jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/675622634/leedsunitedfcbadge_400x400.jpg

It's been 13 years since Leeds United were last in the Premier League, and with no major silverware for 25 years Leeds fans are begging for a manager to get them their long awaited promotion back to the top level of English football.

After many turbulent years, Leeds are starting to look a lot more stable and fans are starting to show belief in their team more than they have for a long time.

As a lifelong Leeds fan, could I provide that extra step where other managers have struggled?
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
https://imgur.com/a/3UWJg

Just a couple of transfers in and out before the season started, with a pretty complete squad already. I added Marcin Wasilewski for his experience at the back, while Tyler Blackett should provide decent cover and will grow into a first team player over time.

When Swansea offered £5m for Pablo Hernandez, I thought it was a good amount of money to sell him for especially with him being one of my highest earners. A new CAM or two to replace him are currently considering contract offers so hopefully I'll have some transfer news in the next couple of updates.

Pre-season friendlies:

https://imgur.com/a/ojieV

Now onto our first league game, Bolton away...
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
https://imgur.com/a/2lqN9

Our season started off with a win away at newly promoted Bolton, with Lasogga's first half goal and Kalvin Phillips's late second proving too much for Bolton, even with Adam Armstrong's 89th minute consolation.

https://grandstandviewdaily.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/tarashajshani.jpg?w=300

Our new signing of Swiss international Shani Tarashaj was confirmed after the Bolton win, signing for £4.2m from Everton on a deal until the Summer of 2020. He'd be thrown straight in to the starting line up for the Carabao Cup clash with Carlisle, where he'd be hoping to show the Leeds fans he's a good replacement for the recently departed Pablo Hernandez...

https://imgur.com/a/qUxeQ

Next up was a chance of squad rotation, and a debut goal for new signing Shani Tarashaj as well as a first half hat-trick from Jay-Roy Grot. The 4-1 scoreline flattered us a bit and when Carlisle went 1-0 up in under 5 minutes, I feared about the early exit but luckily we came back fighting. We've been drawn away at League 1 Wigan in the second round.

https://imgur.com/a/ZPLU2

Next up was Preston North End, and we only managed to get a draw at home. Tarashaj shone in the CAM position once again giving us the lead, only for Preston to equalise and hold on even when reduced to 10 men.

https://imgur.com/a/iSbZy

We were poor in this game and created very few chances. Jordan Graham's goal was a cross that ended up going over the head of Wiedwald and in, which was very unfortunate. A loss that we need to move on quickly from.

https://imgur.com/a/rLiMQ

A good point away at Sunderland, with Lasogga scoring the opener just after half time before Lewis Grabban grabbed a quick equaliser. Both teams had chances to win it, but I'm happy with the draw.

https://imgur.com/a/fCYGC

I now have no hair left after this game. At 2-0 down after 15 minutes I thought we were well out of it, only to come back in with Roofe scoring before the break and Cibicki getting sn equaliser in the 90th minute to send it to extra time.. The last 5 minutes of extra time were a real rollercoaster, with Wasilewski giving away a stupid penalty that Will Grigg put away. Mateusz Klich thought he'd saved us and sent the game to penalties with another last minute equaliser, but in the 2nd minute of stoppage time Michael Jacobs ended our experience in the Carabao Cup for this year. Wasn't a big competition anyway for me, but that was a real rollercoaster!

https://imgur.com/a/nIh97

Wow. After 30 minutes I was looking forward to a tactical rehaul at 3-0 down (2 of them being penalties!). I was not expecting a 9 minute hat-trick from Pierre-Michel Lasogga before the break to make us level at half time. In the second half, we ran away with it. Alioski was masterful throughout, scoring 2 and assisting 4. 3 from Lasogga, 2 each from Alioski and Tarashaj and one from Dallas made it a win to remember in our final game of the month.

Table:

https://imgur.com/a/75zvv

Not much to be said after 5 league games, but mid table isn't quite where we should be. Hopefully a few more wins will come and we'll climb the table more.

Next update will be a transfer window round-up!
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
Transfers:

https://imgur.com/a/Jt3jR

One more incoming transfer that I haven't yet mentioned, with former Italy international Guiseppe Rossi joining on a free transfer to add cover up front after Caleb Ekuban was loaned out to Kilmarnock after he spat his dummy out when I signed Tarashaj.

