 Sunday 15/3 Brighton’s chief executive backs Leeds and West Brom if the Championship doesn’t resume. Chief executive of Premier League side backs Leeds United to be promoted into 22-team top flight | Yorkshire Evening Post Thanks to the YEP. Over 50,000 fans viewed(via Pericope)@LUFC Tweets post when they played today’s cancelled game with Cardiff City on FIFA 20. Leeds also did a ‘live’ commentary of the game with over 7,000 watching the virtual ‘action’. United won the game 3-1 with goals from Patrick Bamford(2) and ‘Jacky’ Harrison.  Cristiano Ronaldo is turning his chain of hotels in Portugal into hospitals to treat those with underlying health conditions who have Coronavirus.
Their treatment will be free as Cristiano will be paying for everything, including salaries of doctors and nurses. A fantastic gesture by the Juventus player. Bosnia-Herzegovina have asked for their Euro 2020 playoff semi-final against Northern Ireland to be called off due to the Coronavirus crisis. The Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina wrote to UEFA this week to request a postponement of the game, which was due to hand Leeds United's versatile Northern Irish international Stuart Dallas his 45th cap on March 26. UEFA are due to hold a meeting, including the 55 member associations, to discuss the action they will take in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, with regard to club competitions and Euro 2020. A video conference will take place on Tuesday and UEFA are expected to comment afterwards. Monday 16/3 Nearly every airline in the UK have suspended flights. Jet2 have announced they will continue to repatriate as many people as they can who are still abroad and most in ‘lockdown’ situations in the countries they are staying. David Prutton: “To go through the season with the intensity that Leeds play at and just turning teams over is super-human almost. You have got to appreciate the way Leeds have approached their football and how they have played this season.” ‘Jesus’ speaks! EFL Statement. https://www.efl.com/news/2020/march/efl-statement-coronavirus-update4/ Angus Kinnear on the situation at Elland Road and Thorpe Arch: “Well our first priority, like most businesses, is the health and well-being of our staff. We met again this morning to look at what we need to do to keep our players, our staff and the broader Leeds United family safe. "We already took measures last week, so the training ground is effectively locked down for all but first team activities. We've got individuals self isolating in line with government regulations if they feel like they're unwell. We've also taken the step this morning to send anyone who is in a high risk or vulnerable group home. Also, as of tomorrow we'll be moving to a skeleton staff so it'll just be the key operational businesses in the building." Kinnear on the future fixtures: "I think what we've heard from the broader football family over the last couple of days is a groundswell of opinion that the right thing to do is to complete the leagues. At the moment it's not a time to be talking about football, it's a time for cool heads and patience and I don't think anyone needs to jump to any immediate solutions. "I think the broad principle that you maintain the integrity of the competitions and when the time comes and it's safe to do so you finish the leagues. I think everyone is starting to feel that's the right thing to do. It's certainly our opinion. We think it maintains the integrity of the football pyramid, the integrity of the competitions, it allows solutions to some of the financial issues that clubs are going to be looking to face. “I think although it's difficult to put a timescale on it, finishing the leagues across Europe is the right thing to do. We've heard that from Serie A and La Liga who believe that if the Euros are suspended, it could potentially provide a window for leagues across Europe to be completed."
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 Tuesday 10/3 Luke Ayling wins the Bristol Street Motors Player of the Month for February. He had 54% of the public vote.  Spurs crash out of the Champions League after a 3-0 defeat by RB Leipzig to lose the tie 4-0 on aggregate.  On a personal note today I lost a special person in my life. My Auntie Kath helped bring me up in my teenage years. She was ‘one in a million’ and I’ll miss her so much.
