 New WALL writer Sam O'Hara takes a look at who Leeds should look to sign in January if they intent on pushing up the league an challenging for a higher league standing.
Spirits are high at Leeds United following a good run in the championship, but to form a real promotion push they will need to strengthen in January. Striking options are relatively thin and the team has been short of goals this season, although that has improved recently Leeds have still only scored 22 goals all season. Kyle Lafferty is rumoured to be a major target for the whites and he certainly fits the bill, having scored seven goals in Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Lafferty is out of favour at Norwich so a deal could be possible. Liam Bridcutt has been in great form since joining Leeds on loan from Sunderland and has been a major factor in the teams recent results. It is thought that United have a deal in place to extend Bridcutt's loan until the end of the season, but with his former club Brighton sniffing around Leeds may want to consider signing him permanently. Signing Bridcutt would certainly show a statement of intent. Steve Evans has recently described winger Stuart Dallas as "unplayable" due to his impressive performances but Leeds could do with a similar player on the other wing to compliment him. Former fan favourite Robert Snodgrass has returned from a long term injury at Hull. He wouldn't be cheap but if Cellino is serious about a play-off push he is the type of player Leeds need to attract. Snodgrass and Dallas on the wings would cause havoc for Championship defenders. The centre of defence is an area that has troubled Leeds United for many years, probably since the Premier League days. Although Cooper and Bellusci are currently playing well and Bamba is also an option, they could still do with signing a composed and steady central defender, someone with Premier League experience who could help the team in the playoff push. Mike Williamson is a player who may not spring to everyone's minds but he was impressive during a loan spell at Wolves earlier in the season before being recalled by Newcastle. By signing these four players Leeds United would be adding quality, as well as experience and strength in depth to their squad and would be well prepared for a serious play-off push. By Sam O'Hara
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It is a Polyester Microfibre, treated with Polygene (Antibacterial). It also contains traces of Silk & Cashmere. A Soft Polar Fleece has been added to provide warmth, comfort and wind proof Insulation. The RRP is £16.95 BUT we are doing a Fans Only Price of £10.95, £1 of which we will donate to The Leeds Foundation. We will also do Free Post and Package . To purchase one of these scarves, go to Diamond-Sportswear-Ltd. Search IN STORE for Necky and add promotional code WE LOVE LEEDS to get the discount ..You can also contact Stella on 07817678985 to place an order over the phone. Once you've purchased one of them, send us a match day selfie to out twitter page @weallloveleedsu and we will make sure to give you a RT.  With recent war of words hitting twitter and the fans divided on several opinions, Petter- Andre Johansson reminds fans why we are Leeds United.
As far back as 1988, when I became a Leeds United fan, the United part of the name was one of the key reasons I fell in love with our club. I was in my 20’s when I first had the chance to visit the spectacular Elland Road, so all I had to go on was what I could see and read about the club. Everywhere I looked, I saw a more or less United club. The vociferous fans of Fortress Elland Road, the Unity between my uncle and his Leeds United friends. The unforgiving passion all of us share for the club. It was there for all to see and it was incredible. Indeed, it was this togetherness, this United feeling, that made us different. F**ck all the other clubs, we’re Leeds United. We were and still are, by many, to this day hated for that. Go to any ground around the country, even teams we have no rivalry with and you will hear them sing "we all hate leeds scum". The reason why they do this, why they hate us "Leeds Scum" is because they could never get what we had – a truly United set of fans. Regardless of what was thrown against us, we would be United. The best example of where our togetherness, our Unitywas so strong, was during our three seasons in League One. We still had higher average gates than Premier League teams, and despite our rapid fall from grace, we were still a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, today, that