Leeds United: Positives to take from defeat to Foxes

Article by David Naylor

A familiar air of doom and gloom has descended over Elland Road in recent weeks. Saturday afternoon saw Leeds suffer a fifth straight defeat at the hands of high-flying Leicester, although a number of positives can be gleaned from United's performance. Leeds had the league leaders on the ropes for much of the game and deserved all three points.

New signing Jimmy Kebe was not overly effective on the flanks, but his low-key start at the Whites must surely be down to a lack of match fitness with the wide-man having only featured in six games this season before his switch to Elland Road. Kebe was one of the most sought-after Championship wingers during his time at Reading and a consistent run of games should bring the Mali international back to his best.

Kebe's fellow winger, Cameron Stewart, looked physically weak against Leicester and was often dispossessed by stronger opponents. Stewart showed glimpses of flair and creativity, though, and a run of games in the Leeds side should allow the ex-Hull man to offer an injection of pace and trickery into the team. An in-form Rudy Austin can also provide a genuine threat from the Leeds midfield. The Jamaican showed glimpses of a long-lost Rudy that Leeds fans know and love. Austin couldn't really have played any worse than he has during recent outings and McDermott's 'back to basics' approach allowed the midfielder to show more creativity and make a few key tackles against Leicester. Leeds are crying out for consistent performers, though, with only Ross McCormack and Paddy Kenny having provided dependable performances in recent weeks. An extended run alongside a vastly-experienced Michael Brown in the White's engine room should allow Austin to bomb forward and add to his disappointing tally of two goals.

Brian McDermott turned to Jason Pearce and Tom Lees for a defensive blockade against Leicester's predatory strike force of David Nugent and Jamie Vardy . Pearce and Lees did well for the most part with both of Leeds' centre-backs providing a near-constant threat from set pieces, and not just in front of their own goal. Leicester were limited to a handful of chances, and Lees should have had his hometown club in-front in the first half but he could only nod Stephen Warnock's cross over an empty net. The in-form Jamie Vardy rattled Paddy Kenny's far-post after slipping past a clueless Jason Pearce however it would be Lee's mistimed challenged on David Nugent that would allow City to take the lead. Leeds' contingent of centre-backs looked woefully uncomfortable when employed as a threesome against Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday and impressive performances from fullbacks Sam Byram and Warnock against Leicester should see the Whites revert to a traditional back four in future matches.

The ongoing takeover from David Haigh et al. should provide more positives for Leeds when completed. Haigh has played a pivotal role in re-engaging the club with its local communities since his arrival at Elland Road thirteen months ago, although this week's latest transfer saga has seen the prospective new owners come under fire. Reports suggest that GFH, Leeds' current owners, were unwilling to finance a transfer for striker Ashley Barnes. Haigh has insisted that financial support is in place for McDermott, so why did the transfer fall through? Perhaps Haigh and Co. are unable to indulge fans with the details due to legal issues however McDermott's recent comments have made it clear that Barnes was certainly high on his shopping list. Some Whites fans could fear that the Kebe and Stewart deals may have drained the transfer pot somewhat if a protracted £750,000 transfer fell through, although a number of other reasons, including unrealistic wage demands or a lack of interest from the player to join Leeds may account for United's failure to land the striker. If the owners dig deep and bankroll a couple of quality signings then the Barnes saga may be forgotten. Either way, it will be interesting to see whether our new owners comment on the situation after their takeover deal is done and dusted.

In Haigh and McDermott Leeds seem to have a more positive and forward-thinking duo at the Elland Road helm and a Leicester-like performance against Ipswich next time out should see the Whites register three points and edge towards the play-offs again.

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