Under the radar: the unsung heroes of Leeds United

In a week which saw Billy Bremner voted best Football League captain of all time, the love and adoration that Leeds fans have for players that give everything for the badge has never been clearer. Hugely passionate but also highly respectful of the club’s traditions, old and young Leeds fans alike admire the club’s greats and a player’s status as a Leeds United legend, once earned, is something that lives on long after your playing days are over. Bremner and his coach Revie may be the most venerated Leeds men of all time, but other names such as Lucas Radebe, Peter Lorimer and John Charles stoke nostalgia, rose-tinted stories and recollections of better days amongst even the most battle-hardened supporters. The continued admiration that we as a fanbase have for these elite few got us thinking however – who is the most underrated player ever to pull on the famous white shirt? Who is the true unsung hero of Leeds United? We asked a few of our twitter friends and here is an evaluation of some of the names that were put forward...

Undoubtedly the greatest spell of success that has ever been seen at Elland Road was during the Don Revie era. This team was full of superstars; the 1970s precursor to the crazy gang of Bremner, Charlton, Lorimer, Giles and Clark et al combined robust and often brutal defence with attacking flair and unbreakable team spirit. One name however, suggested by @ChicagoWhite, is mentioned with far less frequency than others – Paul Madeley. Madeley, who sits fifth on the all-time list of domestic appearances with 536, was Leeds born and bred and played with such flexibility that it earned him an England call up to play centre back alongside the great Bobby Moore. His love for the club was unquestionable, once signing a blank contract and leaving then manager Jimmy Armfield to decide his wage saying: “I’ll leave it to you. I just want to play for Leeds”. His dedication to the cause was unbeatable, playing in every position besides goalkeeper during his Leeds career, and it evident that his name, while respected, should be elevated to a status similar to that of Bremner.

Following Revie, Clough’s well-documented nightmare at Leeds and Armfield’s period of mid-table obscurity, Leeds plunged into footballing darkness.  In October 1988, with the team 21^st in the Second Division, Howard Wilkinson was the man given the challenge of dragging the Whites back into England’s football elite. His success at the helm is undeniable; promotion in 1990 and title winners in 1992. However after a period of inconsistency, Wilkinson was fired and George Graham and David O’Leary were left to reap the reward of Wilkinson’s graft behind the scenes. The significance of Wilkinson’s work at Leeds should not be underestimated and, without his development of an effective youth infrastructure in the form of the academy, Leeds would not have the worldwide reputation for developing players that it has now. Indeed, the core of O’Leary’s side including Kewell, Woodgate and Smith were developed under Wilkinson’s tenure. Ultimately, Leeds fans should be eternally grateful for one of his decisions in particular: the signing of Lucas Radebe for just £250,000.

O’Leary’s success and subsequent destruction of Leeds United left the club in an extremely precarious situation. With no money and no players of note, Leeds fans were left clinging onto distant memories of glory as they travelled to League One matches at footballing Meccas such as Stockport County and Wycombe Wanderers. As @LeedsAllOver and @chris_newsom point out, however, one player has subsequently proved his qualities greatly exceeded those of the Leeds team he found himself in. Bradley Johnson played for 3 seasons at Elland Road and was played out of position by McAllister, criticised by fans regularly and even let out on loan by Grayson. It is no wonder then that, upon returning from isolation on the south coast, he requested a transfer. Norwich City was the team who picked him up and his move has since proved the catalyst for yearly raids for our best players by the East Anglia outfit. Since his switch, Johnson has established himself as a Premier League regular and a fan favourite at Carrow Road. He has played with an enthusiasm and aggression that he never showed at Leeds and perhaps Grayson and the fans (myself included) will look back at Johnson as the one that got away.

The players mentioned are just some of the names that were suggested for this article, and you will find a list of the others below. The level of respect among the fans for players that leave everything on the pitch is staggering, and it is a key factor in instilling the Leeds United values in the next generation of fans. No matter who your favourite player is (or who you feel deserves more from the fans), Leeds United supporters are always searching for their next legend.