doesn’t ring true anymore. We have become a divided fanbase where infighting is common place. Abuse is being hurled by fans against other fans about silly arguments and difference in opinions. Recently, some have even taken to threats against not only players, but also fellow fans. Threats that have been taken very seriously, and that have been reported to the police. In short, we are anything but United. The Mighty Whites have lost (or are losing) that which once made us mighty. And without our togetherness, our Unity, it will be a long way back to the top because, after all, this club is us. We are the club. It has always been that way, and it will always be that way. Regardless of who the owners are and all the misery that comes our way, we have to become United again. I do not know how we go about doing that or what the right answer is, (if I did I probably wouldn't have had to write this) but here are some of my thoughts: As with the operation of the club, we, the fans, will need stability and Unity for LUFC to become successful. Right now, we are far from being as strong and Unified as we should be. There are many reasons for that, but in my opinion it boils down to the frustration we all feel when we realise that we should never ever have been in the situation we find ourselves in right now. All that frustration, from one of the most passionate fanbases in the world, is taken out on either the owners of the club or fellow fans. I will make no secret of having vented my own frustrations at times in the direction of the club ownership, as many other have. Others though, have chosen to take their frustrations out on fellow LUFC fans. To begin with, arguments grew heated, but we managed to keep it fairly civilised and at least we managed to walk our separate ways if things came close to boiling over. Lately though, heated discussions over many themes, have very quickly led to all the steam being let out at each other, causing division and building barricades between the “anti’s” and the “pro’s”. This, in turn, has caused something of a trench warfare mentality from both sides, where some fans on both “sides” have resorted to abuse and ridicule as ammunition. Over the last couple of weeks this has again turned into actual threats. It has now come to the point where this behavior has to stop. This is not the school playground, ladies and gents. This, is Leeds United. The fans are real people with families who just want the best for Leeds United. If the current situation continues to deteriorate, we will not be able make Elland Road the fortress it once was and we will not be able to show the strength and unity other clubs hate us for. For the last couple of years, other clubs have shown pity for us. And to me, being pitied is far worse than being hated. For this to stop, we have to learn how to discuss our various opinions in a civilised fashion, without things heating up to the level where abuse and threats are hurled at each other. Each and every one of us are free to have the opinions we have. And each and every one of us should be able to form our own opinions, without suffering abuse and ridicule from fellow fans. I have not, nor will I, make any attempt of hiding the fact that I have absolutely no belief that Massimo Cellino is the right man for this club. I have formed my opinion based on available facts. I would urge all other fans to do so as well, based on the last decade this club has been through. If you choose to have a different opinion than me however, I will have absolutely no problem with that, and I will even enjoy discussing our various opinions at length, so long as the discussion is conducted in an adult fashion. And I hope that this will set an example. I am under no illusions of believing this is the one and only way forward, but I strongly believe that resorting to abuse, ridicule and threats because someone has a different opinion than me, is definitely NOT the way forward. I dream of the day when we all contribute and work towards putting back the U in LUFC. Being United does not mean that we need to share opinions. Being United means that no matter what happens, when push comes to shove, we will stand United, and we will have each other’s backs, just as the Leeds United family we once were. I have a responsibility in making that happen. And so do U. Finally, and I sincerely mean this; Marching on TOGETHER By Petter-Andre Johansson  With Leeds set for a tricky home fixture against promotion hopefuls Hull City, the somewhat Yorkshire rivalry could be set for fireworks, with both sides looking to pick up a win.
