Leeds United Dynasty (also Interactive) - FM2010

[law90026]

ROB Nielsen!

Spoiler

[law90026]

26 August 2009: League Cup Round 2

Portsmouth (Premier League) vs Leeds United (League 1)

Leeds Starting Lineup
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kiborno
DC: Deacon Songalia
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Ace Idol
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Dayne Ho
ST: Richard Nielsen
Subs: Frank Justice, Jermaine Beckford, Edward Woodrow, Casper Ankergren, Elliot Omozusi, Leigh Bromby, Richard Snodgrass

Justice to the bench as he is tired but is likely to come on as a sub at some point.

Match Report:

9th minute: Header from Portsmouth but its weak and wide. Scary that the Portsmouth left winger found so much space though.

18th minute: Close range shot from Portsmouth, saved by Mayhem. Again, the attack came from the left flank.

28th minute: Belhadj (Portsmouth AML) crosses into the box and Piquonne heads it .. goal! 1-0 Portsmouth.

33rd minute: Ball played down the channel for Ho to chase, he reaches it and cuts it back for Nielsen in the penalty box who shoots first time .. against the crossbar!

42nd minute: Belhadj cross, evades the centrebacks and Smith sneaks in to slot it in! 2-0 Portsmouth.

43rd minute: Nielsen shows some nifty footwork at the edge of the penalty box, turns his man and shoots ... easily saved.

53rd minute: Portsmouth shot hits the crossbar and bounces away to safety.

57th minute: Gunn plays a simple ball to Ho who blasts it from long range, not even close.

61st minute: Beckford on for a disappointing Nielsen, Justice on for Idol, Omozusi on for Lasha.

64th minute: Long ball plays Kanu through on goal, but Mayhem saves the close range attempt. Corner.

66th minute: Great flowing football allows Justice to shoot from the edge of the box, just wide!

89th minute: Meriem attacks down the left flank, cuts it back for Beckford who shoots, hits the side netting.

Fulltime: Portsmouth 2 - 0 Leeds United
MOTM: Tommy Smith (Portsmouth AMR) (7.5)
Honorable Mention: Deacon Songalia (7.3)
Bad games: Dayne Ho and Richard Nielsen (both 5.9)

This was never going to be an easy game and that proved to be the case as we were overrun. We were never really a threat to Portsmouth throughout the entire game.

[Coffee Warlord]

And you still called me Richard in the writeup!

[law90026]

29th August 2009: League 1 Match #5

Colchester vs Leeds United

Leeds Line-up
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Lasha Salukvadze
DC: Edward Woodrow
DC: Deacon Songalia
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Camel Meriem
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Richard Nielsen
Subs: Ace Idol, Dayne Ho, Patrick Kisnorbo, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Richard Snodgrass

Some changes as Schex is absolutely destroyed (86% fitness). Ho goes to the bench along with Idol. A young CB pairing today, hopefully that doesn't backfire.

Match Report:

13th minute: A defensive mix-up from a Colchester corner, O'Toole is free and he smashes it home! 1-0 Colchester.

15th minute: Defence was in shambles again and O'Toole is left unmarked to fire home his 2nd goal. 2-0 Colchester.

20th minute: Justice shoots from 20 yards out, well over.

24th minute: Dangerous cross from Meriem is well punched out by the keeper.

27th minute: Defence still hasn't woken up yet as they allow Platt to receive a cross in the box. Luckily he shoots wide.

30th minute: Platt breaks free again and shoots but it's saved by Mayhem.

34th minute: Another shot by Colchester from the left side, saved again.

36th minute: Leeds plays the ball around the Colchester area for a bit then Gunn makes a sudden dash into the box. The ball is passed through to him and he slots it in from close range! 2-1 Colchester.

37th minute: Deep cross from Colchester and their striker gets a header in but it hits the bar. This defence is NOT working out.

48th minute: Gunn corner, Songalia heads it but it goes over.

Halftime: Kisnorbo is on for a disappointing Songalia (5.8) while Ho is on for a terrible Beckford (4.4).

46th minute: Ho shoots from 20 yards out, comfortably held by the keeper.

49th minute: O'Toole shoots from 20 yards out, wide.

59th minute: Colchester crosses but it hits the crossbar!

62nd minute: Meriem crosses, Gunn accelerates to meet it and smashes a volley in! 2-2!!

72nd minute: Colchester cross and their striker has it at his feet but Mayhem saves bravely!

73rd minute: Lasha off for Bromby. Lasha is absolutely knackered.

87th minute: Colchester's striker breaks free but blasts way over the bar from just inside the box.

90th minute: Another long range shot by Colchester but not a danger.

Fulltime: Colchester 2 - 2 Leeds United
MOTM: John-Joe O'Toole (Colchester MC) 8.7
Honorable Mention: BB Gunn (8.7)
Bad games: Songalia (5.9)

We were lucky to escape with a draw for this game as they pretty much dominated us. Gunn saved us today.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

And you still called me Richard in the writeup!

Damn you cut-and-paste!!!!

[Coffee Warlord]

I promise I will actually score more goals if you fucking use my correct name!

[law90026]

International Call-ups:

France U-21: Charles Schex
Denmark U-21: Deacon Songalia and ROB Nielsen

BB Gunn was also named to the League 1 Team of the Week.

[Coffee Warlord]

God, I ditched the USA and went to Denmark again? Awesome.

