SATURDAY MARCH 29th 2014 - 15:00 - ELLAND ROAD - SKYBET CHAMPIONSHIP Leeds United vs Doncaster Rovers please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image ​------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LEAGUE STANDINGS [TABLE="width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Pos[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Team[/TD] [TD="align: center"]P[/TD] [TD="align: center"]W[/TD] [TD="align: center"]D[/TD] [TD="align: center"]L[/TD] [TD="align: center"]F[/TD] [TD="align: center"]A[/TD] [TD="align: center"]GD[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Pts[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Form[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]14[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Leeds[/TD] [TD="align: center"]37[/TD] [TD="align: center"]13[/TD] [TD="align: center"]8[/TD] [TD="align: center"]16[/TD] [TD="align: center"]51[/TD] [TD="align: center"]56[/TD] [TD="align: center"]-5[/TD] [TD="align: center"]47[/TD] [TD="align: center"]L - L - L - W - L[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]20[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Doncaster[/TD] [TD="align: center"]38[/TD] [TD="align: center"]10[/TD] [TD="align: center"]10[/TD] [TD="align: center"]18[/TD] [TD="align: center"]33[/TD] [TD="align: center"]56[/TD] [TD="align: center"]-23[/TD] [TD="align: center"]40[/TD] [TD="align: center"]W - W - D - W - L[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [TABLE="width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD]Uncertainty? What uncertainty? This weekend see's a Yorkshire derby with nearby Doncaster making the trip up to Elland Road. The Rovers arrive on a day where it is entirely possible the Leeds players will not have received their wages, and will be asking for spare change for the bus home. The intense speculation off the field will not help Leeds to end a lousy run, and Doncaster will be hoping to further ease any worries they have about relegation with 3 points here for the first time in the last 6 meetings. With Whites fans worried about the possibilities of administration and points deductions from our friends at the football league, every point counts and the Leeds players need to get their act together FAST. Historically, Leeds have the upper hand with 11 wins to Doncaster's 3 in the league. However, Doncaster are the form side coming into this one, and so will fancy their chances of improving a woeful away record which has seen them lose their last 8 from 10, failing to register a goal in their last 5 on the road. With one of the worst defensive records in the league this season, Leeds could take advantage and register a win to ease some of the fans' pressure, it all depends on how they deal with the off the field issues.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Damned's XI[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Team News[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"] please log in to view this image [/TD] [TD]Leeds Paddy Kenny and loanee Jimmy Kebe are still listed as doubts, and with Gboly Ariyibi being loaned out this week as well, there is still a complete lack of width. Peltier is not expected to feature ahead of him also leaving on loan. Aidy White may feature again, with Stewart replacing Hunt if BMD goes back to a 4-4-2. Doncaster ​ Paul Dickov's shaky defensive record will not be helped by the fact he has 4 centre backs on the treatment table. McCombe, Jones, Tamas and Khumalo are all expected to miss this one. Doncaster have managed to find some tactical consistency recently, and are likely to be unchanged from the team who beat Wednesday, but lost to Burnley.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="width: 600, align: center"] [TR] [TD]I think I'd still put forward roughly the same 4-3-3 that I suggested ahead of the Bournemouth game, with a trio of Poleon, Smith and McCormack upfront. We have no width to speak of, and we seem to be keen to loan people out to whoever will take them, so the selections are becoming more and more limited. I think Brian will go 4-4-2 and bring Stewart back in, I also think that's a huge mistake. The Damned Prediction: 1-1 Draw Doncaster's away record is awful, our recent form is awful and so I think that will cancel each other out. I just can't see where we are going to get a win from, and I genuinely worry that if Doncaster score first, we may collapse again. Will our players be coming out in second hand boots having not been paid? Will not paying them make them realise they're awful? Or will the fact that they'll get their money and everyone else won't make them care even less about performances on the field? Over to you guys, who's going? Who'll be on the field? Can you see us winning this?[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
Another fine effort Dammed. Interesting that you say AIYIBI is going out on loan. Maybe this is with a view to giving him game time in preparation for pushing for a starting spot next season. Not such a big problem. On the team, I hope we go 442 with brown & an other in the centre. Murphy one side & either Stewart or Mowatt the other. Unless I've missed something and he's been recalled, I hope Butland will be in goal. Yorkshire derby it maybe, but I think they will have been given a bit of the hair dryer treatment after Tuesday and will come back ith a decent win.