Other suggestions:

Neil Kilkenny, @curran_steve

Dennis Irwin, @waynesnodin

Peter Haddock, @waynesnodin

Eirik Bakke, @jakerleedsblog

Mick Bates, @LeedsintheBlood

Luciano Becchio, @Jordan_Armo

Carl Shutt, @dodgylufc

Gary Kelly, @lufcstats

Andrew Hughes, @LeedsEditor

Rod Wallace, @LeedsEditor

Robert Snodgrass, @BakkeTheNet

Robert Molenaar, @TSSLUFC

Danny Mills, @craigpLufc

Raiding the bargain bin: loan deals that could change our season

As another frenzied transfer deadline day passed without news from Thorp Arch, Leeds fans can reflect on the window with more optimism than in previous years. Under Neil Warnock, the farcical strategy of signing up free agents in the twilight of their careers to long contracts took us nearer to relegation than promotion. It is these errors in judgement that have restricted Brian McDermott’s ability to put his own finishing touches on a squad that has shown some early season promise. Indeed, the wages of those such as David Norris and Danny Pugh remain on our books and money for players is tight. However, with £630 million spent on new players in the Premier League this year and the emergency loan market opening, our attention turns to the unfortunate stars of top tier teams who are unlikely to feature regularly at the Premier League level. Their loss could undoubtedly be our gain, and we look at who McDermott could bring in from the cold to spark life into our promotion push.

Ricardo Vaz Te

Why is he available? Frozen out by Allardyce, the striker went public with his desire to leave this window only to see a move to Norwich fall through.

Why do we want him? The Portuguese striker has a staggering scoring pedigree at Championship level, having bagged 10 in 22 appearances for an underwhelming Barnsley side before netting the vital goals that secured bounce-back promotion for the Hammers (including a late winner in the play-off final). Crucially, Vaz Te would provide some much needed pace in the Leeds forward line and, despite having a tendency to become a passenger when isolated up front, would be a perfect partner to Ross McCormack - standing at 6 ft 2, his height and pace could prove extremely destructive in tandem with our Scottish marksman.

Could we get him? With his services already considered by West Ham’s Premier League rivals, there is no doubt he will get to choose from a wide selection of suitors. Forest, Reading and Leicester are also reportedly interested and ultimately their superior financial strength could be a deal breaker.

Stephen Dobbie

Why is he available? Curiously left out of the 25 at Crystal Palace despite only signing permanently this summer.

Why do we want him? The lack of width in the current Leeds United team is no secret, and Brian McDermott’s attempts to bring in Chris Burke on deadline day indicate that this is an area he will undoubtedly try to strengthen. Dobbie is a Championship stalwart with a proven track record for promotion having won consecutive play-off finals with Blackpool and Swansea and, as well as his ability to cross the ball in from wide areas, his knack for stealing goals from midfield could prove very useful given that only four teams have scored fewer goals in the Championship so far this season.

Could we get him? He will undoubtedly look for a move elsewhere and could be a realistic target. However, his affinity for Blackpool coupled with their rise to the top of the table could see him return to the Seasiders on loan for a third time.

Adam Morgan

Why is he available? Not ready for 1^st XI action at Liverpool, Morgan is clearly part of Rodger’s plans for the future having played in European games last season and so may look to secure him regular first team action elsewhere.

Why do we want him? Can play as a striker or as a left winger, Morgan is rising through the ranks at Liverpool and needs regular games to continue his progression. Highly rated by those with connections to Liverpool (Robbie Fowler describing him as ‘one of the best finishers I’ve seen for a long, long time’), he would provide another option up-front and, if Hunt continues to struggle for goals, could be the poacher-style striker we need to turn goalless draws into scrappy 1-0s.

Could we get him? Had a short loan spell at Rotherham last season, Rodgers is clearly willing to let him learn the ropes away from Anfield and he may not attract as much competition as some of the more experienced Premier League names.

Marc Albrighton

Why is he available? Seemingly out of favour with Paul Lambert, Albrighton has spent far too much time on the bench for such a young talent - it seems Lambert’s philosophy of youth over experience does not include him.

Why do we want him? An out and out winger, Albrighton brings the pace and flair that we clearly lack. At only 23, his best years are still ahead of him, and he is an exciting player that may just benefit in the long term from a new team when you look at the vast influx of new players at Aston Villa in recent seasons. Scoring the 20,000^th goal of the Premier League in the 2011/12 season, he clearly knows how to find the net, a quality that is of high importance in a new recruit to take the pressure off Ross McCormack.