[law90026]

August Round-up

Results:
vs Exeter: 4-0 win (Ho 2, Idol, Justice)
vs Rochdale: 3-2 win (Songalia, Meriem, Beckford)
vs Wycombe: 1-0 win (Nielsen)
vs Walsall: 1-0 win (Ho)
vs Tranmere: 4-0 win (Ho 2, Meriem, Justice)
vs Portsmouth: 2-0 loss
vs Colchester: 2-2 draw (Gunn 2)

The season definitely started brightly but we seem to have run into some issues the last 2 games. Our defence seems to be tight, especially when Kisnorbo is playing, which is a good thing. In midfield, I'm definitely beginning to feel that Ace Idol isn't quite ready for the starting 11 yet and we look most dangerous with Justice in central midfield and Meriem and Gunn on the wings. Upfront, Nielsen needs to start scoring a bit more while Beckford seems generally disappointing so far.

League table:

1. Leeds United P5 W4 D1 L0 For 12 Against 2 GD +10 Pts 13
2. Southend P5 W4 D1 L0 For 11 Against 4 GD +7 Pts 13
3. Norwich P5 W3 D2 L0 For 10 Against 7 GD +3 Pts 11
4. Leyton Orient P5 W3 D2 L0 For 7 Against 4 GD +3 Pts 11
5. Bristol City P5 W3 D1 L1 For 8 Against 5 GD +3 Pts 10
6. Charlton P5 W3 D1 L1 For 6 Against 3 GD +3 Pts 10

We are at the top but it's early days in the season yet. It's nice to see us having the best offence and defence so far.

Awards

Dayne Ho comes in 3rd for the Player of the Month award.
Dayne Ho comes in 2nd for the Young Player of the Month award.

Stats:
Goals (only players with more than 1 goal listed): Ho (5), Gunn (2), Justice (2), Meriem (2)
Assists (only players with more than 1 assist listed): Meriem (4), Gunn (2)
Avg Rating (top 3 only): Meriem (7.46), Gunn (7.32), Mayhem (7.20)

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by law90026

Fulltime: Colchester 2 - 2 Leeds United
MOTM: John-Joe O'Toole (Colchester MC) 8.7
Honorable Mention: BB Gunn (8.7)
Bad games: Songalia (5.9)

We were lucky to escape with a draw for this game as they pretty much dominated us. Gunn saved us today.

YES!!!! Wow, my virtual self is a much better player than I was at 16. Of course, I wasn't playing soccer at 16, but I digress...

[law90026]

International Call-ups:

England U-19: Dayne Ho, Edward Woodrow, BB Gunn, Ace Idol
Scotland U-21: Torin Mayhem

Results:

Denmark U-21 4 - 1 Northern Ireland U-21
Deacon Songalia got a 7.0 as well as a booking in this game. Rob Nielsen played one half and got a 6.7 rating.

England U-19 3 - 1 Croatia U-19
BB Gunn had a 7.6 rating and created 1 goal while Ace Idol had a 5.5 rating and was taken off after 72 minutes.

Scotland U-21 2 - 0 Isreal U-21s
A clean sheet for Torin Mayhem along with a 7.0 rating.

Germany U-21 0 - 0 Denmark U-21
Songalia played again and was MOTM with a 7.5 rating as Germany absolutely dominated the match but failed to score. Rob Nielsen did not get off the bench.

[law90026]

11 September 2009: League 1 Match #6

Southend (1st place) vs Leeds United (3rd place)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Edward Woodrow
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Camel Meriem
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Dayne Ho
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Ace Idol, Jermaine Beckford, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Elliot Omozushi, Richard Snodgrass

Deacon Songalia has a thigh strain from the U-21 games and is unavailable.

Match Report:

3rd minute: Shot by Southend, well saved by Mayhem, corner.

29th minute: long range attempt by Southend, well over.

37th minute: Nielsen races on to a long goalkick but the Southend keeper saves bravely at his feet. From the ensuing goalkick, Ho feeds Nielsen but his shot from outside the box is tame.

Halftime: It's been a boring game so far with few chances.

46th minute: Gunn takes the ball and accelerates down the right flank and swings over a deep cross. Meriem arrives and heads it .. it's in! 1-0 Leeds!

50th minute: Gunn corner, Woodrow rises but it goes wide.

51st minute: Freedman breaks for Southend and tries a curling shot but Mayhem tips it wide.

55th minute: A cross swung in and McAlister rises to head home! A goal out of nowhere. 1-1. However, our defence is furious as they think McAlister handled the ball!

59th minute: Gunn corner, Woodrow rises highest again and it's inches wide!

60th minute: Long range attempt is on target but Mayhem tips it over the bar.

66th minute: Beckford on for Nielsen (6.1) and Idol on for Justice (6.9).

73rd minute: Ho swings a cross in, Beckford heads but a Southend defender makes a goalline clearance! From the throw-in, the ball is worked to Hemdani who shoots from the edge of the box and it's just wide.

76th minute: Nice triangle passing between Ho, Meriem and Beckford. As Ho shapes to shoot, he gets tackled but it breaks to Beckford who curls it first time into the top left corner! 2-1 Leeds!

80th minute: Elliot on for a tired Schex.

92nd minute: Long range screamer from Southend but it hits the bar!

We hang on for the win!

Fulltime: Southend 1 - 2 Leeds United
MOTM: Meriem (8.2)

This was an important win over one of our main rivals for promotion. Meriem once again pulled the strings for us and is probably our most important player right now.

[law90026]

16th September 2009: League 1 Match #7

Leeds vs. Stockport County

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Edward Woodrow
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Camel Meriem
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Dayne Ho
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Ace Idol, Jermaine Beckford, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Elliot Omozushi, Richard Snodgrass

No changes to the side as Songalia is still injured.

