Echo Sport postbag: Bias behind attack on Leeds United
Rastrick
As a regular reader of The Big Voice of Sport your column I always look forward to your weekly report of local sporting activities in our area.
However, I found your report regarding Leeds United against Norwich City (Echo, October 22) which I found factually incorrect and totally unacceptable for a non biased publication such as the Echo.
I am a family stand season ticket holder at Leeds and take my two young sons, Jake and Sean, regularly to home and away games all over the country. I will try to be as unbiased as possible – although my passion for Leeds will make this very difficult at times but here goes.
Firstly I will address the content in relation to Leeds not being good enough to go up to the Championship.
As you know you win nothing in October and like any club Leeds have improvements to address which the manager appears to have done with some excellent moves in the loan market.
Leeds have papered over the cracks at times this season and do have some players currently that are not good enough to play at a higher level.
If currently Leeds are not good enough to go up and continue to be at the top in April, then maybe you should write a letter to Lord Mawhinney explaining there should be no League 1 teams promoted next season as none are good enough. I am sure Lord Mawhinney will listen as Leeds has always been his favourite club and would like nothing else but to keep Leeds in the third division.
Norwich were without doubt the best team we have played this season and taught us a lesson or two in midfield possession and will not be far away from the top come April. Norwich deserved a point at least and can count them selves extremely unlucky but the statistics still show we had the most possession, the most shots and the better chances on the night.
Although Leeds have been winning a lot this year I am honest enough to realise that we have been poor since losing to Liverpool (nothing lacking then!) but have a team that never knows when it is beaten.
This is down to an excellent young manager, Simon Grayson,who has the spirit of the dressing room in his back pocket. Norwich did get beaten on the first day by Colchester (7-1 incidentally not 7-0) and were arguably the form team in the league since then but still left with no points when a draw was clearly the right result.
The thing you rightly said is that Leeds are lacking something at the moment. What they are lacking is respect and not a vital something as in your column. Maybe Sam Vokes's decision to snub Doncaster for Leeds may have be the real underlying reason for your cheap shot aimed at Yorkshire's most successful club in recent history.
Your column will clearly be popular with local Huddersfield supporters who most of my best friends support.
Mark Edley
We WILL be champs
What a on earth are you waffling on about in this week's column? Leeds not good enough!
As you well know, I go to every home and most away games and although I've got a biased view due to my long affiliation with Leeds I think your column notes are, to say the least, biased and inaccurate. Read the stats – we had more shots on goal, more shots on target, fewer free kicks conceded – I could go on.
I agree a point apiece would have been fair, Simon Grayson said that in his after match interview, but this is football and sometimes it's not fair. But over a season these things level themselves out.
It seems you've struggled for some constructive content to fill your column, haven't you bumped into anyone of note to name drop, and have resigned yourself to appeasing the Town fans that read it.
The facts are:
1) Leeds are undefeated this season - the only team in the English football league. (I know this is tempting fate with Millwall on Saturday - but there you go - I've said it!)
2) Our crowds are by far the biggest average in this league, some Championship and even Premier league teams would love to have our support week in week out.
3) We sell out all away allocations and fill their grounds which is an underlying fact why those club's chairmen want to keep us in their league.
4) We have the most promising young manager in football today with Simon Grayson.
5) And, by the way Norwich lost 7-1 not 7-0.
Although I have to concede:
1) We have one of the most despised chairman in the football league Ken Bates. (And we don't know who owns the club)
2) Mawhinney would love to find a way to deduct a few more points.
3) We're not famous anymore.
I can only conclude that your affection for Doncaster has influenced you writing an objective report – tinged with an underlying resentment of how bigger club (in status not league position) we are.
Bigger crowds, bigger pulling power at away games, more history - in general a much bigger club, which is borne out by the fact that Sam Volkes preferred to drop down a division to a club that, in your opinion won't get automatic promotion, than sign on the dotted for Donny.
That's my rant over and look forward to having a pint with you when we can discuss the issues in more depth.
We are going up as champions- you read it here first.
Graeme A Noble
Dear Elland Road friends... read this week's column from Dave Parker
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