 Callum Bezants runs the rule over his support of the ‘Bees’ and the game with Leeds. How long have you supported Brentford and why did you choose them as your team? I have supported brentford as long as I can remember. I come from a family of bees and grew up in feltham not to far from brentford. What’s your favourite moment as a fan? Season, game or anything other occasion. Favourite moment as a bees fan was our good Friday 2015/16 game at Craven Cottage Smashing Fulham 4-1 away from home with 6500 travelling supporters. Tell us about a player that you were proud to have on the back of a shirt, if you didn’t is there one you wished you would have? As a ‘Bee’ Kevin O’Connor was always my favourite. Great player, great leader and all round great guy. Out of brentford was always ronaldinho but then again a club of our size could never afford that...  What’s your most memorable match playing against Leeds United and your reaction to last season’s home win over Leeds that virtually ended any hopes of automatic promotion for them. Most memorable game vs Leeds was definitely the 2-0 home win at GP. Stopping Leeds getting promoted. I don't hate Leeds so wasnt really a big thing but knowing there was a lot riding on that game made it special for the fans. Are you happy with your dealings in this summer transfer windows so far? Is there any player you’d love to bring into your starting eleven? (Messi and Ronaldo cannot be considered!) and your thoughts on the signing a man who can head a brick!(PJ) Our transfer window has been phenomenal in all years I have never seen us do business like it! Spending over 5 million on a player is obscene for a club such as us. Would have preferred to get a replacement for Neal(Maupay) but we have good back ups in ollie Watkins and Marcus Forss so time will tell if they can deliver.  Pontus was like signing the likes of messi for a club like brentford. He is by far one of the best CBs in the league and I was so shocked I thought he was prem quality but for him to be playing for us is a fab signing as our defence has always been our week point.
What’s your hopes for the next season? Top ten or do you think you can make the top six with the squad you have Hope's are always high I'd like to say we are a top six side but the championship is so competitive and any team can go up or down. I'm gonna stick to my guns and say top half for us any more Is a bonus!! Who are your three for the drop? My three for the drop are Wigan. Millwall and Reading. I cant see those three doing much at all. Just cant compete with the rest of the league. Your thoughts on the upcoming EFL season and who are the teams you consider will be in the top six of the Championship in May? Leeds, WBA, Bristol City, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Fulham. Very good sides seems a no brainer for them. Bristol city I think may surprise a few. Who’s your danger man? Danger man is Said Benrahma unfortunately he is injured as we speak but is one to look out for. Can you tell us about a rising star in the youth ranks? Marcus Forss is our youth prodigy a young striker at the age of 20 who is top scorer for the B team season in season out and is pushing on for first team minutes Prediction and scorers for the game? I think Brentford v Leeds will be a 2-2 draw at Elland Roadwith a Bamford double for Leeds and Watkins and marcondes for the ‘Bees’ Thank you Callum for answering all our questions and good luck for the season ahead. By Keith Ingham
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 Thursday 15/8 What Marcelo Bielsa and Stuart Dallas said ... pre Wigan Athletic. Leeds United captain Liam Cooper on ‘TAKE US HOME: Leeds United’ “I think it will galvanise the city as a whole, us the supporters, the technical staff, everyone. Hopefully it does have that effect because I think it will have that effect for me. I know it will.   Our latest review from a Rival is from Jake Nicholson after a convincing two nil win for the Whites. First of all, I need to start this by saying well done to Leeds today for your performance and once again your brilliant support. Slightly disappointing that a few Leeds fans snuck into the Wigan end and tried to cause a scene but other than that your support was fantastic. The game started off at a high tempo, as what I had expected to happen with Leeds fizzing the ball from one side to the other with great pace, which was exploiting Wigan every time. The passing around are players took out the Wigan midfield due to not reacting quick enough. Wigan had the early chances and could have gone into the lead early on when Gavin Massey headed the ball onto the post and a Lee evens free kick was saved by Casilla. At this point I believed we could sneak a goal and try to cling on but this all changed when a reckless challenge by Joe Williams saw him see a second yellow, after reviewing the footage and numerous replays I believe that was a straight red card and we could have no complaints. After this incident Leeds started to show their class by putting Wigan under pressure, which payed off when Bamford flicked in a great header, Wigan’s defence once again standing still and watching the ball.  We went into half time with our heads down and the match was definitely heated with Wigan fans believing we were hard done by the referee.