Clarke Oduor and Ousama have joined feeder club Guiseley on a season long loan, while young left back Matty Downing joined Blyth on loan to gain experience.

Moving on to September now and hoping for a good string of results to help us climb the table.
TinakoFM
10 years ago
1 day ago
1,522
What a win versus Forest!
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
@r96Skinner I know, I couldn't believe what was happening! Absolute destruction

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

https://imgur.com/a/vBg34

First game of the month was at home to Burton, which looks much more comfortable than it was, goals from Lasogga, Roofe and Alioski in the last 15 minutes turned the game round after we went 1-0 down in the first half to Chuba Akpom's finish. Lasogga went off injured late on and was ruled out for 6-8 weeks.

https://imgur.com/a/BMVNM

Bit of a crazy game where it ended up 10 v 9, with a sending off each and Harlee Dean went off injured in stoppage time for Birmingham. We looked to be cruising until O'Kane's sending off levelled the playing field, and Birmingham's goal back made it a tense last few minutes until Cibicki finished it off in the 100th minute.

https://imgur.com/a/JNoIe

I forgot to screenshot this, apologies... We seem to concede the first goal a lot and haven't kept a clean sheet all season. Still, we managed to win again and Tarashaj has proved to be a great signing.

https://imgur.com/a/QYQLi

We conceded first once again but managed to equalise through Stuart Dallas, followed by a very dull second half with barely any chances for either side.

https://imgur.com/a/y2x27

This match was embarrassing not to win. Even against 10 men, we concede first. Pushed and pushed for an equaliser in the second half and it only came in the 89th minute through Kemar Roofe. Borthwick-Jackson was then sent off in stoppage time to add to the disappointment.

https://imgur.com/a/Zrxan

We finally scored first in a game! Couldn't hold on to the win though and Hooper's equaliser made it our third 1-1 draw in a row. Not kept a clean sheet all season yet, a problem that needs sorting.

https://imgur.com/a/i4izc

Sitting in 6th at the end of the month with just one loss, but too many draws for my liking. An unbeaten month is a positive to build on. International break next and hopefully we'll have Pennington, Berardi and Lasogga back from injury to feature for the next game against Reading and Guiseppe Rossi doesn't look far off his debut after recovering from an injury he had before he joined the club.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
https://imgur.com/a/e9Koo

Great news, Guiseppe Rossi is back in trai...

https://imgur.com/a/wy8Vl

Well never mind then.

Literally 8 minutes after I was told he was back in training, he got injured in training and will miss most of the season. Good use of a 1 year contract right there
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
OCTOBER

https://imgur.com/a/FN85n

A draw would have been a fair result here, but unfortunately Jordan Obita had other ideas when he scored in the 95th minute to give us our second league defeat of the season.

https://imgur.com/a/uxDlN

We don't make it easy for ourselves, 3-0 up and it seems like we're cruising against 10 men but we concede 2 late goals and make it a nervous ending, thankfully we held on to a 3-2 win. Still no clean sheet!

https://imgur.com/a/VYdoY

Alioski saved us here, 2 good goals to get us yet another draw!

https://imgur.com/a/OYOD8

A CLEAN SHEET! Finally! Sadly we could only draw, lucky result really because we were outplayed.

League table:

https://imgur.com/a/dUJnM

End of October and we're sitting just outside the play-off places, 1 point behind 6th. If we could convert draws into wins, we'd be flying.
Dan
12 years ago
4 months ago
16,964
Still there or there abouts mate, its not looking too bad!
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
November

https://imgur.com/a/dJkl4

Not much to say on this one, a bore draw but we were lucky to come out with a point.

https://imgur.com/a/ushTF

Finishing was the difference here - Boro finished their chances well and we really didn't.

https://imgur.com/a/OGdd4

A brilliant result compared to the last 2, a penalty in the first couple of minutes set us up for the win and Phillips rounded it off before half time.

https://imgur.com/a/Idrxw

Another good away win, but only two goals within a minute by Dallas and Saiz ensured the result.