Match Report:

1st minute: A deep cross from Schex nearly results in an inadvertent goal but the Stockport keeper tips it over. Corner.

14th minute: Stockport head the ball in but it's disallowed for a foul on Mayhem.

22nd minute: Long range effort from Stockport is over the bar.

34th minute: Stockport freekick is blasted wide.

42nd minute: Justice heads it on to Ho in the penalty box but it's just out of his reach to try an attempt at goal.

44th minute: Another long range attempt from Stockport, over.

Halftime: A really boring first half, hoping for the performance to pick up.

47th minute: Justice with a long range shot, well wide.

58th minute: Corner taken by Gunn, players rise in the box and it's in the Stockport goal! It's an own goal by Gyan of Stockport! 1-0 Leeds!

59th minute: Throughball allows Stockport's Johnson to face Mayhem 1 on 1 ... he shoots ... wide!

61st minute: Long range attempt by Stockport is heading in but Mayhem saves! Corner.

66th minute: Johnson with another long range effort, way over.

71st minute: Schex off for Elliot, Nielsen off for Beckford, Gunn off for Idol.

83rd minute: Long range attempt by Stockport, wide.

84th minute: Elliot gets the ball, he plays it down the channel for Ho to chase, Ho drags it into the box and shoots .. goal! 2-0 Leeds.

87th minute: Beckford loses the ball at the edge of the Stockport penalty box but it drops kindly to Ho who shoots first time .. it's in! 3-0 Leeds.

Fulltime: Leeds 3 - 0 Stockport
MOTM: Ho (8.5)

We were more clinical than Stockport today. They had more possession and attempts at goal but a combination of bad finishing and good goalkeeping ensured we kept a clean sheet.

[law90026]

19th September 2009: League 1 Match #8

Leeds (1st) vs. Gillingham (14th)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozushi
DL: Lasha Salukvadze
DC: Edward Woodrow
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: Camel Meriem
ML: Ace Idol
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Dayne Ho
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: BB Gunn, Jermaine Beckford, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Charles Schex, Richard Snodgrass

Still no Songalia. Schex and Gunn are tired and this allows me to play Snodgrass for a change this season.

Match Report:

6th min: Gillingham score! But wait, their striker is offside .. or was he?

8th minute: Nielsen has the ball played to him in the 6 yard box but the keeper palms it away desperately!

12th minute: Elliot booked.

20th minute: Gillingham with a long range shot, wide.

24th minute: Gillingham striker with a close range header, saved by Mayhem.

29th minute: Ho turns his man in the box, swivels and shoots, hits the bar!

32nd minute: Ho injured! Beckford on for him.

40th minute: Freekick lofted in, Beckford rises to head, hits the bar!

Halftime: Still 0-0 but we started playing better in the latter part of the 2nd half. Ho's injury is a concern.

46th minute: Nielsen crosses for Beckford but his header is off.

51st minute: Idol turns his man and shoots from 20 yards out, just wide!

54th minute: Cross from Meriem to Beckford, he heads it wide!

54th minute: Schex on for Elliot, Snodgrass on for Idol.

89th minute: Corner by Meriem, Woodrow rises and heads it .. it's in! 1-0 Leeds!

Fulltime: Leeds United 1 - 0 Gillingham
MOTM: Woodrow (7.8)

Not a terribly exciting game but we dominated possession and we had 4 good chances to score. Unfortunately, only 1 was finished off. Still, 3 points is always good to have!

[law90026]

After the match, we discover that Dayne Ho broke his wrist and will be out for 3-4 weeks.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by law90026

After the match, we discover that Dayne Ho broke his wrist and will be out for 3-4 weeks.

That stinks. Heal quickly and get back out on the pitch!

[law90026]

26 September 2009: League 1 Match #9

MK Dons (16th) vs Leeds (1st)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Edward Woodrow
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Camel Meriem
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Elliot Omozushi, Ace Idol, Deacon Songalia, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Richard Snodgrass

Songalia is back but on the bench. Beckford and Nielsen will be the striking partnership for the next month or so.

Match Report

7th minute: Nielsen plays it through for Beckford who has a half yard on the Dons defender. He shoots but it's saved. It falls to Meriem but he elects to pass instead of shoot from inside the box and the keeper catches it. Probably the wrong decision.

18th minute: Schex booked.

27th minute: Meriem plays it through for Beckford, he shoots from just inside the box but it's tipped over by the Dons keeper.

39th minute: Dons freekick goes wide.

41st minute: Kisnorbo booked.

43rd minute: Gunn finds space on the wing, he crosses and Meriem heads it home! 1-0 Leeds!

Halftime: 1-0 up and we're dominating.

53rd minute: Dons break and their striker gets a close range attempt in but Mayhem saves.

56th minute: Dons freekick, over the bar.

64th minute: Long ball from Woodrow played forward for Gunn to race on to, he reaches it first and slots it past the keeper from close range! 2-0 Leeds!

70th minute: Elliot on for Schex, Idol on for Meriem and Bromby on for Kisnorbo.

73rd minute: Beckford with a long range shot, saved by the Dons keeper.

74th minute: Woodrow with a tackle in the box, Dons appeal for a penalty but ref looks away. Commentators think it looked like a legitimate claim!

88th minute: Doumbe, a Dons player, is sent off for his 2nd yellow!

Fulltime: MK Dons 0 - 2 Leeds
MOTM: Gunn 8.2

This was a relatively easy win for us and Gunn was a deserved man of the match.

