Leeds, Huddersfield and The Bigger Picture

Article by Leeds Correspondent David Naylor

Ah dear, another derby and another defeat for the not-so mighty whites as Leeds were subjected to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town last Saturday. Town have been fairly dominant against Leeds in recent years, with the Terriers winning five and losing just two of the last nine matches between the sides. For me, whilst it is sickening to be on the losing side repeatedly, it is even more gut-wrenching to see our Leeds teams be out-battled and out-fought against an opposition who seem so much more determined to pick up bragging rights.

So what? some Leeds fans may say. Don't we have bigger fish to fry? Well no, actually. Anyone with this attitude need only glance at the league table to see inklings of what could be a changing of the guard in West Yorkshire. The season is fairly young, admittedly, and Huddersfield had an excellent start to last year's Championship campaign under personal-hero Simon Grayson before tailing off, but is there really so vast a contrast between the two side's promotion chances? I don't think there is to be honest.

Let us start with a glimpse at our respective playing squads. Whilst Leeds's arguably has more quality and depth, Town also have players who can be match-winners. Adam Hammill, for example, ripped Leeds apart whilst at Barnsley a few years ago and the winger demonstrated form of sufficient stature to warrant a move to then-Premier League Wolves soon after. Striker James Vaughan, who signed on at Huddersfield last Summer for a sum spanning six figures, has already shown his ability this season by grabbing an impressive nine league goals in the first thirteen games. If Vaughan, whose promising career at maiden club Everton was impaired somewhat with injuries, can stay fit for most of the season then Town could find themselves glancing down at a fair proportion of their Championship colleagues come May.

Midfielder Adam Clayton, a man who Leeds fans know all-too-well, is an astute player at this level. Clayton was for a large part Leeds' best player at the Beginning of the 2011-12 season and I was gutted to see him leave. Clayts shares Town's engine room with the likes of Jonathan Hogg and Keith Southern. Southern has Premier League experience with Blackpool and will provide vital experience to a young midfield that includes Hogg- a player who enjoyed a regular berth in Gianfranco Zola's promotion-chasing Udinese-B team last season before moving to sunny West Yorkshire for personal reasons.

United's team is looking a little more complete after the recent signings of forward Dexter Blackstock and experienced centre half Marius Zaliukas. The addition of a winger or two is still high on the agenda of Brian McDermott but you feel Leeds are now in a slightly more favourable position regarding a possible promotion push. In Ross McCormack we have a player who will score goals and provide assists on a regular basis whilst the return of prodigy Sam Byram will give the side a big boost as he returns to full fitness. If Zaliukas can go some way to tightening up our rearguard then McDermott's new 3-5-2 formation will hopefully continue to bring goals without the threat of dire defensive displays.

Were our new system to stick then hopefully we will see the Whites 'click' and put together a consistent run of form that's at least half as good as the period of games that saw McDermott's Reading thunder to the Championship title a couple of years ago. On the other hand, Huddersfield will hope that Manager Mark Robins can demonstrate the sort of managerial capabilities that saw him lead Rotherham United to a promotion push in spite of a seventeen point deduction a few years back, whilst showing the kind of determination that saw him take Barnsley from the foot of the table to safety in 2010's Championship will only bring rewards for Town. Leeds and the Terriers could well find their destinies following similar lines during the coming months, and we may even we treated to a play-off campaign played out in both corners of West Yorkshire.

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