My comments on the ref today would just be he wasn’t consistent enough which I believe is a problem in the championship but Leeds went into the changing rooms deserving to have the lead. The half time break consisted of Wigan fans trying to think what changes would come to steady the ship but unfortunately the changes didn’t come, which for me was a huge mistake. Leeds came out once again with a high tempo and kept Wigan quiet most of the half. Leeds managed to get a corner which could and probably should have been a penalty for handball. The corner came in and again we couldn’t deal with it and the ball was scrambled in… game over. Wigan have conceded from set pieces in every game, which is starting to be a major problem and I believe most teams will exploit us for it. After the second goal went in the changes were finally made with Jamal Lowe coming on who made an impact straight away, he broke free of the defence and looked like he would have a 1 vs 1 opportunity before the ref brought it back for a foul, which from my view looked like an odd decision. After that Wigan had another free kick saved from a superb effort from Lee Evans. I have to be honest and say it was all Leeds from there and they probably should have got a few more goals to completely kill the game off. Full time came and put Wigan fans out of their misery, even though it was a much better performance from the week before after our thumping 3-0 defeat off Preston. Leeds will take a lot of positives from this game which showed their technical ability and for that reason have to be challenging for top spot this year. I believe Leeds have a team that could perform in the premier league with the likes of Pablo Hernandez showing why he is one of the best in the championship. For Wigan we go again on Tuesday against Middlesbrough and we wish Leeds the best of luck for the rest of the year, until we meet again at Elland road, where we will hopefully shatter them dreams for Leeds once again. By Jake Nicholson  Form: Wigan WLL Leeds WDW Leeds gained a little revenge for their unexpected defeat by Wigan at the ‘business end’ of last season by beating them 2-0 in their own backyard.  To be honest the score line could and have been at least double what it actually finished. It was as dominant a display 5,000 plus away fans could have wished for. True to his word on Thursday he kept the same eleven that had reaped four points from the opening two Championship games with Patrick Bamford once again leading the line. Helder Costa and Eddie Nketiah were on the bench, Jack Clarke was the one to miss out as Leeds could only have five loanees in the match-day eighteen. Leeds were so much on top in the early minutes it seemed it would only by a matter of time before they broke the deadlock, Wigan though did have one free kick from distance by Evans that brought the best out of Casilla. The opening goal by Leeds didn’t arrive until Wigan were down to ten men, Joe Williams was sent off for two bookable offences just after twenty minutes. The opener was scored by Patrick Bamford on thirty four minutes after Klich’s clever cross found Forshaw but the midfielder was denied by Marshall and the post, Bamford though was quickest to react and slammed the ball into the empty net. After that promising Leeds moves were spoiled by the final ball just not being good enough and Wigan hung on to go in only a goal behind at the break.  Patrick Bamford celebrates number one The antics of the fans under the stands were to be seen to be believed, a few hanging from the roof whilst the rest sang and threw beer into the air. A little wasteful but fun to watch if the beer being thrown didn’t land on you! Away support for Leeds is just something to sampled, it’s special. Leeds finished the game as a contest just after the hour mark, Patrick Bamford doubling his tally by forcing the ball over the line in a goalmouth scramble. The delight of the sometimes criticised striker was clear to see as he celebrated with his teammates in front of the away section. Forshaw had a great chance to add to the two goal lead but his shot went just wide, White also headed over from a corner by Phillips and Marshall superbly saved Pablo Hernandez’s free kick. Wigan did force Casilla into a couple of decent saves during the game and the Spaniard was aided by good displays by his defenders when they were called upon, which wasn’t a lot to be honest. Stand out performances were Adam Forshaw, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford for a couple of ‘scruffy’ goals that will do his confidence a power of good.  Brentford up next on Wednesday when Pontus Jansson returns to Elland Road for the first time since his transfer to the London club. It will be interesting to see if he receives a hero’s welcome, something tells me he might not. Man of the Match: Jack Harrison, must have covered every blade of the left and right side of the DW Stadium. Just about shaded it from Forshaw and Bamford. A great day out with Leeds  Myself, Shane and Jamie Chambers.
