This game is not good for my cardiovascular health

What a month! Losses against Norwich in the cup and in particular Burnley were very disappointing, but what a win against Chelsea. That was incredible and a great response. You were unfortunate against United and probably even Spurs to be fair. The extra man from the early stages would have really aided them.

Clerc looks to be a decent addition and Carvalho seems ready for the step-up. We'll see in due course.