Table:

https://imgur.com/a/li05f

A month of two halves - first two games we were poor and got poor results but the second two results were much better, beating top of the table Wolves and local rivals Barnsley both away from home.

Awards:

Kalvin Phillips won young player of the month after performing consistently well and scoring against Middlesbrough and Wolves.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
December

https://imgur.com/a/ii4Sp

First game of the month was a good one, with a Hadi Sacko hat-trick and an Ezgjan Alioski brace leading us to a 6-3 victory over Aston Villa.

https://imgur.com/a/Uem22

Game of two halves. Absolutely dreadful first half where we went in 3-0 down without even having a shot on target. 2 goals from Kalvin Phillips in the second half made the scoreline look a lot more reasonable, but we didn't deserve to only lose by 1. Our only 2 shots on target in the whole match were the 2 goals. Got to stop conceding so much.

https://imgur.com/a/d0Qnd

A good 1-0 win against Norwich with Roofe netting late on to win it for us. Wiedwald out for 6 weeks with a fractured arm, so Lonergan will get a chance in goal.

https://imgur.com/a/5uHYT

Another good win against fellow play-off chasers Hull, starting to string some good results together now to cement our place in the play-off places. Another goal from Kalvin Phillips too, he's on top form.

https://imgur.com/a/zjc5N

A poor performance but we scraped the win in the end thankfully.

https://imgur.com/a/PhGCF

Rounded the month off with a draw away at Birmingham, our performances aren't great at the minute but at least we're getting a lot of wins and not losing often.

Table:

https://imgur.com/a/tPC7T

Sitting pretty in 3rd at the end of December, hopefully we can keep up the form and maybe push for the top 2 closer to the end of the season.

Awards:

https://imgur.com/a/ProNp

Kalvin Phillips deservedly gets player of the month after a great month.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
January

https://imgur.com/a/osDZD

A good start to the month with a 2-0 win over Forest, Grot and Klich scoring the goals in the first half against a Forest team that didn't really trouble us.

https://imgur.com/a/639NU

Completely outplayed and didn't look like creating anything even if the game was 300 minutes long. Just need to move on quickly.

https://imgur.com/a/4JBbq

Outplayed again, but this time we were able to keep a clean sheet for a 0-0 draw.

https://imgur.com/a/lwuES

Much better performance against Millwall to record a 3-1 win. Lasogga's on a very worrying goal drought that goes back to the win against Burton all the way back in September.

https://imgur.com/a/Ht4EN

A very even game that ended level, was hoping we could hold on to the lead but Diomande equalised with 11 minutes left to make it end level.

League table:

https://imgur.com/a/CNBl3

Sitting in 3rd, looking good for play-offs if we can keep up our current form and hopefully we can have a go at the top 2.

Transfer window:

Nobody came into the team in January, however Jay-Roy Grot went out on loan to Burton for the rest of the season to increase his game time.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
February

https://imgur.com/a/9tmEN

The month started with a good win against Cardiff, with Hadi Sacko scoring both goals after Paterson's free kick gave Cardiff the lead.

https://imgur.com/a/DSZVY

Another good win away to Sheffield United, with Hadi Sacko again proving his point after moaning about not getting first team football.

https://imgur.com/a/bBMMi

Completely dominated Bristol City here with an all round performance, only allowing Bristol City 1 shot on target... which of course they scored. 2 goals from Tarashaj and 2 penalties from Klich ensured an emphatic win.

https://imgur.com/a/brkd8

Klich scoring after 2 minutes put us in a good position, however Derby deservedly got a draw through Sam Winnall.

https://imgur.com/a/OXl0w

No idea how this was 1-0, we created so many chances. Luckily our defence held out and 1 goal was enough for the victory to cap off an unbeaten month and 13 unbeaten in the league.

Table

https://imgur.com/a/vy29t

Sitting top of the table with 12 games left and 4 points clear of 3rd. Hopefully we can keep up our form and go straight up without the drama of play-offs.

Awards

https://imgur.com/a/Zthc1

Hadi Sacko deservedly wins player of the month for February. After coming to me asking for more first team football at the start of the month, I couldn't have asked for much more from him and he's certainly getting first team football now while he's on red hot form.