Could we get him? There is no reason why not. Although Marc is of Premier League quality, the chances of a top flight team looking at incoming loans at this stage of the season is becoming more and more unlikely. With no already rumoured clubs interested, his acquisition seems ‘fair game’

We all wait with excitement to see if anyone is brought in on loan in the next few weeks. Regardless of who we bring in, it is paramount that current squad members continue to challenge each other for places in the first XI. One thing is for sure, if you can hit the ground running and contribute to earning points, there are few better places in the Championship to play your football than Elland Road.

Ross McCormack – the most important ‘signing’ of the transfer window

With the transfer window drawing to a close, unfortunately for Leeds United ensuring players do not leave has started to eclipse the excitement generated by the arrival of potential new recruits. In the case of this season, although new signings Matt Smith, Noel Hunt, Luke Murphy and Scott Wootton have generally been well received, maintaining the services of Ross McCormack was an absolute requirement if the team is to give itself a chance at promotion.

The news that Leeds fans had been waiting for finally came on Friday with the in-form striker signing a new four year contract, a deal greeted with a unanimous sense of relief. The current campaign has thus far generated an optimistic and unified spirit amongst the fans, with the team yielding 8 points from their first 5 matches, only losing for the first time this season to promotion tipped QPR yesterday lunch time. This start has been welcomed with open arms, and it is undeniable that this is largely down to the form of the diminutive Scot. With 4 goals so far this season, his marksmanship has proven vital in turning decent performances into quantifiable success - but it is more than just scoring goals that makes McCormack so vital to Leeds United. One of our more skilful players, he is the source of inspiration in times of need, and losing him would most likely have expelled a promising looking squad to another spluttering season of mid-table insignificance. However, it is the off-the-pitch impact of his potential sale that makes Ross’ status as a Leeds United player so vital.

 Although his ability makes Ross a key asset to the club, it is the precedent that has been set by retaining his services for another four years that will have the greater effect on the team and the fans alike. Transfer activity in seasons gone by has been bleak for Leeds United, and all too often our star players have been sold to rival clubs for bargain prices. Jonny Howson, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio among others all sold without reinvestment, and a former footballing powerhouse gained the unwanted reputation of a ‘selling club’. However, since the departure of Ken Bates, the Leeds fans are finally in good spirits; home games are packed out (including 33,000+ on the opening day vs. Brighton) and financial support, however miniscule in comparison to other big spending rivals, is finally being placed into the hands of a much-loved and well trusted manager. Having said this, all the good work of the new owners would have unravelled should Ross have been sold; happiness would have soon turn to anger and despair, crowd numbers would have dwindled and the whirlwind of negativity would have gained pace yet again.

With financial fair play regulations and the acquisition of a much needed winger to consider, it is naïve to suggest that the club would have not at least momentarily considered cashing in on one of their most sellable assets. It is common knowledge that ‘deadwood’ players such as David Norris and Danny Pugh (amongst others) must be moved on for others to be brought in, yet this is proving to be difficult. Nonetheless, selling Ross was simply not an option if the ambitious push for top flight football is to be realised. Though one cannot condone Boro’s attempts to sign one of the Championship’s major talents, the money that was reportedly put forward is considerably far off a realistic valuation, negating any credible argument that selling would have been a viable option. Thankfully for both Leeds fans and players, the board are well aware of the importance placed in the hands of our number forty-four, with Managing Director David Haigh taking to Twitter saying “The fans have been chanting ‘Ross McCormack is not for sale’, and how could we ignore that?”. A refreshing change in stance towards the selling of our players, undoubtedly.

The way that the Ross McCormack ‘transfer saga’ has been dealt with clearly shows how the installation of new owners and an ambitious manager can totally change the way a football club is run, and this can only prove to be a positive change. For the first time in years, there is a positive attitude at Elland Road, something that would have been unthought-of towards the end of Ken Bates’ frugal and demoralising reign at the helm of the football club. In addition to this, it is the momentum achieved both on and off the pitch that can be taken to achieve our goals of promotion – a goal that is no longer a distant dream, but a realistic target.