[law90026]

29th September 2009: League 1 Match #10

Leeds (1st) vs Carlisle (16th)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Deacon Songalia
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Camel Meriem
MC: Frank Justice
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Lasha Salukvadze, Ace Idol, Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Richard Snodgrass, Edward Woodrow

Elliot in for Lasha who needs a break. I'm wondering if this 3 man fullback rotation will bite me in the ass in the future. I need to find someway to utilise Rob Nielsen better, he's simply not playing well.

Match Report:

4th minute: Nielsen shoots from long range, wide.

19th minute: Justice injured! Idol on and Meriem switches to central midfield.

23rd minute: Carlisle long range attempt, weak and wide.

36th minute: Hemdani gets the ball in the Carlisle half and plays it to Nielsen just inside the box. He delays shooting and it's cleared.

37th minute: Meriem with a long range attempt, over the bar.

44th minute: Meriem plays it to Beckford who shoots from just inside the box, way over.

47th minute: Corner for Carlisle, it's headed by Livesey .. it's in! Against the run of play, Carlisle lead!

Halftime: Down 1-0. We're not really creating quality chances right now.

48th minute: Meriem with a 30yard attempt, just over.

66th minute: Hemdani booked.

66th minute: Schex off for Lasha, Gunn off for Snodgrass. Both players are tired.

70th minute: Corner for Leeds, Songalia heads it against the bar! Snodgrass blasts the rebound way over.

84th minute: Beckford gets the ball just inside the Carlisle half, he looks up and slots it forward for Nielsen. Nielsen gets a bit of space and shoots from just outside the box .. it's in! 1-1!

89th minute: Meriem takes a corner, Songalia rises and heads it home! 2-1 Leeds!

Fulltime: Leeds 2 - 1 Carlisle
MOTM: Danny Livesey (Carlisle DC) 7.9
Honorable Mention: Deacon Songalia, 7.9

Somehow, we pull victory out of the bag. We definitely didn't deserve to lose but it really didn't look like we would get a winner.

[law90026]

The injury prognosis for Frank Justice is not good. He has fractured his wrist as well but it's anticipated he will take 6 to 7 weeks to recover.

Also, Rob Nielsen did not train well in the past month.

[law90026]

September Round-up

Results:
vs Southend: 2-1 win (Meriem, Beckford)
vs Stockport: 3-0 win (OG, Ho 2)
vs Gillingham: 1-0 win (Woodrow)
vs MK Dons: 2-0 win (Meriem, Gunn)
vs Carlisle: 2-1 win (Nielsen, Songalia)

A very good month, though it was a bit short due to internationals and 1 postponed fixture. 5 wins out of 5 is a really nice record and only 2 goals conceded. It was good to see Woodrow step up in the absence of Songalia and hopefully the goal will snap Nielsen out of his funk. Idol will also have a chance to impress with Justice's injury.

League table:

1. Leeds United P10 W9 D1 L0 For 22 Against 4 GD +18 Pts 28
2. Bristol Rovers P10 W6 D2 L2 For 16 Against 11 GD +5 Pts 20
3. Southend P10 W6 D1 L3 For 18 Against 9 GD +9 Pts 19
4. Swindon P10 W5 D4 L1 For 18 Against 10 GD +8 Pts 19
5. Norwich P10 W5 D4 L1 For 18 Against 13 GD +5 Pts 19
6. Tranmere P10 W5 D2 L3 For 20 Against 15 GD +5 Pts 17

About a fifth of the way through the season (total of 46 games) and we're clear ahead at the top. With any luck, we can maintain this good run for a bit and not slip up so that we can get breathing room in case of injuries and fatigue.

Awards

Beckford comes in 3rd for Goal of the Month.

Stats:
Goals (only players with more than 1 goal listed): Ho (7), Meriem (4), Gunn (3), Justice (2), Nielsen (2), Songalia (2), Beckford (2)
Assists (only players with more than 1 assist listed): Meriem (7), Gunn (4), Woodrow (2), Beckford (2), Schex (2)
Avg Rating (top 3 only): Meriem (7.47), Woodrow (7.37), Gunn (7.29)

[law90026]

3rd October 2009: League 1 Match #11

Leeds (1st) vs Charlton (7th)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Lasha Salukvadze
DC: Deacon Songalia
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Ace Idol
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Casper Ankergren, Neil Kilkenny, Leigh Bromby, Richard Snodgrass, Edward Woodrow, Charles Schex, Aidan White

Match Report:

2nd minute: Corner by Meriem, Songalia heads it, over!

5th minute: Clever little freekick by Meriem to Gunn ... he shoots but it's saved.

23rd minute: Gunn runs from his own half to the Charlton byline, cuts it back for Meriem who touches it for Nielsen ... Nielsen's shot is saved!

24th minute: Charlton breaks, cross and header .. just wide!

30th minute: Elliot booked.

37th minute: Elliot warned. He'll be coming off at halftime I think.

Halftime: We're the better side but can't break the deadlock yet. Schex on for Elliot to prevent a sending off.

51st minute: Idol cross, cleared by the defence but only as far as Meriem .. he volleys it from 25 yards out, it's in!!! Great goal. 1-0 Leeds!

66th minute: Charlton with a chance in the box but defenders throw themselves in the way of the shot to deflect it clear. Corner.

67th minute: Corner taken, Sodje powers the header in! 1-1! Mayhem to blame there as he came out but failed to claim the ball.

73rd minute: White and Snodgrass on for Gunn and Idol, both very tired.

78th minute: White flicks it on for Beckford but his shot is saved.

78th minute: Meriem booked.

Fulltime: Leeds United 1 - 1 Charlton
MOTM: Sodje, 7.8
Bad Game: Nielsen (5.9)

A disappointing result, considering we had more chances than them.

