Review of 2009/10 – Part 3 – Cup highs and League lows After six years of decline, 2010 promised to be the turning point for Leeds United: on 1 January they led the League One table, eleven points clear of the third- placed club. They would never have a better opportunity of getting out of the third tier of English football. To add to the excitement they pulled off a memorable victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup at Old Trafford on 3 January. They won a passionate encounter by virtue of Jermaine Beckford‟s 19th-minute goal and a magnificent all round team display. Simon Grayson claimed it as a “fantastic day for this football club”, echoing the feelings of United fans everywhere as Leeds ended a 29-year drought at the Jermaine Beckford coolly beats Manchester United‟s Kuszczak and Brown to Theatre of Dreams. give Leeds a famous victory Strangely, however, the triumph triggered a loss of form in the League. Many laid the blame at the feet of Beckford‟s agent as he tried to secure a move to the Premiership. There were ongoing rumours of a big money bid in the transfer window. Beckford‟s existing contract was due to end in the summer when he would be available on a free transfer. This was the final opportunity for Leeds to cash in on him. Newcastle tabled a £1.25m bid, later increased to £1.5m and then £1.8m. Leeds insisted they would wait for a “ridiculous” offer, rumoured to be nothing less than £2m. In the days following the Old Trafford victory it was revealed that Beckford had submitted a transfer request on 30 December. Within a fortnight, however, he withdrew his request, saying, “I have decided to withdraw my transfer request and commit my immediate future to Leeds United. It was never a comfortable decision to ask for a transfer in the first place, but after the game against Manchester United and the unbelievable reaction from the Leeds United supporters in the Wycombe match I have decided I want to finish what I have been striving to do for the last two seasons – and that is to help promote Leeds United out of a division which the club doesn‟t belong.” www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Review of 2009/10 Part 3 – Cup highs and League lows 1 A couple of days later, Beckford was reported to have signed a pre-contract agreement with Everton, with a move scheduled for the end of the season. The Cup win at Old Trafford led to unanimous predictions that Leeds would quickly cement promotion. Their immediate fixtures looked straightforward, struggling Wycombe and Exeter, followed by the home leg of their Johnstone‟s Paint Trophy Northern Area final. However, they drew one game and lost the other two. 9 January at Elland Road against Wycombe began with happy recollections of Old Trafford but then the lowly visitors rattled a few cages. Michael Walker in the Daily Mail: “Manager Simon Grayson named Beckford in the team and when his name was read out there was a smattering of boos, but no wailing. There was even a song sung in honour of Beckford‟s FA Cup winner. Part of this reaction stems from Leeds fans‟ knowledge of Beckford as a miss-and-hit 'Scum Busters' T shirts commemorating the Old Trafford victory on sale at Elland Road striker who has started only one before the game with Wycombe Championship game in his career. If the club can get £2m for the 26-year-old five months before his contract expires and invest it in a forward who will help push them to promotion, then supporters will settle for that. „Who the **** are Newcastle?‟ chanted the Kop at one stage and the irritation is with their northern rivals as much as the player. “Beckford did little in this game, but he did not get injured. Leeds, unbeaten at home in the League since this day last year, took a fourth-minute lead when Wycombe goalkeeper Scott Shearer dived under Jonny Howson‟s shot. It felt like the beginning of a thrashing. We would be able to eulogise Leeds as the vanguard of an overdue Yorkshire revival. But no. Wycombe‟s long underrated Tom Doherty took over. Jon Paul Pittman, plucked from non-League like Beckford, hit a post. So did Scott Davies. Leeds keeper Casper Ankergren made a smart save from Stuart Beavon. Eventually, in the 64th minute, Pittman fired in a low equaliser. Second-bottom Wycombe remain second- bottom. Leeds remain top.” Simon Grayson: “It was a very average performance. People thought we would win the game and the phrase „after the Lord Mayor‟s Show‟ springs to mind... We didn‟t win enough tackles and show enough application, but Wycombe came and played