By Keith Ingham  Ahead of today’s game with Jake Nicholson about all things Wigan and the game with Leeds United. How long have you supported Wigan Athletic and why did you chose them as your team? I have supported Wigan for 11 years now and well all I can say it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. They have given me the best days of my life, but they have also gave me months or maybe years of disappointment. The thing is though it’s like an addiction being apart of the Wigan athletic family and I will follow them home and away as long as I live and I will back them, even when times are tough. I started supporting Wigan after moving from Liverpool as a strong Liverpool fan. After going to a few Wigan games and realising how exciting it was not knowing what the outcome will be is great fun, 11 years later and I’m still here. What’s your favourite moment as a fan? Season game or any other occasion? Well we have to bring up the Fa Cup final because this will forever be the greatest day of my life, until we win the champions League (we can dream). The buzz from the day for just being at Wembley even though we thought we knew the out come would be a comfortable Man City win.   Tuesday 6/8 Heidi’s back! The popular author is back with her review of the game with Bristol City, photos and her thoughts on player sales. Derby confirm signing of Wayne Rooney as a player-coach on an 18-month deal from January 2020. So much for financial fair play at 100k per week. Rules for some ... Leeds are rumoured to be in the hunt for either Ryan Kent of Liverpool or Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal. Kent is valued at around 10 million, Nketiah is available for a season long loan. Kemar Roofe joins Belgium side Anderlecht for an ‘undisclosed fee’. Roofe was last season’s top goal scorer with 15 goals.  Kemar Roofe's record at Leeds: 32 goals 122 appearances 31 substitute appearances 217 shots (Champ) 74 shots on-target (Champ) 14 assists Twice Leeds top scorer (2017/18 & 2018/19) 2 hat-tricks v Newport County(EFL Cup) and QPR(Championship) 1 Championship Player of the Month (Aug 2018)  Kemar Roofe’s last goal as a Leeds player.   Ahead of tonight’s much anticipated game against Salford City, I spoke with the club’s Media and Communications Officer Will Moorcroft about all things Ammies. How long have you supported Salford? I’ve been around Salford since 2014 when I was at University, I came up to the club to write match reports and gather reaction for the University website and have sort of stuck around ever since! It’s always been a warm, friendly place and the committee are brilliant to chat to, always been welcoming, and I think that’s a culture that has welcomed others to the club and we now have a lot of families coming down which is great. What’s your favourite moment as a fan? Obviously there’s been a lot of success since 2014, for me it has to be the 2015-16 season though when we reached the FA Cup First Round for the first time ever and beat Notts County. A lot of people then wrote us off for promotion and we had a bad patch, but we recovered and won the play-off final 3-2 against Workington. Jordan Hulme’s goal in the 87th minute will always be my favourite moment as a commentator… Tell us a player you were proud to have on the back of a shirt, if you didn’t is there one you wished you would’ve had? Truth be told I’ve never been one for having a player’s name on the back of my shirt, but if I have to choose one I think I would choose Scott Burton. He was a key player in the squad for three-and-a-half years, central midfielder, and always left everything on the pitch.  A lot of people then wrote us off for promotion and we had a bad patch, but we recovered and won the play-off final 3-2 against Workington. Jordan Hulme’s goal in the 87th minute will always be my favourite moment as a commentator… Tell us a player you were proud to have on the back of a shirt, if you didn’t is there one you wished you would’ve had? Truth be told I’ve never been one for having a player’s name on the back of my shirt, but if I have to choose one I think I would choose Scott Burton. He was a key player in the squad for three-and-a-half years, central midfielder, and always left everything on the pitch.  Are you happy with your dealings in this summer transfer window so far?