[law90026]

International Call-ups:

England U-19: Woodrow, Gunn, Idol, White
France U-19: Schex
Denmark U-19: Songalia, Nielsen

Scotland U-21: Mayhem

Other news: Songalia and Meriem named to the League 1 Team of the Week.

[law90026]

International Round-up

Slovenia U19 0 - 3 England U-19
Aidan White (7.3), Idol (6.0) and Woodrow (6.1) played in this game. Woodrow is the England U-19 captain!

Denmark U-19 3 - 0 Azerbaijan U-19
Nielsen (7.8, 1 goal) and Songalia (5.6) played in this game. Nielsen is now also the youngest player ever to score in the Euro U-19 Championship Qualifiers.

Malta U-19 0 - 2 France U-19
Charles Schex was the man of the match (9.1 rating, 2 assists) as he created both French goals.

England U-19 6 - 0 Armenia U-19
Woodrow (6.6, captain), White (6.2), Gunn (8.0, 1 goal) played in this game.

France U-19 4 - 0 Macedonia U-19
Schex (8.1) played well again but he was absolutely exhausted at the end of the game.

Scotland U-21 0 - 2 Spain U-21
Mayhem played decently (7.3) even though he conceded 2 goals.

Latvia U-19 0 - 5 Denmark U-19
Nielsen was named MOTM (9.3 rating, 2 goals) while Songalia played decently (7.6).

Bulgaria U-19 0 - 3 Denmark U-19
Songalia played an average game (6.3) while Nielsen was kept on the bench.

Lithuania U-19 0 - 5 England U-19
Woodrow (6.6, captain), White and Idol (both 5.5) played in this game. Gunn seems to have limited opportunities for the England U-19s.

Montenegro U-21 0 - 2 Scotland U-21
Mayhem played decently (6.8) in keeping a clean sheet. It helped that Montenegro only had 2 long range shots on goal the whole match.

[law90026]

14th October 2009: Johnstone's Paint Trophy

Rotherham (non-league) vs Leeds United

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Casper Ankergren
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Aidan White
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Leigh Bromby
MR: Richard Snodgrass
ML: Bradley Johnson
MC: Neil Kilkenny
MC: Michael Doyle
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Tom Elliot
Subs: Shane Higgs, Brahim Hemdani, Charles Schex, Deacon Songalia, Jonathon Howson

A lot of changes against a lesser side, hopefully it doesn't screw us over. The youngsters get a break today.

No long writeup for this game.

We win comfortably 2-1, our goals coming from Michael Doyle and Beckford in the first half. A penalty in the 2nd half gave them a chance but we always looked like the better side.

[law90026]

19th October 2009: League 1 Match #12

Leeds (1st) vs. Norwich (11th)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Edward Woodrow
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Richard Snodgrass
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Rob Nielsen
Subs: Dayne Ho, Casper Ankergren, Deacon Songalia, Elliot Omozusi, Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny, Ace Idol

Dayne is back but on the bench. Woodrow gets the nod ahead of Songalia and Snodgrass ahead of Idol.

Match Report

7th minute: Gunn takes a corner, drifts it in, Woodrow jumps highest and nods it in! 1-0 Leeds!

17th minute: A freekick drifted in, a Norwich header from pretty far out goes over the bar.

23rd minute: Norwich has a great chance but their midfielder hits it wide from 6 yards out. Woodrow's mistake led to this chance when he gave the ball away needlessly in our own half.

25th minute: Long clearance that Beckford chases down. He holds off the defender and takes a shot, hits the bar and it comes out!

35th minute: Lasha shoves a Norwich player and injures him! He's lucky not to get booked or sent off.

39th minute: Freekick into the Norwich box which Woodrow heads .. but it's saved.

40th minute: Snodgrass plays Beckford through but his shot is saved. Gunn hits the rebound but it's wide!

43rd minute: Good save by Mayhem from a Norwich close range shot.

Halftime: Up 1-0 and we do look good for the lead. I'm concerned they are breaking well though.

48th minute: Meriem hits it just over the bar from 25 yards out.

50th minute: Schex booked.

58th minute: Norwich get a cross into the 6 yard box but Mayhem saves from point blank range!

65th minute: Norwich freekick drifted in, a free header is saved by Mayhem. He plays it out quickly to Schex who plays a great ball up for Beckford. Clear on goal but he blasts it over!

66th minute: Ho on for Beckford, Idol on for Snodgrass, Elliot on for Schex.

69th minute: Norwich break our offside trap again but Mayhem saves bravely!

75th minute: Nielsen with a long range shot and he hits the bar! Pity.

Fulltime: Leeds United 1 - 0 Norwich
MOTM: Woodrow 7.9

Woodrow justifies his selection as he scores the only goal and gets the MOTM award. It was a close match and Norwich actually had better goalscoring chances but Mayhem was great today.

[cschex]

I knew I should have selected Endurance as one of my attributes. OH well, this way it's pretty true to life of my own playing "career".

[law90026]

24th October 2009: League 1 Match #13

Millwall (7th) vs Leeds (1st)

Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Edward Woodrow
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Ace Idol
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Rob Nielsen
ST: Dayne Ho
Subs: Jermaine Beckford, Casper Ankergren, Deacon Songalia, Elliot Omozusi, Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny, Richard Snodgrass

Ho and Idol in for Beckford and Snodgrass respectively.

Match Report

3rd minute: Nielsen shoots from inside the box, saved!

11th minute: Lasha crosses from the right flank, Idol slides in but puts it the wrong side of the post.