without fear and caused us more problems than Man U last weekend. But it‟s another point." Even worse was to come: the following week United lost 2-0 at Exeter City. Grayson: “The most disappointing thing was the way we started the game… We were still in the dressing room for the first five, 10, 15 minutes and we didn‟t play to the conditions as well as we www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Review of 2009/10 Part 3 – Cup highs and League lows 2 should have done. It was a very difficult pitch and we wanted to play as if it was a normal, dry pitch. We had to play the percentage football and we didn‟t do that.” Grayson hoped that the Johnstone‟s Paint game against Carlisle would see his men back on form, but they lost 2-1. They played well but could not convert their chances. On 23 January United faced a star studded Tottenham Hotspur side in the FA Cup fourth round at White Hart Lane. It was every bit as thrilling an encounter as that at Old Trafford. After seven minutes Spurs were awarded a penalty but Ankergren made a remarkable stop. Peter Crouch put Tottenham ahead just before half time, hinting at an avalanche of goals, but after 52 minutes Beckford flicked home an equaliser. When substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko restored Spurs‟ lead in the 76th minute, it looked all over, but not a bit of it. United were awarded an injury time penalty when Michael Dawson sent Beckford tumbling. With seconds remaining, Beckford was the coolest man in the stadium as he equalised. The next day Simon Grayson completed a transfer deal he had been pursuing for several weeks, signing Max Gradel from Leicester City for a fee rumoured to be £500,000. Gradel first arrived to Elland Road on a one month loan in October, later extended to January. Foxes manager Nigel Pearson had insisted that the Ivorian forward was not for sale, but his hand was forced when Gradel put in a transfer request. The winger was an instant hit with the Elland Road fans, who had repeatedly pleaded with Grayson to “Sign him up”. He had been used in the main as an impact substitute, with thirteen of his sixteen appearances coming from the bench. Gradel was among the subs again when United visited fifth-placed Swindon Town on 26 January. They crashed to a 3-0 defeat, badly outplayed by motivated opponents. Grayson: “This was the complete opposite of Saturday at Tottenham. We were outfought and outbattled and got what we deserved. They seemed to want it more than us, they ran further than us, they tackled more than us... We have to get back to being hard to beat.” Steve Wilson in the Telegraph: “What was telling about that defeat ... was the comprehensive nature of it. The first time Simon Grayson‟s side had been truly thumped this term, it marked an end to their already fading veneer of superiority.” Gary McSheffrey in action in his debut against Colchester on 30 January It looked ominous for Leeds‟ chances of promotion and their home game with fourth-placed Colchester United on 30 January was a crucial test. They had two players on debut after the arrival of Aston Villa defender Shane Lowry and Birmingham City forward Gary McSheffrey on loan deals. The duo made promising contributions www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Review of 2009/10 Part 3 – Cup highs and League lows 3 to United‟s best performance for weeks; Beckford scored both goals in an emphatic 2-0 victory that came as a major relief to Grayson. “We were back to our usual selves,” said the manager. “We were on the front foot, we were closing people down and created good chances... They are a hard side to play against, but we managed to show our battling qualities. We were dogged, resilient, and when we got the chance to play we did. The penalty just before half time gave us a boost, but we had half chances before then and in the second half we put the pressure on.” On 1 February, David Prutton completed a permanent move to Colchester after an initial loan period went well. United‟s official website carried an open letter of gratitude to the fans from the popular midfielder, who signed himself off “aka Jesus” in acknowledgment of the supporters‟ nickname for him. Two days later United faced Tottenham in the replay of their fourth round tie. England striker Jermain Defoe missed a bagful of chances, but gave Spurs a 37th minute lead with a miscued shinner. Never-say-die United were level at the break, however, The Leeds United website carries David Prutton's farewell to the fans on 3 February after Becchio scored.