Ghost of Christmas past

By Shaun Stone

As positive as I am about the future of Leeds United, it is once again apparent that the Christmas period is not a good one for the team. I was hoping this time around would be a different story but unfortunately history has repeated itself with 2 points from a possible 12. It's not all doom and gloom however. We are still in a good position to achieve promotion this season. As are a lot of other clubs. I feel we are definitely in a better position than we were this time last season.

However, there are certain things that are still apparent and if we are to improve, the quality within the team needs to be addressed. We are not producing the standard that needs to be achieved to win matches. Yes, the effort is there but is this enough? No. I could run around a pitch for 90 minutes and receive praise for the effort, but I won't win us games. We need quality, players who understand what playing in this league is all about. Journeymen, especially in midfield. Our forwards are having a tough time at the moment because they are not receiving the support from the midfield.

My opinions on Brian McDermott have not changed and I feel confident that he will try to bring in the right players to improve our current team. I also think this is a good test for the manager who in my opinion has done a good job with the players he has had at his disposal. Maybe the reason we have hit this slump in recent performances is simply down to the fact that he has managed to get the very best out of the players, but they are now tired and cannot achieve peak performance on a regular basis.

So, now we have the opportunity to bring in some fresh faces and hopefully this will encourage our current squad to get back to playing at their best and more important the will and determination to win games - which in my honest opinion, has not seemed to be projected enough in recent games.

Some may say we need to spend big in the transfer market, but I don't think this is necessarily the case. We need to spend correctly. We need to bring the right players to the club that can make an immediate impact. Not because we want instant success, but because we not only have a chance this season, we also have a good core of players in the team that need the boost on the pitch. I'm referring to the younger players in the team. To bring the best out of these players, they need to be shown what playing in a solid team is all about. At this time, we do not look solid and we are lacking in key areas of the pitch.

Leeds United, you have the support now, you always have, but more fans are attending games because they know we are improving. We just need a little more quality to encourage us to keep coming back. Indeed, Leeds til I die and all that, but realistically we want to get what we pay for. The players get paid to do their job but are they all doing it? I am proud to be a Leeds United supporter and I would like to see players who are all proud to play for Leeds United.