29th minute: Gunn with the corner and no surprises, it's Woodrow who heads it in! 1-0 Leeds!

35th minute: Ho played through, he gets into the box and is brought down! Penalty! Meriem steps up confidently and just smashes it into the top of the goal! 2-0 Leeds!

40th minute: Long throw in into the Millwall box, the ball is bouncing around and players are jostling. The referee suddenly blows! Penalty! Meriem steps up and puts it to the right of the keeper this time, 3-0 Leeds!

46th minute: Millwall gets a chance inside the box, a shot but Mayhem saves! The ball is worked out again and Millwall shoot but it hits the bar and goes out of play.

Halftime: Up 3-0 and we should cruise to a comfortable win.

48th minute: Millwall come out aggressively and they work the ball for a shot from just outside the box. Mayhem makes a good save.

49th minute: The corner isn't cleared properly and Millwall get a shot on goal but Mayhem pushes it out.

56th minute: Idol shows some nifty footwork at the edge of the Millwall box to make some space and plays the ball to Nielsen. A first time shot but it's saved!

64th minute: Long range attempt by Millwall, well over.

64th minute: Beckford, Kilkenny and Songalia on for Ho, Meriem and Woodrow.

81st minute: A deep cross by Millwall from the right wing and they get a shot on target when Lasha fails to cut it out. Mayhem saves though!

83rd minute: Shot from inside the box by Millwall but Mayhem gathers comfortably.

90th minute: Songalia makes a bad pass in his own third and Millwall pounce! Dunne is 1 on 1 with Mayhem and scores! 3-1 Leeds.

Fulltime: Millwall 1 - 3 Leeds United
MOTM: Meriem 8.6
Honorable Mention: Woodrow 8.2
Bad Game: Songalia 4.7

A game of 2 halves as we dominated the first and Millwall came out on fire in the 2nd. Mayhem played well again though and only allowed 1 consolation goal.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by cschex

I knew I should have selected Endurance as one of my attributes. OH well, this way it's pretty true to life of my own playing "career".

Heh it's true. Schex nearly always needs to be subbed off before 90 mins is up.

[law90026]

Woodrow was named to the League 1 Team of the Week, well deserved.

[Coffee Warlord]

Wonder if Rob's just too young at this point to really be an everyday first teamer. He did shine in the U-19's.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Wonder if Rob's just too young at this point to really be an everyday first teamer. He did shine in the U-19's.

Not entirely sure about that. To be fair, he has talent enough to play in League 1 but he can't seem to either a) play on a consistent basis or b) his stats don't really allow him to fit many of the forward roles well (like attacking forward or target man as examples; the best fit seems to be poacher).

I might try him as a sub for a bit and let Beckford start, see how that works out.

[Coffee Warlord]

Well of COURSE he's a poacher!

[gi]

I was hoping Mayhem's organize Defense skill would help out, doesn't seem to be the case so far.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by gi

I was hoping Mayhem's organize Defense skill would help out, doesn't seem to be the case so far.

Well, Mayhem is actually playing really well and he has kept us in a bunch of games.

Also, he's a bit of a risk taker ... i've seen him dribble the ball out of the box on a few occasions. One time, he went as far as 30-35 yards out before passing it out. I would have been pissed if he had lost the ball :P

[gi]

Originally Posted by law90026

Well, Mayhem is actually playing really well and he has kept us in a bunch of games.

Also, he's a bit of a risk taker ... i've seen him dribble the ball out of the box on a few occasions. One time, he went as far as 30-35 yards out before passing it out. I would have been pissed if he had lost the ball :P

Ah, good to know. I based my comment on how you described the defense issues we've been having.

[BYU 14]

Ouch Idol is not playing well for the England U19's.

Any chance you can post our average ratings through this point in the season?

[surlyc]

England (U-19) captain, eh?

Great couple of weeks for Woodrow, huh? Captaining his country, his first senior goals (headers, of course), his first team of the week nomination and the second highest average rating on the team... man, I wish I'd had that month instead of my last actual month!

[law90026]

Originally Posted by gi

Ah, good to know. I based my comment on how you described the defense issues we've been having.

I wouldn't say we have defense issues, considering we have only conceded 4 goals in the league

Just that the other teams do create a bunch of chances at times.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Ouch Idol is not playing well for the England U19's.

Any chance you can post our average ratings through this point in the season?

Sure, I'll do that in the next monthly update.

[law90026]

28 October 2009: League 1 Match #14

Bristol Rovers (4th) vs Leeds United (1st)

Leeds Lineup
Leeds Line-up:
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Lasha Salukvadze
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Edward Woodrow
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Richard Snodgrass
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Dayne Ho
Subs: Richard Nielsen, Casper Ankergren, Deacon Songalia, Elliot Omozusi, Leigh Bromby, Neil Kilkenny, Ace Idol

Nielsen sits for this match and Beckford takes his place upfront. Woodrow keeps Songalia out of the starting 11 while Snodgrass replaces Idol on the left wing.

Match Report

8th minute: Rovers have a long range attempt, not far off.

27th minute: Lasha booked.

30th minute: Duffy for Rovers shoots from 20 yards out, it curls in! 1-0 Rovers.

35th minute: Meriem wins the ball in midfield, looks up and spots the run of Ho. He plays a long ball forward and it's perfect. Ho brings it down, bursts into the box with no one around him and slots it home! 1-1!

37th minute: Poor marking allows a throw-in on the right flank to be flicked on into the Leeds box. Rovers try a shot but it's well over.

39th minute: Gunn takes a corner and Woodrow rises to head it in again! He's a real threat at set pieces! 2-1 Leeds!