Yes, I think the club have been clinical in identifying targets and bringing them in, and best of all is that the lads are all decent guys who have shown a desire to come to the club. There wasn’t a need for wholesale changes and wholesale changes haven’t been made so it’s great to see faith installed in some of the lads who have been with us for a couple of years, and particularly the lads who haven’t played in the Football League before! If I’m honest I think there’s a good balance to the squad so I wouldn’t bring someone in, but if it counts a player I would have loved to see play in a team is Sir Stanley Matthews. What’s your hopes for the next season? After the opening day showing against Stevenage I am hopeful that we can finish in the play-offs because The Boro had a good season last year and we did well, but it will be about consistency and maintaining that level throughout the season against some of the stronger teams. Obviously a lot of external expectations are for us to canter to the league and all that, no team has a divine right to finish anywhere and success has to be earned, but I trust the lads will do their best and hopefully that’s an upper end finish and let’s see what happens… Who are your three for the drop? I don’t like to comment on other teams who I don’t think will perform… I am concerned for Macclesfield because off the pitch there are problems which no one likes to see, and they were very close to the drop last season. Otherwise I think it’s very difficult to call, teams who were down there have strengthened and all that’s certain is that whoever is down there will be in a dog fight. Who’s your danger man? The good thing about the balance of the squad is that there are dangers all over the pitch, but I’d probably go with Adam Rooney. A lot was, and is, made about money involved but at the end of the day it gets results and last season it got goals that got us promotion so it’s certainly well spent. He is clinical and has the ability to score a range of goals from near enough nothing - be careful marking him closely or standing off him as either way he’ll punish most opportunities he gets! Can you tell us about a rising star in the youth ranks? We’ve had our first crop of Academy players graduate into the new development squad in the summer, we’ve only had an Academy for two years, but there are also players in the squad who are young and could be considered rising stars. Ibou Touray joined us in the National League North as a young lad from NPL side Nantwich Town, but he has made the left back position his own, come through back-to-back promotions and can certainly keep on going to new levels. Prediction and scorers for the game? 1-1, Patrick Bamford to give Leeds the lead then Adam Rooney will equalise in the last 10 minutes, Salford to win on penalties and cause an upset! We’d like to thank Will and the club for taking the time to answer our questions. Whatever people think about their meteoric rise, Salford is a club done right. By Ryan Ingham  Luke Turton who was kind enough to do the ‘Interview with a rival’ pre game gives his thoughts on the1-1 draw at Elland Road. The focus at half past eleven was whether Sabri Lamouchi was going to make any changes to his starting eleven for the upcoming game against Leeds. The answer was no which meant that young winger Matty Cash would be playing a right back ahead of new signing Carl Jenkinson. When the game started it was Leeds that saw more of the ball and when Forest did receive it the passing was very disjointed. There was a level of controversy when Adam Forshaw when down inside the box but my opinion on this matter is that he dived and therefore should have been booked. There was another challenged by Kalvin Phillips on Forest midfielder Tiago Silva which was considered by most of the sky pundits and forest fans to be reckless and he was lucky to escape with a yellow card. It was a pretty poor first half from a Forest perspective and they would have been pleased to enter the break at 0-0. Leeds really should have scored one or two in the first half. Going into the second half and forest looked brighter but still shaky at the back and it wasn’t until Forest made a change which saw Tiago Silva replaced by Samba Sow, who sent a ball up to Alfa Semedo who struggled to control it that the first goal seem imminent. It came when Pablo Hernandez received a through ball and finished superbly, then the writing was on the wall for Forest as they again conceded to their own mistakes in midfield a lot like last year.  Pablo puts Leeds ahead.
Forest then made two changes putting on Sammy Ameobi and Rafa Mir and managed to get themselves into the game when a corner came in and Rafa Mir shanked it at the back post to Grabban who chested it home. Leeds really paid the price for not clearing a corner. There was a couple of penalty shouts from Leeds one which definitely wasn’t and one(on Stuart Dallas)that in my opinion Forest were lucky to get away with but one the whole a decent result for Forest but Leeds played better and I am sure if they carry on this way will be up there come May. Good Luck Leeds. Going to make the Man of the Match fair and pick a Forest and a Leeds one. Forest= Matty Cash Leeds= Pablo Hernandez Thank you Luke, a good review of a game Leeds had enough chances to win, but if you don’t take them you are always at risk of your opponents getting a chance to equalise. By Luke Turton |
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January 2019
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