Leeds have seen a bad season turn to worse having lost for the 7th time last weekend away at QPR and their home form is no better, only winning one home fixture all season. Hull however are a side that are only three points away from league leaders Brighton. The tigers will be wanting to set their record straight having lost their last two fixtures against Derby and Manchester City. Team news Leeds United are without full back Gaetano Berardi who is serving the last match of his two game suspension. There could be possible returns for Sol Bamba and a long awaited return for Charlie Taylor, who has been off with glandular fever. Leeds could also see a highly anticipated return for out of favour right back Sam Byram. With Leeds boss Steve Evans confirming that the right back has performed well during training, amid reports a new deal could be on the cards for the coveted right back. A return to Elland Road and the Hull starting lineup looks on the cards for former fan favourite Robert Snodgrass, who is back from a lengthy injury. Hull will be without key players Michael Dawson, David Meyler and Adama Diomande are all still sidelined with lengthy injuries. Tigers' boss Steve Bruce will looking to include rested stars Allan McGregor, Curtis Davies, Shaun Maloney, Tom Huddlestone, Mo Diame and Abel Hernandez who were tested for the clubs midweek fixture against Manchester City. Leeds last 5 home fixtures Leeds 0-1 Rotherham (21/11/15) Leeds 1-0 Cardiff (03/11/15) Leeds 0-2 Blackburn (29/10/15) Leeds 1-2 Brighton (17/10/15) Leeds 0-2 Birmingham (03/10/15) Hull City last 5 away fixtures Bristol City 1-1 Hull (21/11/15) Brentford 0-2 Hull (03/11/15) MK Dons 0-2 Hull (31/10/15) Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Hull (17/10/15) Nottingham Forest 0-1 Hull (03/10/15) Latest Odds With both sides currently struggling for form, we have checked out betting site William Hill - the online leader in football betting to see what the bookies are predicting for Saturday. Hull are the obvious favourites at 11/10 to win, with Leeds at 11/4 to pull off a surprise victory and a draw at 11/5. Although, with Leeds usually picking up good results against the big sides, both teams to score and Leeds to win at 7/1 is a fantastic price. Both Mirco Antenucci and Chris Wood are currently both at 13/2 for the first goal and seen as though they are the club's highest scorers, is a pretty safe bet! If you're looking for a wildcard, Alex Mowatt at 9/1 for the first goalscorer is surely worth a pop. Returning former hero Robert Snodgrass is a big 9/1 to get the first goal in the game and it wouldn't be the first time a returning player caused more misery at Elland Road. By Ryan Ingham  Continuing our preview for the upcoming 2016 Rugby League season, Lewis Watson follows on with WALL tradition and asks Stevie Ward 10 fantastic questions about all things Leeds Rhinos.
Ward is set for a big season at loose forward and will be one of the players that people will now look at for inspiration, with the likes of Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock departing the club. 1. Which team do you look most forward to playing in the season and why? Castleford is always a good derby and a tough match, which is hard to predict. However, Wigan and Saints games are always big important ones, which are the most rewarding if you get a win. 2. Who was your favourite rugby player growing up and who made you want a career in RL? When I first started watching, it was Iyestin Harris during his time at Leeds. When I started to get more into it and play myself- It was Kevin Sinfield and Danny Mcguire. 3. Who has the best personality in the squad and why? The Leeds team is full of odd/different blokes. I’m a massive fan of JJB and Rob Burrow continues his off field antics at training and doesn’t seem to taper off as he grows to be an old man 4. What has been your biggest achieving so far in Rugby League? I’d say as an achievement alone it would be winning the Grand Final in 2012 as an 18 year old. But mentally, the most rewarding was overcoming an injury which had a part to play in missing the 2014 CC final- in order to win it in 2015 against Hull KR. 5. Which part of training do you love the most and which part do you hate the most? I hate waiting to find out how hard the session is going to be that day, but love finishing it and chilling out after. 6. Where would you love to see yourself in 3 years time in your career? Part of a successful Rhinos side which has carried on bringing through youngsters. Personally I would love to be an England International. 7. Which team mate is the strongest in the gym? Everyone varies in different areas but I do notice JJB to pile the weight on… especially in the chest area! 8. Who takes the most banter/stick in the team? Pretty evenly dished out at the minute, but the young lads have to do their work experience in that area coming in to a new side! 9. Going forward, what would you like to achieve in the 2016 season? My intentions are fully focussed on getting back fit and being in better shape that I was last season to add to the team after it is bedded in from playing a good amount of the season. 10. Finally, if the whole Rhinos squad got put in the I'm a Celebrity camp. Who would be the biggest wuss in camp and who would do all the trials without any fear? The Aussies would be the best I think without a doubt… the biggest wuss would be Brad Singleton. We'd like to thank Stevie for taking the time to answer our questions and wish him the best for the upcoming season, in which he will be an influential player. By Lewis Watson  As you may have read, We All Love Leeds is set to introduce a new devoted Leeds Rhinos page starting for the upcoming 2016 season. This will include reports, interviews and other content for you fans of sport in Leeds to enjoy.