44th minute: Long freekick lofted into the box, Kisnorbo gets his head to the ball but it is well wide.

47th minute: Long range freekick blasted at goal by Rovers, wide.

Halftime: Up 2-1 and we began to establish ourselves in the 2nd part of the 1st half. We will need to keep up this performance because we were terrible in the first 25 minutes or so.

51st minute: We work the ball around the Rovers box but a tackle and a long ball allows them to break! Duffy gets the ball and plays a first time pass to Kuffour, completely unmarked. He takes his time and shoots from 20 yards out ... it's in! 2-2.

57th minute: Gunn wins the ball in his own half and plays it forward to Ho. Ho runs down the right flank, cuts in and crosses for Beckford .. and his header is wide. Wasted chance.

60th minute: Rovers corner and they get a header in ... but it's wide.

62nd minute: A throw in deep in Rovers territory but Lasha loses the ball. It's played long to Kuffour and he turns his man easily! He's through on goal and shoots ... saved!

63rd minute: Rovers header from the corner is just over.

64th minute: Nielsen on for Beckford, Elliot on for Schex. We're going to play a deeper line because Kuffour is finding way too much space behind our defence right now.

68th minute: Duffy gets the ball 30 yards out, he shoots .. it's in?!?! 3-2 Rovers.

75th minute: Snodgrass plays a throughball for Nielsen but, with only the keeper to beat, he shoots tamely and its saved. Idol comes on for Snodgrass.

79th minute: Meriem floats a freekick deep into the Rovers box, Woodrow is there but his header is weak. Another wasted chance.

Fulltime: Bristol Rovers 3 - 2 Leeds United
MOTM: Duffy (Rovers FC), 8.5

A very disappointing loss, considering we were leading at halftime. 2 ridiculous strikes by Duffy won the game for them.

[gi]

I blame Mayhem

[ntndeacon]

It is Songalia's absense from the starting lineup.

[law90026]

31 October 2009: League 1 Match #15

Leeds (1st) vs Yeovil Town (23rd)

Leeds Lineup
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Edward Woodrow
MR: Robert Snodgrass
ML: Ace Idol
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Dayne Ho
Subs: Richard Nielsen, Casper Ankergren, Deacon Songalia, Lasha Salukvadze, Leigh Bromby, Neil Kilkenny, BB Gunn

Idol in for Gunn, who is tired. Elliot in for a tired Lasha.

Match Report:

1st minute: Interchange of passes by Yeovil and the ball is suddenly played through to their striker. He shoots with time but Mayhem saves well. Bad start!

3rd minute: We work the ball down the left wing and Schex crosses for a late-arriving Snodgrass. His header is weak though and easily clutched by the Yeovil keeper.

8th minute: Lovell takes the ball 30 yards out and shoots. It's a goal! 1-0 Yeovil.

17th minute: Ball played to Beckford in the box who turns and shoots but it's saved.

26th minute: We force 3 corners in succession but nothing comes out of it.

33rd minute: Meriem plays the ball to Beckford just outside the box, his shot is charged down for a corner.

40th minute: Omozusi plays a cross from the right wing into the 6 yard box, Beckford gets his foot to it and it's in! 1-1!

42nd minute: Omozusi gets the ball on the right flank again and he crosses .. Ho reaches it but his toepoke is weak and the shot is saved.

43rd minute: Idol gets the ball on the left wing, accelerates and finds space. He cuts it back for Hemdani who plays a first time pass to Ho. Ho turns his man easily and shoots from just inside the box .. it's in! 2-1 Leeds!

Halftime: Well we managed to turn the game around again with 2 quick goals. We need to not roll over like in the previous game though.

53rd minute: Schex receives a throw in on the left flank and plays a first time cross. Snodgrass dives in and connects ... it's a goal! 3-1 Leeds! Somehow, Schex hurt himself while crossing!

56th minute: Schex and Woodrow off, Songalia and Lasha on.

62nd minute: An attempted shot by Beckford deflects off the defender and it falls kindly for Snodgrass.. he shoots and it's in! 4-1 Leeds!

68th minute: Ho gets close and shoots but it's saved! His last action as Nielsen comes on.

76th minute: Long range attempt by Yeovil, wide.

80th minute: Corner is not cleared by Yeovil, there is a mad scramble ... and Nielsen stabs it in! 5-1 Leeds!

84th minute: Hemdani booked.

85th minute: Long ball into the Leeds box. Mayhem elects to control with his feet and tries to dribble out ... into 2 Yeovil strikers. No surprise when Lovell robs him and scores! 5-2 Leeds.

89th minute: Long ball to Beckford, who controls it well but his shot is saved.

Fulltime: Leeds 5 - 2 Yeovil
MOTM: Snodgrass 8.7

An easy win though it looked iffy at first. True enough, Mayhem's penchant for taking risks causes him to look silly today ... luckily it wasn't a close game.

[Coffee Warlord]

*cough*

[law90026]

October Round-up

Results:
vs Charlton: 1-1 draw (Meriem)
vs Rotherham: 2-1 win (Doyle, Beckford)
vs Norwch: 1-0 win (Woodrow)
vs Millwall: 3-1 win (Woodrow, Meriem 2)
vs Bristol Rovers: 3-2 loss (Ho, Woodrow)
vs Yeovil Town: 5-2 win (Beckford, Ho, Snodgrass 2, Nielsen)

5 league games, 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. Ordinarily, this would be a decent string of results but the loss hurts a lot. It ended a 14 game unbeaten streak.