Unless someone can keep McDonut locked away in a cupboard somewhere and well away from the dugout I can see Doncaster strolling to an easy 5-0 win
Sticking my head out here - the Leeds fans will sing their hearts out for the lads, slagging off GFH, Bates, Together Leeds and the FL equally, while the team will play their little cotton socks off their feet and we will stroll to a 3-0 victory. Followed later in the week by administration, -15 points, lots of letters to MPs and the FA and the FL, and a really nasty end of season Could Roald Dahl have made it up?
I expect us to get stuffed every game now but with Doncaster being nearly as poor as Millwall I just don't know. I think the players might dig in deep and attempt to get fans on their side regarding the wages issue, too hard to call I could see us winning 2-0 and I could see us losing 1-3 you just don't know what to expect from this Leeds team any more. Ellands 0-0 is probably a good bet on my basis
We won 0-3 at the Stayshite Stadium but they battered us and we got very lucky. Unless something very strange happens we will lose by at least two clear goals. Not sure of their team but if playing Billy will score. In other news Haigh is now working for Farnans bid having been told he has no future if Cellino bid is successful. There was a fair amount of conjecture this was always the case and he has been working at driving the price down for Farnan. If that is the case I can only think of one motivator for Tory boy, £££££££s! Get him out of our club. Like Ristac I have been calling for this for many months.
It's heart wrenching what is going on at Leeds United, it really feels as if we have done something terribly wrong in the past and have been getting our comeuppance for the last 10 years or so. I remember when the **** hit the fan under Ridsdale as if it was only yesterday, and my thoughts then remain today and that was that we liquidated the club and started again outside of the football league. It's perhaps too late now but it may be the only way we will have a team to support and perhaps have investment in the club as supporters, to stop the money making 'business' groups/people from bleeding us dry. Today's game is impossible to predict and to be honest, it doesn't appear to matter much as unless there is a massive change at the club very very soon, we will go into administration and have a hefty deduction of points against us. The players have let the club down this season, as have the club let the players down, so you have to wonder who cares about the game today inside the club? Sad times, we need something positive to hold on to, so let's see what takes place today and over the next business week.
A mate, Brighton fan, was having the same convo with me at work yesterday - why don't we just start again at the bottom? We have the massive fanbase and would work our way up over a number of years, and in the long term would probably be no worse off than what we have now. Way I see it is we would lose the name, ground and TA, history, and 90% of the fans. If that team ever did get back in the league, where would they play? Training on Roundhay Park? Would be like AFC Wimbledon or FCUM, but I don't think it would be LUFC. So, few people would feel any affinity to it. Or would they? Who would you start supporting? Anyone or no-one? Luton only now look like they are about to get out of the Conference, and we know that any season in any league is difficult if your players are merely the (allegedly) cream of that crop.
Fingers crossed for today. Much will depend on ijuries. But I hope Brown replaces Austin. He needs a break & he's covering an injury. Not sure who will play RB if Byram can't play. Other than that, we have cover. 3-1 Leeds.
Team for today - mix of youth and experience 1. Kenny - GK 14. White - LB 5. Pearce - CB 22.Wootton - CB 23. Thompson - RB 16. Pugh - LM 17. Brown - CM 32. Dawson - RM 36. Mowatt - CM 44. McCormack - ST 20. Smith - ST Subs: 30. Butland - GK 37. Walters - ST 6. Murphy - Mid 19. Norris - Mid but defence cover 18. Tonge - Mid but defence cover 26. Poleon - ST NK. McDaid - ST
----------------Butland---------------- Lees----Zeliukas----Pearce----Warnock Byram----Brown----Dawson----Stewart -------McCormack-------Smith-------
Away on a family weekend in. Galway. Sitting at bar awaiting first pint and gonna watch ellands team in action against the villa. Not terribly bothered with Donny result as I've a feeling the FA will deduct us whatever and whenever is required to relegate us. Lots of league one teams licking their lips
Phil Hay ‏@PhilHayYEP 1m #lufc v Doncaster: Butland, Byram, Lees, Pearce, Pugh, Mowatt, Austin, Murphy, Stewart, McCormack, Smith.
In fairness bloggers. That's one choice to have. Think it's called hob sons choice or crap replaced by younger crap
