Life after Relegation

Josie-lufc · Life after Relegation

Wise men show there is life after relegation

THE sleeping giant is waking up, writes Tony Harber.

After a summer of arguments, recriminations, confusion and utter gloom, suddenly there is life in Leeds United and the Football League and its chairmen may just have done more for Ken Bates and the club than they bargained for.
Now there's a common enemy and the "no-one likes us" motto can be turned into a positive with everyone at Elland Road determined to pull together again to put one over on those who put the boot in this summer.
The 15-point deduction is still going to loom large over the club all season, but now there's a feeling it can be used as a challenge rather than a burden.
Already six of those points have been wiped out after just two games with victories over Tranmere and Southend who should both finish in the top half of League One. In fact Leeds would be sitting on top right now had it not been for the controversial deduction, not bad for starters after such a dreadful summer of discontent.
It was not quite top of the table football quality on show at Elland Road on Saturday against Southend, but a rousing finish with three goals in the last eight minutes sent the fans home buzzing and believing again.
There were plenty of supporters in the ground with the 24,036 attendance the biggest outside the Premiership and the fourth highest for any English football match on Saturday.
Many, though, missed the thrilling start after a huge queue for tickets outside the ground meant a 15-minute kick-off delay and still hundreds trying to get to their seats as skipper Alan Thompson hammered home a superb 30-yard free-kick in the third minute.
It was the perfect way to settle any nerves in the first home game of the season and United should have been further ahead when Jermaine Beckford sliced a shot horribly wide as it looked easier to score.
The pacy Beckford was proving a real handful for the visitors' defence, however, and it was fitting that he got the final goal - his first in a league game for Leeds.
Southend made a game of it as they hit the post through Alan McCormack's long range strike and equalised on 69 minutes when Adam Barrett headed home from close range. But Leeds finished strongly and were deserving winners.
Substitute Tore Andre Flo put the Whites back ahead five minutes from time with virtually his first touch, volleying home confidently after great work from another substitute, Seb Carole, who had charged down the right wing and sent over a dangerous cross that was only half cleared.
The cheers were loud again three minutes later as a corner was back headed into the net via the crossbar by Rui Marques for his first goal for the club. And the icing on the cake was provided by Beckford in injury time as he latched on to a long punt forward to finish effortlessly past keeper Darryl Flahavan.
"It was not a 4-1 game," said Southend manager Steve Tilson and he was right, but from Leeds' perspective this was just the result to get fans excited again and continue to get them through the turnstiles in the coming weeks.
Who would have thought just a few weeks ago that so many would want to be at Elland Road again and that there would be a team good enough to score goals in a game?
Dennis Wise has managed to get a team together that is playing for each other and taking shape. It is far from the finished article as the midfield balance is not quite right yet and there is a lack of depth to the squad, but with chairman Bates saying the club is now debt free and wage savings of £1.6m having been made in recent weeks there is room to bring more in.
Eddie Lewis was the latest to leave on Monday after Premiership club Derby came in for him, leaving the side short of an experienced left back and natural left winger, but an initial replacement is Jamie Clapham, with a one-month loan deal agreed with Wolves.
A goalkeeper as cover for Casper Ankergren is another priority, while the Whites have been linked with a move for striker Jemal Johnson, who was on loan at Elland Road last season, after losing the services of striker Leon Constantine for three months with an ankle injury.
Ian Westlake and new utility man Andrew Hughes also added to the casualty list after limping off on Saturday, putting a small dampener on a perfect first week when United also won through a first round Carling Cup tie at Macclesfield with a young side. The reward was a Premiership tester with a second round tie away at Portsmouth next Tuesday.
Before then comes a big league test as Leeds travel down the M1 to the City Ground to renew rivalries with Nottingham Forest. This early season clash of the fallen giants should attract another 20,000 plus crowd and will indicate how far United have come since getting the Football League share back and what standard they have to attain to compete with the best of the division.
Manager Wise is obviously pleased so far and sounding a more confident, if cautionary note.
"It was important we won this game," he said. "Tranmere was important last week too and so was our first home game.
"We deserved the win. We are performing well at the moment and we are looking very strong. There is a long, long way to go for us yet, though, and we have to keep our feet on the ground.
"I like the group we've got. They are working well. It was nice to get Tore on. He's got so much quality and he's the type where if he gets a chance, it ends up in the back of the net.
"We've got to use him very gently at the moment. He's been out for a long time and we just put him on for the last 15 minutes because I don't think he can go much longer than that at the minute."
Match facts
Leeds United 4
(Thompson 3, Flo 85, Marques 88, Beckford 90)
Southend United 1
(Barrett 69)
Saturday, August 18, 2007
League One. Att: 24,036
Leeds (4-4-2): Ankergren; Richardson, Marques, Heath, Hughes (Parker 72); Prutton (Flo 79), Thompson, Douglas, Westlake (Carole 42); Kandol, Beckford.
Booked: Westlake, Kandol.
Southend (4-4-2): Flahavan; Gilbert (Richards 81), Barrett, Clarke, Wilson; Bailey, McCormack, Gower (Black 89), Campbell-Ryce; Bradbury (MacDonald 81), Harrold.
Booked: McCormack.
Referee: N Swarbrick (Lancashire).
United MOM: Jermaine Beckford.