League table:

1. Leeds United P15 W12 D2 L1 For 34 Against 11 GD +23 Pts 38
2. Southend P15 W10 D2 L3 For 27 Against 11 GD +16 Pts 32
3. Swindon P15 W8 D5 L2 For 29 Against 18 GD +11 Pts 29
4. Bristol Rovers P15 W9 D2 L4 For 24 Against 18 GD +6 Pts 29
5. Brighton P15 W8 D4 L3 For 22 Against 12 GD +10 Pts 28
6. Charlton P15 W7 D7 L1 For 20 Against 11 GD +9 Pts 28

About a third of the way through the season (total of 46 games) and our lead at the top has been cut to 6 point. Hopefully it's not a sign of complacency or our form dipping too much. Southend had a good month though, hence the lead being cut as they won 4 and drew 1 in October.

Awards

No awards this month.

Stats:
Goals (only players with more than 1 goal listed): Ho (9), Meriem (7), Woodrow (4), Beckford (4), Gunn (3), Nielsen (3), Justice (2), Songalia (2), Snodgrass (2)
Assists (only players with more than 1 assist listed): Meriem (8), Gunn (7), Schex (3), Hemdani (3), Woodrow (2), Beckford (2), Ho (2), Omozusi (2)
Avg Rating (top 3 only): Woodrow (7.52), Meriem (7.48), Gunn (7.24)

FOFC Stats:

1) DC Edward Woodrow, 11 games (1 as sub), 4 goals, 2 assists, 3 MOTM, 7.52 rating

2) MR BB Gunn, 14 games (1 as sub), 3 goals, 7 assists, 1 MOTM, 7.24 rating

3) ST Dayne Ho, 14 games (2 as sub), 9 goals, 2 assists, 3 MOTM, 7.19 rating

4) GK Torin Mayhem, 17 games, 7.08 rating

5) MC Frank Justice, 12 games (2 as sub), 2 goals, 1 assist, 7.05 rating

6) DL Charles Schex, 16 games (3 as sub), 3 assists, 7.00 rating

7) DC Deacon Songalia, 12 games (4 as sub), 2 goals, 6.91 rating

8) AML Ace Idol, 16 games (8 as sub), 1 goal, 6.75 rating

9) ST Rob Nielsen, 17 games (3 as sub), 3 goals, 1 assist, 6.51 rating

[surlyc]

Who's the Club Captain, by the way?

[law90026]

It's currently a DC called Richard Naylor but he never plays. The vicecaptain is Hemdani.

[surlyc]

Originally Posted by law90026

It's currently a DC called Richard Naylor but he never plays. The vicecaptain is Hemdani.

Wow, Naylor actually left Ipswich? Bet he's regretting that, warming the Leeds bench!

I hope Woodrow gets a shot at the Leeds captaincy in the future. He's an old school English centre-back by the looks of it!

[law90026]

7 November 2009: FA Cup 1st Round

Leeds United (L1) vs Brighton (L1)

Leeds Line-up
GK: Torin Mayhem
DR: Elliot Omozusi
DL: Charles Schex
DC: Patrick Kisnorbo
DC: Edward Woodrow
MR: BB Gunn
ML: Robert Snodgrass
MC: Camel Meriem
MC: Brahim Hemdani
ST: Jermaine Beckford
ST: Dayne Ho
Subs: Richard Nielsen, Casper Ankergren, Deacon Songalia, Lasha Salukvadze, Leigh Bromby, Neil Kilkenny, Ace Idol

Just one change as Idol goes to the bench and Gunn comes in.

Match Report

15th minute: Woodrow fouls a Brighton striker .. lucky not to get a booking because he was nearly the last man. The freekick is not a danger though.

17th minute: Ho shoots but it's deflected .. Snodgrass hits the rebound, saved!

24th minute: Ho with a 35 yard attempt, not that far off.

32nd minute: Beckford gets the ball in the box but is tackled as he turns.. corner.

36th minute: Beckford steals the ball and finds himself in space. He gets into the box and crosses for Ho but he shoots straight at the keeper!

43rd minute: Omozusi with a cross, Beckford gets to it but heads it wide.

Halftime: 1-1 but we're the better side. Need to keep plugging away.

53rd minute: Beckford with a curling long range shot but it's tipped over for a corner.

54th minute: Snodgrass booked.

70th minute: Songalia on for Kisnorbo, Lasha on for Schex and Idol on for Snodgrass.

73rd minute: Idol booked.

74th minute: Freekick lofted into the Leeds box, ref blows for a penalty?!? Omozusi judged to have pushed a Brighton player over. Forster scores. 1-0 Brighton.

79th minute: Brighton shot, just wide.

83rd minute: Deep cross in by Omozusi, Beckford's header but keeper saves from pointblank range!

86th minute: Meriem shot from 20 yards is tame. But it looked like a penalty in the leadup before that.

89th minute: Brighton long range shot clips the bar.

91st minute: Leeds corner, goalmouth scramble, their keeper smothers the ball.

92nd minute: Beckford gets the ball and plays it through to Ho who shoots from outside the box .. it's in! 1-1! Leeds score on the break.

Fulltime: Leeds 1 - 1 Brighton
MOTM: Virgo (Brighton DC), 7.5

A very frustrating result and I blame the ref for that. 2 penalty calls turned the game on its head and we barely escaped with a draw. We had 61% possession and 11 shots (3 clearcut chances). They had 39% possession and just 1 clearcut chance.

[law90026]

In other news, Reading sacked their manager and apparently I'm the favourite to have the job if I want it.

Spoiler

I issue a press statement to insist I'm not interested

Also, Ho is the youngest ever goal scorer in the FA Cup.