Goodnight God Bless, rest easy xx Wednesday 11/3 Leeds United are set to turn Illan Meslier’s loan deal into a permanent transfer and are preparing to pay Lorient their asking price for the player, according to The Mirror. The goalkeeper will cost Leeds £5 million pounds. Meslier, 20, has impressed in the FA Cup tie at Arsenal and he has kept clean sheets in his first two Championship matches since replacing Kiko Casilla. AS Roma will not travel to Spain tomorrow for the Europa League match against Sevilla after the plane from Italy was not authorised to land in Spain. The game has been postponed. Spain's Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad has also been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. PSG played Borussia Dortmund behind closed doors, it was a really eerie spectacle. PSG won the game 2-0 to go through 3-2 on aggregate. Liverpool go out of the Champions League after 3-2 defeat AET at Anfield. Atletico Madrid go through 4-2 on aggregate. England’s women’s team lose 1-0 to Spain. The defeat means that the USA need only a point against Japan to win the SheBelieves Cup.  On Friday football basically shut down and the ramifications of it doing so may last for years to come. Liverpool, twenty plus points ahead of their nearest rivals denied the title they craved for thirty years and Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion could be denied a place in the Premiership.  All the leagues that have suspended football. Many have already spoken about making this season ‘null and void’ with the season cast and fans left only with fond memories of this season and what could been. It seems the ones voicing this opinion are the ones who’s Premier League future is currently under threat(Karen Brady)or attention seekers who like to get their names(Pierce Morgan)in the media all the time. It could be a ‘false alarm’ with games now only, for the time being suspended until the 3rd of April, ironically the day when Leeds are supposed to be travelling to Lancashire to play Blackburn Rovers. If play is not resumed on this day it would seriously put the 2019/20 season in doubt.  There is a meeting of UEFA on Tuesday that may clear the air by deciding that Euro 2020 is put back one year to accommodate a late finish of this current season, which would carry on through May and possibly into June. This would at least give clubs a little ‘wriggle room’ to play the games missed and finish the season.
I’ve an idea, but it may not to be to all people’s liking. The games suspended until a date it resumes all teams are given one point and then carry on so that issues like promotion and relegation are concluded in the normal way. Another idea, I’m not so keen on(but I’ll put it out there)is the bottom three of the Premier play the top three of the Championship to determine who plays in the Premier League in a one-legged game, this could also be used in promotion and relegation in the other leagues. It’s not perfect but nothing will be if the season ends with last weekends fixtures being the last games played. There is a FA Cup final, a Europa League Final and a Champions League final to decide and we are only in the quarter finals of each competition. That’s a lot of football to be played and that’s also without another interruption, which they may well be. It is hoped that we come out of this season with a successful outcome and without clubs having to fight their ‘corners’ in the courts and leave the fans with broken dreams. Stay safe boys and girls! MOT By Keith Ingham  Friday 6/3 Leeds United have been handed an allocation of 7,700 for the trip to Ewood Park next month. The Whites travel to Blackburn Rovers on Friday, April 3 with kick-off set for 19.45pm. Tickets prices start at £40 for adults, £29 for senior citizens and £25 for young adults with a £12 and £14 option for juniors. Supporters can purchase tickets from the official club website from 10.30am on Monday 9th of March. Sports authorities and broadcasters have been summoned by the government for discussions on coronavirus contingency plans, Sky Sports News has reported. The meetings will be held in London on Monday and will cover various possibilities in case the virus spreads further. Ministers will go over a wide range of scenarios in the hope of reaching agreements about a plan to protect the public. Some events could potentially be held behind closed doors, it is understood. The Premier League has currently not changed any football fixtures but has scrapped the traditional pre-match handshake between players. Nottingham Forest 0-3 Millwall Matt Smith(3). This league! Forest stay eight points behind second. Saturday 7/3 Leeds United vs Huddersfield Town  Team News: Leeds one change; Gaetano Berardi comes into defence with Ben White moving to midfield to replace Kalvin Phillips(knee injury)in midfield. Town unchanged. Team: Meslier, Ayling, Berardi, Cooper(c), Dallas, White, Klich, Hernandez, Costa, Harrison, Bamford. Both Gaetano Berardi and Pablo Hernandez pass the 150 mark in appearances for the club. The Game Leeds United 2 Huddersfield Town 0 - Luke Ayling bags stunner as Whites go top with Terriers victory | Yorkshire Evening Post Thanks to the YEP.   