Below is a preview by writer and massive Leeds Rhinos fan Lewis Watson, as he points out the key players for the 2016 season. Not long now until the season gets back under way! Most teams have made up their 2016 squads and there have been some great signings that I can't wait to see perform. I know how much I have missed looking forward to watching the Rugby League games on the weekends! In this article I am going to talk about key Leeds Rhinos players for 2016. A lot of the Leeds players are going to have to step up their game in 2016. Not only to keep up with the likes of Wigan and St Helens, but also to follow the footsteps of the legends Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock. Not only were they vital players, but they organised and led the Rhinos to victories. That brings us to Danny Maguire. This is the guy everyone is expecting to take over the captaincy from Sir Kev. Danny had a fantastic 2015 season looking fitter than ever and leading the team when the captain wasn't available. The role won't be too hard for Danny, he is a born leader and has spent his whole career working with Sinfield, plus the whole squad respect him. He will make a great captain and hopefully lead the Rhinos to more trophies in 2016. Danny Maguire can't lead the team on his own, which brings us to our vice captain. I could think of a few Rhinos players that would be great in this role, for example; Rob Burrow, Brett Delaney or Zak Hardaker. But it has got to be a role for Jamie Jones Buchanan. With an injury hit 2015 season we only really saw JJB on the sidelines cheering on the Rhinos and celebrating the wins. Hopefully if JJB stays injury free for 2016, he will lead the pack just like Jamie Peacock did. This doesn't mean JJB will be starting every game, but with his personality and experience he will be the perfect fit to motivate the forwards. I want to talk about three other players which will be key to Leeds Rhinos being successful in 2016. Not only do they have vital positions to play, but they will impact massively on the results. The first player is Zak Hardaker. What a great full back who was outstanding in 2015 and in my opinion, he should have won the Man Of Steel award. Last season saw Zak win all three trophies, scoring vital tries and making impossible tackles. By doing this he also got the fantastic opportunity to wear the number 1 shirt for England in the test series against New Zealand, which saw England win 2 out of the three games and lift the trophy. Zak will play a major part for Leeds in 2016 and if he is on form, the rest of the team will be on form. Looking to the future, Zak would make a great leader and would definitely be my choice for captain for when Maguire retires. The next player is Liam Sutcliffe. The youngster had a fantastic start to the season, but unfortunately was hit with an injury which sadly saw an end to 2015 for him. In the short season he had, he created great chances and looked like he had been partnered with Danny Maguire for years. He will be taking over Sinfields role and will be the main supplier of the set pieces and tries. We know he has the confidence to fill the spot, and lets hope he picks up from where he left off in 2015. Last but not least is Stevie Ward. Stevie has recently been honoured in to taking over the number 13 shirt for the 2016 season. What a great confidence boost it will be for Stevie to be given the shirt worn by Kevin Sinfield for many years. Many people have said Stevie will be the new Kevin Sinfield and I still believe this. After a fantastic 2015 season, which saw him play vital roles in making the Rhinos successful, he will be a key player for 2016. An injury at the end of the season sadly saw Stevie miss the Grand Final and I personally think a spot in the England squad. I am hoping 2016 will be Stevie's season and what he has learnt from Kevin Sinfield will shine through and make a great impact for the Rhinos. By Lewis Watson  Head of Content Keith Ingham offers a rallying cry to all Lufc fans who are tired of having the club look like a laughing stock. Below you'll have the chance to voice your own opinion.
I'm usually a mild mannered person who occasionally 'rants' when needs be. On this occasion I'm giving genuine fans the opportunity to post comments after this article to show that Massimo Cellino has little support within the fan base of Leeds United AFC. I ask fans to put their thoughts on as a comment and I shall forward this article to the owner of OUR football club. This season has been the lowest point for me in a good number of years and I'm sick of the poor coaches, lies and mismanagement of our once mighty club. A single voice is ignored but thousands of them can't be. Time to go MASSIMO !!! Please be emotive with your comments but keep the language as decent as possible. Together, Stronger By Keith Ingham We All Love Leeds want to ask fans to voice their opinion but warn that any threats of violence etc will not be tolerated and your comments will be struck from the record. |
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January 2019
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