Leeds United in 2013: the triumphs and the tragedies

It has been an enthralling 12 months for British football, with fans across the country mesmerised by the emerging talents of Bale, Barkley and Townsend, captivated by off-field implosions at Cardiff City and stunned by the dramatic end to Fergie time. With the calendar year coming to a close, Leeds players have kicked their last ball for 2013. As a result, this week at @LUFC_Calypso we reminisce about the past year at Elland Road and take stock of our own miracles and miseries; we’ve compiled a list of our best and worst moments in the last year and take a look at what lies in store for LUFC in 2014.

The highs

#BATESOUT

In the summer of 2013, Leeds fans were treated to a headline they had been dreaming about for months: Ken Bates was gone and he was never coming back. The bitter taste left by Bates’ inclusion as Club President after GFH Capital’s takeover was washed away by his unceremonious sacking in July; chants, banners and hashtags were finally vindicated and a new sense of optimism spread throughout the club. Clever initiatives were implemented by GFH to restore a community feel and raise attendances and, with the 7 figure signing of Luke Murphy, it seems the ambitions of the ownership finally mirror those of the fans.

FA and Capital One Cup excitement

League form was patchy and morale was low, but stunning performances in the domestic Cups conjured nostalgic memories of what it was like to compete with the best. Epic victories against Premier League opposition returned Leeds United to the back pages and, just for a moment, we were all able to forget reality and imagine our heroic return to the summit of English football.

Youthful exuberance

2013 saw a long-overdue return to the Academy as we start our attempts to phase out the has-beens and hatchet-men. Sam Byram was the star of the show in the 2012-2013, collecting the Player of the Year award and attracting the interest of Premier League clubs before injuries have stalled his progress this term. Alex Mowatt has also broken though and has all the skills to dominate the LUFC midfield for years to come.

The lows

Stagnation under Warnock

Neil Warnock’s reputation for promotion was dented by his time at Leeds and fans grew tired of his outdated methods, short-sighted signings and reluctance to buy into the ethos of the club. The team played ugly football without the caveat of winning, stuttering to a 13^th place finish. Crucially, Warnock’s players and tactics have installed an unwanted blueprint on the dressing room that is taking time to rewrite.

The deadwood remains

Warnock’s greatest crime in signing a raft of elder statesmen was not just their dwindling talent but the length of time they remain connected to the club. Performances this season have shown that Brown, Norris, Green and others simply cannot perform adequately at this level and until their contracts have run down they tie up wages that could be better spent elsewhere.

Derby day disasters

‘Derby day disasters’ could easily refer to a horrific ongoing run of defeats at the hands of Derby County, but in fact we have been left lamenting our performances against our local rivals. In the 7 derby games since 29/12/12, we have only managed one win (against Sheffield Wednesday) and racked up four losses (including back-to-back defeats against Huddersfield). Yorkshire bragging rights will only become irrelevant if we are able to leave them all behind in the Championship come May 2014.

What was your LUFC highlight of 2013? What would you like to see change in the New Year? As always, we welcome your comments and feedback – let us know your thoughts by tweeting us at @LUFC_Calypso!