After the 2-0 win over the Terriers, Richard Kosmala gives us a review from a rival. Wasn’t fooled by 2 back to back home wins v out of form poor opposition coming into this one. With Leeds at 4/11 to win the game, even without Phillips, it was going to take a huge effort with a bit of luck to get anything from the game against a home side with its mojo back and top of the divisions form table. Cowley stuck with an offensive formation and the same team from the Charlton game which pleased me, but any gameplay was blown out of the window in minute 3, as Jack Harrison and Luke Ayling were afforded the freedom of Leeds by our defence as the latter connected with a worldy to send the home fans nuts. As soon as it hit his boot I knew it was in and a mountain to climb. I felt we got up the pitch a little after that for the next 30 minutes without looking like scoring or troubling Meslier and gradually Leeds took full command - blowing a big chance on the counter attack to double the lead with Harrison from another run from Ayling who had a big game.  Glad to get into the break at 1-0 and still a chance if we could improve, was the chat on the concourse but the second half was a total no show from a Town point of view as Leeds showed why there is a 29 point gap between the sides. Lossl with a great save from White but straight to Bamford and 2-0 and game over. And after that it was a matter of how many as only the woodwork and Lossl saved us from a bigger mauling.
Fair play to Leeds who have shown big balls since the Forest game and it’s only a matter of when not if now in my eyes a return to the Prem happens. Ayling was outstanding, a player that looks to have improved loads under Bielsa from the one I remember wearing the red of Bristol. We never tested the new keeper which disappointed me, I really felt coming in we’d give the whites a game, but the occasion and opposition was far too much for our team even with no Phillips. Enjoy the Premier League, Bielsa deserves his time at the top table, such a fine job done compared to the dross you've had manage you before! As for us, staying in the division would be a genuine achievement from a shambolic start under Jan Siewert. I think we are in good hands with the Cowleys and the summer transfer dealings are hugely important - outs as well as ins. It was a long walk back into the city after the game to drown my sorrows!! By Richard Kosmala We’d like to thank Richard for his report and wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season.  Sunday 1/3 Leeds United Women extend their unbeaten run to eight, as an Emily Cassidy strike seals a 1-0 win over Chorley. Monday 2/3 On this day in 1968 and it was a pretty special one too. Leeds United left back Terry Cooper with the winner as Leeds United win their first major trophy defeating Arsenal 1-0 in the League Cup Final The ‘caronavirus’ that has already interrupted the Six-Nations rugby tournament could now do the same to other sports including football where large amounts of people mix if the outbreak increases significantly. Games could also be played behind closed doors. Somehow you knew that something would happen to try and stop Leeds getting out of the bloody Championship!  Tyler Roberts was voted Quest EFL Footballer of the weekend for his performance at Hull City. The striker received 71% of the votes cast by fans. Saturdays 4-0 win at Hull meant we recorded our best ever return in terms of points in the month of February since 3 points for a win was introduced in 1982. Statistic provided by @lufcstats Danny Cowley on the upcoming game with Leeds and preparations before it: “It is a great game, we know how important it is for the club and our supporters. It is good to have a clean week, but we will certainly not be having any time off. We have to prepare and build and keep working." “For us, it is not about one-off success, but about having sustained success, the better you do, the harder you work and that has always been how we have lived and the mantra we have gone by.”  WhoScored.com Team of the month of February. Luke Ayling and Leeds captain Liam Cooper named in the X1.
