Good afternoon gents. I've decided to embark upon this little end-of-season review type thing, and I want to look mainly from a defensive point of view (at first anyway). So I'll go over our matches this season in five-game segments and whinge in consternation at each stupid goal we conceded. I'll give a brief description and point out who I think was culpable from the Leeds point of view. It might be one player, more than one player, or no-one in the case of special goals from the opposition. And please do let me know if you disagree, and we'll try work out a consensus of whose fault the goals were. Most of the highlights can be found on YouTube if you're interested in checking back over them. Hopefully, then, we will see some patterns emerging by the end: have we been poor from set pieces? In midfield? In defence? From the flanks or down the middle? Between the sticks *cough*? So we'll begin in sunny August. We'd just beaten Newcastle in a friendly at Elland Road. Billy Paynter was smiling after claiming a Newcastle own-goal as his own, we were optimistic about the swashbuckling Adam Clayton, midfield general Michael Brown was back, and O'Brien, Lees and Kisnorbo were going to be unsurpassable at the back... weren't they?! 1. Southampton (A): 3-1 loss. Hammond picks up ball 35 yards out, runs 10 yards unpressured down the middle and slots it in the corner. Brown fails to pick any man up; CLAYTON tracks very weakly. LONERGAN gets a hand to it, though could have done better. Ball played into Lallana in the box. O'BRIEN fails to mark him and wobbles, giving him room to shoot. Saints throw in heads for midfield. CLAYTON fails to mark Lallana properly, as does O'BRIEN with his man, and the two Saints men one-two it, giving Lallana room to score the third past a hopeless Lonergan. 2. Bradford (H): 3-2 win. PARKER fails to mark his man. The ball is crossed in past O'Brien and Kisnorbo, and slotted in at the front post. Parker attempts a tackle on the onrushing Bradford player, but it is too weak. Kisnorbo likewise. The ball is blasted into the top corner from a narrow angle, but LONERGAN'S hand is weak. 3. Middlesbrough (H): 0-1 loss. LEES gets skinned by Marvin Emnes, who curls it into the top corner. 4. Hull (H): 4-1 win. LEES comically slices it into the Leeds net. 5. West Ham (A): 2-2 draw. Carlton Cole volleys it in from a corner, weakly marked by KISNORBO. The ball is crossed in, and KISNORBO mishits the attempted clearance into the Leeds net under pressure from Carlton Cole. IN SUMMARY: Goals conceded in the first five games: Nine. Players culpable: O'Brien (2), Kisnorbo (2), Lonergan (2), Lees (2), Howson (1), Clayton (1), Parker (1).
Howson was sent off before boro scored! dont try blaming that on our jonny Id say it was Lees fault for getting skinned bt Emnes
Also like to add that in the Boro game O'Brien didn't even play, surprisingly the back 4 was made up with 4 other CB's Kisnorbo, O'Dea, Bromby and Lees.
Oops. For the Boro game, there were no official highlights on YouTube, so I was just going by some pissed-up bloke from the Kop's footage! Right, I'll adjust the blame for that one in due course.
Did Connolly actually have a poor game against Bradford? I was slightly confused when it was his number to come off, considering how bad Parker played and Taylor could have come on at LB. Grayson obviously wasn't pleased with what he saw as he didn't play again till the 2nd round V Donny and didn't play in the league until Pompey where he got an extended run back in the team.
Watch his interview after he signed for Norwich, he's almost in tears. Can tell he didn't want to go.
Parker's already come out and said he was practically forced out. Who do you believe, Ken Bates or Ben Parker?
And what Parker has said is consistent with Howson's lip quivering and welling up during his interview at Norwich. That's an exaggeration, but the expression on his face suggests his soul had just been raped.
