Diary of a Leeds Fan (15/04-21/04/17)

Sunday 15/4

Heidi Haigh on a Sunday, no better start to the day.

http://www.followmeandleedsunited.co.uk/newcastle-14th-april-2017

Happy Easter Heidi hope your stressful week ends with a Leeds home win, all my best x

Monday 16/4

We've met before

Leeds 2 Wolves 1 Champ Apr 16
Leeds 1 Wolves 2 Champ Oct 14
Leeds 1 Wolves 0 Champ Aug 12
Leeds 0 Wolves 1 Champ Sept 06
Leeds 2 Wolves 0 Champ Aug 05

Preview

Leeds face Wolverhampton in another 'must win' home game, after the hard earned point gained in the North East. The 'Whites' have only two home games left of the regular season and we need to win them to make sure a place in the top six is guaranteed.

Wolves won't be a pushover, they've some good players and in Paul Lambert they have a manager that knows this Championship 'like the back of his hand' so Leeds need to be wary but not scared as they prepare for this game. Garry Monk must decide if to keep the midfield of Kalvin Phillips and captain Liam Bridcutt or bring Ronaldo Vieira back into the starting eleven.

If Leeds can get a early goal I can see them winning by a couple of goals. Leeds 2-0.

Leeds v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Team News: Unchanged starting eleven, Coyle for Vieira on the bench

Team: Green, Ayling, Bartley, Jansson, Berardi, Bridcutt(c), Phillips, Roofe, Hernandez, Pedraza, Wood.

The Game:

Leeds dropped out of the top six for the first time since November as Wolverhampton ran out 1-0 winners. Leeds were very poor first half, too many passes failing to get to get to the man it was passed to.

Wolves goal that won the game came strangely from a Leeds attack, Jansson ran through the Wolves midfield but lost the ball and as he causally strode back. The ball was moved upfield quickly by the visitors to their striker Dicko, who slotted the ball past Green to give the midlander's a deserved lead, Jansson must take a little blame for the goal. 1-0 at the break.

The second half was better but still Leeds passes went astray. The introduction of Sacko, Taylor and Doukara gave Leeds more attacking threat, Doukara's header within minutes of coming on forcing Lonagan into a instinctive save.

A penalty shout in both half's was missed by a pretty feeble referee and try as he might, Pontus Jansson could not force the referee into giving him a yellow card. Chris Wood had Leeds' last opportunity in injury time, but he was high and wide with a header.

On balance Wolves were the better team and the fans streamed away from Elland Road knowing that at least six points, maybe seven may be needed to get a playoff place.

A disappointing performance, just when we needed a good one.

Post Match:

Garry Monk: "We are now on the hunt and not the hunted. I am 100% confident these players will give everything in the final 3 games." agreed that it was the worst possible time to play so poor in the first half and cannot afford for this to continue, need to start games like they did in the second half, insisted that everybody should stick together as the club is still in a good position, ended his post match interview by saying they will "let it all go" in the final three games of the regular season.

A Defiant Monk.

Paul Lambert: "It's huge for us. I thought we started the game really well, it set the whole tone of the game.We were brilliant, we should have been 3-0 up at half time. We took the sting out of the crowd and played really well and looked a threat. Second half, you expect them to come with long balls and second balls. But overall the performance was outstanding."

Congratulations to Brighton, back in the top tier after their 2-1 win over Wigan. A superb achievement by Chris Hughton and his squad.

Sheffield United promoted to the Championship as Champions of Division One.


Tuesday 17/4

Andrew Butterwick laments on a less than satisfactory performance by Leeds on Easter Monday at Elland Road.

https://leedsfan.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/leeds-united-v-wolverhampton-wanderers.html?m=1

Hope the creme eggs made the journey home bearable!

Cheers Andrew.

In a reaction to Leeds dropping out of the playoff places PM Theresa May calls a General Election on the 8th of June.

Robert Green picks up the Leeds United player of the month award for March, richly deserved too.

Leicester City are out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at the King Power Stadium, they lose the quarter final tie 2-1 on aggregate. Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 4-2 AET in Madrid, they advance into the semi finals 6-3 on aggregate.


Wednesday 18/4

Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough: "Not so long ago Leeds were playing in the Champions League and we were playing non-league. Garry Monk has a done a great job, possibly ahead of their plan doing so well in his first season."

Leeds v Norwich City on the 29th of April is a sell out.

Barcelona draw 0-0 with Juventus in the Nou Camp and go out of the Champions League 0-3 on aggregate. Monaco beat Dortmund 3-1 to go through to the semi finals 6-3 on aggregate.


Thursday 19/4

Another award for Chris Wood.
Picked by his fellow professionals in the Championship.

Garry Monk's look at the 'must win' game at Burton this Saturday: Silvestri, Cooper out, Denton and Vieira back in training, the later in contention for Saturday, On Nigel Clough "He's a very good manager" a very good Championship, 73 points a last few years would have guaranteed a playoff place, squad in the 'mindset' to win all three games, "It is simple, if we win the three games, we have a place in the Play-Offs", Monk on Wolves: "Unfortunately this can happen. It's easy to forget that the group have come so far.", speculation on Jansson is just that, On the fans; "There isn't a better set of fans to have behind us, when we have a challenge"

A Very Determined Monk

Gary Speed the latest inductee into the @FootballMuseum's Hall of Fame for his dedication to the game bit.ly/NFMhofSpeed


Friday 20/4

We've met before
Burton 0 Leeds 1 Friendly Aug 12

Preview

Win three games, starting with Burton and the top six is guaranteed, any less and it may let the teams in fifth and six stay where they are and that would be a terrible disappointment for the coach, players and fans.

Burton beat Birmingham City 2-0 at St Andrews and I saw them play Newcastle United at St James Park and they look a decent, hard working side with no frills. It's a tight ground and I think maybe not the place to play Pablo Hernandez and maybe Kemar Roofe is the man to unlock the Burton defence.

For me Bridcutt and Phillips didn't do enough in both games over Easter and I'd like to see Ronaldo Vieira, if recovered from illness alongside Eunan O'Kane in centre midfield, with Sacko and Doukara on the right and left. Charlie Taylor also needs to be starting at left back in preference to Berardi.

Leeds players need to be brave and bold, these aren't games to hide away and let others do the hard yards, big performances are needed by all.

Garry Monk has said now Leeds are the 'hunter's' in the race for the top six and I'm of the opinion that if they start strong at Burton, they should be three points nearer achieving their goal come five o'clock on Saturday. Leeds 2-1.

It started with hope but Monday's defeat sent Leeds out of the playoff places, much to the dismay of all Leeds fans, it wasn't just the fact that we lost and the other two contenders won, it was the way the three points were so meekly given away by Leeds.

I'm pretty sure there will be a few more 'twists in the tale' before we travel to Wigan Athletic on the last day, I'm also sure we can still do it but we still might need a helping hand even if we win two out of the three games. Whatever happens it's still better than our usual mid table finish we were becoming used to.

COME ON LEEDS

MOT

By Keith Ingham

This article is dedicated to the recent passing of former Leeds loanee Ugo Ehiogu. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family and the young Spurs players that he had been managing.

RIP Ugo