Middlesborough draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest to further add worries of relegation to under pressure manager ex Leeds defender Jonny Woodgate. Boro were actually leading with only four minutes to play, but Grabban equalised with a goal that was ‘hotly’ disputed by Pears in the Boro goal. The draw meant Forest closed the gap on second to eight points. FA Cup 5th Round: Arsenal beat Portsmouth 2-0 at Fratton Park. Eddie Nketiah scoring the second goal. Tuesday 3/3 Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: Right now, we do not recommend the cancelling of mass events(football matches etc)and schools as well should not be closing unless there is a positive case and the schools have the advice to close. “There maybe things we have to do down the line that we don’t want to, but we will need the powers to do that hence proposing emergency legislation." Scary Times.  Thursday 27/2 Dave Watkins on another ‘nervy’ 1-0 win for Leeds. Keep on with the malt whiskey after games. https://dlw100.wixsite.com/leedsunited/middlesbrough-away-feb-2020 Thank you David. 11 more finals to go, just wondering if my heart can take it! Mateusz Klich is scoring goals, Luke Ayling is helping keep clean sheets. The pair discuss both after the Middlesborough game. Mateusz Klich: “I’m very happy to score but I’m happier with the three points, It was a very intense game, you could see Middlesbrough wanted to win as they needed the points.  “Klich is scoring goals!” Three against Boro this season. “We could see the Leeds fans in the stadium enjoyed the game. We know if we keep clean sheets, it’s going to be fine as in every game we get chances. Obviously everyone knows what we’re playing for, we have to take experience from last season and no one wants to repeat that. “We can feel the pressure but everyone is mentally stronger this season.” Luke Ayling on clean sheets, the upturn in form and Hull City: “It’s a very good result and it’s always nice to get another clean sheet, we know we had chances to make it more than one-nil and we restricted them to one shot on target. “It’s getting to that part in the season where every team is scrapping for something, down at the bottom of the table and at the top, so there are going to be no easy games. We can’t look at other team’s results, though, we have to just focus on ourselves and keep grinding out results. “The boys in the dressing room knew we had the quality to turn the form around and get out of that rut. We’re going to be doing everything to make sure we’re ready for Saturday’s game now. “Hull City are scrapping for their lives so I’m sure it will be a good derby game.” Hull City manager Grant McCann is “fearful of a hammering” on Saturday: “We’ve got a very, very tough game on Saturday. One of the best teams in the league are coming here. If we perform like we did(against Barnsley)then we’ll get hammered. That’s exactly what I’ve told the group. “We need to roll our sleeves up now, do it for themselves, do it for their families, do it for this football club. They need to start taking responsibility and that’s everyone. Confidence is a big thing in football and at the minute we’ve got a low group. “We have to pick them up and go again. In tough times you’ve got to stick together and stay strong. The belief has got to run through the group."   Tuesday 18/2 Liverpool lose only their second game of the season when they lose 1-0 at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Erling Haaland scores again for Dortmund as they beat PSG 2-1. The 19 year old has scored 11 goals in 7 games since signing for the German club. Wednesday 19/2 Kiko Casilla’s ‘trial’ begins, he has a number of players including ex loanee Eddie Nketiah who will speak in his defence. A decision is expected before Saturday’s game with Reading. Liam Cooper in a defiant mood, as the Leeds skipper puts a few wrongs ... RIGHT! No tiredness, just ambition to get promoted. Leeds United shutting out the noise as Liam Cooper rubbishes 'tiredness' claims | Yorkshire Evening Post Thanks to the YEP. Thursday 20/2 Marcelo Bielsa ... pre Reading. On who plays in goal on Saturday: "It’s a situation we have to resolve," said Bielsa, asked how Casilla's hearing had affected preparations this week. “It’s correct we adapt ourselves the way they decide to resolve this situation. Meslier is the option if Kiko doesn’t play. In this situation or in others.” Bielsa also said he has the same outfield squad as last Saturday(versus Bristol City)to pick from. Friday 21/2 Leeds United under 23’s draw 1-1 with Wolves. Bobby Kamwa with United’s goal. Fulham close the gap on second placed Leeds to two points after a 1-1 draw with Derby County at Pride Park. Saturday 22/2 Leeds vs Reading  Team News: Leeds starting X1 unchanged; Casey on the bench in place of Berardi. Reading make two changes; Pele returns to centre back and Olise was a late replacement for Ejaria, injured in the warm up. Team: Casilla, Ayling, White, Cooper(c), Dallas, Phillips, Klich, Hernandez, Costa, Harrison, Bamford. The Game My review of the game.  |
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