Youth intake

https://imgur.com/a/LOvWf

A few promising players for the future, Billy Davis looks like he'll be joining a long list of central midfield youth prospects from the club's academy. Left winger Andrew Serrell also looks like he could become a good first team player in the future.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
March

https://imgur.com/a/seGvi

Never seem to perform against Middlesbrough, 3rd time we've played them this season and been completely dominated every time.

https://imgur.com/a/oAibS

A much better performance against the only team who were above us before kick off. After a tight first half, we started to create more of the chances in the second and thankfully Alioski was able to give us the lead and then wrap it up in stoppage time.

https://imgur.com/a/Fe6bw

We weren't top for long - a very tight, even game that we lost in the dying seconds. A bitter blow.

https://imgur.com/a/8fw6R

A disappointing draw in a game we dominated and should have held on for the win, only for Jacob Butterfield to equalise in the 89th minute.

https://imgur.com/a/wtNik

A win to finish the month. Good finishing the difference, with Saiz on fire. 16 year old midfielder Billy Davis started this game and did well, setting up Saiz with a great through ball for the 1st goal. Another young prospect Andrew Serrell also became our youngest ever player off the bench.

Table

https://imgur.com/a/cj6sE

Extremely tight going into the final stage of the season, with only 4 points separating the top 5. Fingers crossed we're up there at the end of the season.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
April

https://imgur.com/a/vIrpH

First game of the month was one where we somehow scraped a draw despite being completely dominated. Happy with a point here.

https://imgur.com/a/Qxe4d

Really hard loss to take, thought we were going to hang on and win until Sunderland scored twice in 5 minutes to win 2-1.

https://imgur.com/a/ipzxF

Good win, 2 goals in the first 7 minutes and then we were able to defend well and hang on for the win.

https://imgur.com/a/5tmmG

Match went a bit mad in the last 10 minutes, with Villa reduced to 10 men but then equalising, before Tarashaj and Roofe both scored in stoppage time to give us the win.

https://imgur.com/a/lyF52

Our finishing was dreadful until Tarashaj came on as a second half substitute and saved us a point.

https://imgur.com/a/GQ3F6

A game of not many chances, Norwich managed to take one which gave them the win.

Table

https://imgur.com/a/JQ4Xs

Can still go up automatically but we need Wolves to lose and Fulham to draw or lose, a big ask but we'll do our best!
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
FINAL DAY

So the final day of the season leaves us needing huge help from Sunderland at home to Wolves and Birmingham at home to Fulham. If we beat QPR at home and Wolves and Fulham both lose, we will join Middlesbrough in automatic promotion and avoid the play-offs.

Live updates:

The first goal on the final day of the Championship put us in a strong position, with Shani Tarashaj capitalising on a Nedum Onuoha mistake to score just 2 minutes in.

In the 29th minute, our promotion party was put on hold as Fulham took the lead away to Birmingham with a Rui Fonte goal.

Just before half time, we were dealt a bitter blow as Onuoha headed home from a corner to equalise for QPR.

In the 68th minute, Angus McDonald scored for Birmingham to equalise against Fulham which meant as it stood Wolves would finish 1st with their game still 0-0, and Middlesbrough would go up as runners up despite being 2-1 down to Ipswich.

In the 76th minute, Yohan Mollo pushed Fulham back to the top of the table as he put Fulham 2-1 up against Birmingham and shortly after, James Vaughan put Sunderland ahead against Wolves which meant Fulham and Middlesbrough would be the 2 teams going up automatically... which is how it ended.

A disappointing end to the season with only 2 points from our last 3 games, but we need to step up in a 2 leg tie against Sunderland.
jambowambo
16 years ago
4 years ago
388
Play-offs:

So, our first leg against Sunderland was away at the Stadium of Light:

https://imgur.com/a/DBdvZ

A tight game with neither team really going for it, unfortunately their 16 year old new-gen Michael Ferguson scored in the 80th minute to give them the advantage.

Could we turn it around in the home leg?

https://imgur.com/a/kbiaw

Unfortunately not, despite creating many chances. Out of 14 shots, only 3 were on target. Kemar Roofe hit the post twice, and when Jansson poked it in from a bit of box pinball he was (correctly) ruled offside.

Maybe next season if I decide to carry on with this save...




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