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"Miracles" seem to be happening all-over-the-place in Football, these days. Whether it's a fat 17-year-old saving-the-day for his country, Arséne Wenger actually admitting that he DID see an incident, or maybe it's just the effect a multi-billionaire Russian Oil-tycoon could have on Chelsea's chances of actually winning the Premier League (for once!).
Either way, these things do happen. And on Saturday we saw another one; Leeds United coming away from a 90-minute Premiership match with a WIN and three-points in the bag! YES! That very-same bottom-of-the-league club on the verge of financial-ruin finally got their act together (if only for one single game...), and it's all thanks to Eddie Gray.
It may only be one game, and there's still a long, long way to go yet; but for a man without any coaching badges, forced to sit within the over-sized shadown of Peter Reid's king-sized ears, there is now a glimmar-of-hope for this youthful team, once on the verge of so-much, under David O'Leary.
For the first time in a long time, they acually looked like a team. Sure, it was "only" Charlton Athletic... But with players like Scott Parker, they NEVER give-up easily.
The defence (aside from the odd hiccup) actually looked quite tough and solid, with "forgotten men" Lucas Radebe and Michael Dubbery back in the side. Forget about Roque Junior and Camara - what you need, for a team in this situation, is a defence with both experience and knowledge or the league, teams and players around them. And that is what these to bring-in that Reidy's long-signings do not.
The midfield looked like "one", also (as opposed to several headless-chickens running-around without a clue). David Batty is a definite-starter. His experience and 'fire' is crucial to the team - and they'll be hard-pushed to replace him when he leaves at the end of the season (although, I'd like to see them get Charlton's Parker, if they can). Another player I feel they must-sign come the Summer is Jermaine Pennant. Arsénal clearly don't want him, and he's bound to be available quite cheap. He's been impressive in his short-time there, and is, really, the first 'proper' right-sided midfielder they've had since... "toothless" David Hopkin!!
As for the left-wing, Salomon Olembé could be another potential summer-signing, given the likeliness of his cheap availabillity, since Marseille clearly no longer want him, either. He has also impressed well (despite being played as a left-back). But he is only at his best going-forwards. Like Pennant, he's got a lot of pace that could really 'do-some-damage' in the future.
And then they've still got players like Jody Morris and Seth Johnson to come through in the centre; both of which have been "on-the-verge" for so-long, but never given the right chances they need, until now.
And, of course, there's James Milner - a boyhood fan with a real Love for the club (like Alan Smith) who they MUST hang-on to!
But what surprised me most about what Eddie Gray has already done here was not the sheer determination and will-to-win the team showed, at The Valley. Instead, it was Mark Viduka.
Obviously, the "Stern Scotsman's" "had a wee-word" with the beefcaked Australian and told his to shape-up now and make the most of it while he's here before ever considering jumping the sinking-ship. And it seems to have worked! He looked much like his old self on Saturday; the kind of No.9 who was ready-to-score whenever given the chance. He has changed!
Or so, it appears....
From what I could see, he was still willing to play for himelf, rather than for the benefit of the team. If Alan Smith was free, and a square-ball is all that was needed to find him and the back-of-the-net; Viduka would instead opt to take the defenders on and try, hopelessly, to score from the most 'acute' of angles (which, actually, he almost did, at one point...!). But it DIDN'T work. They weren't entirely playing as a team because of this "difference" he is sharing with Alan Smith.
And don't get me wrong; as much as I admire and respect the never-say-die attitude of England's future No.9, he did act in the same way.
Was it just that strong-and-persistant desire and 'drive' he has to seem "his" team survive, however possible? Or has he perhaps lost respect for the self-minded Australian international?
Either way; it needs to be sorted out. Leeds need Mark Viduka in order to survive the season - and future, infact. Eddie Gray knows that. But what can be done to help Mark Viduka regain the lost respect of his die-hard team-mates who really share a passion for this football club?
It was only 1 goal, and in-truth, Leeds were quite fortunate to see the result stay as it did. But Eddie Gray is already showing us that the end of Leeds United FC is far from "in-sight".
And it's thanks to a 'promising' result like that we could see foreign-investment arrive at Elland Road in-time for Christmas. Even if only for the restructuring of their debts, or just to secure the end-of-season signings of Pennant, Olembé and Scott Parker, permanently; every little bit helps.
Truly, Eddie Gray has already done a geat job - and even a better one than Peter Reid or Terry Venables could ever have done, in only a matter of weeks.
"Fair-play", to him! "Long-live Leeds United", I say!
Either way, these things do happen. And on Saturday we saw another one; Leeds United coming away from a 90-minute Premiership match with a WIN and three-points in the bag! YES! That very-same bottom-of-the-league club on the verge of financial-ruin finally got their act together (if only for one single game...), and it's all thanks to Eddie Gray.
It may only be one game, and there's still a long, long way to go yet; but for a man without any coaching badges, forced to sit within the over-sized shadown of Peter Reid's king-sized ears, there is now a glimmar-of-hope for this youthful team, once on the verge of so-much, under David O'Leary.
For the first time in a long time, they acually looked like a team. Sure, it was "only" Charlton Athletic... But with players like Scott Parker, they NEVER give-up easily.
The defence (aside from the odd hiccup) actually looked quite tough and solid, with "forgotten men" Lucas Radebe and Michael Dubbery back in the side. Forget about Roque Junior and Camara - what you need, for a team in this situation, is a defence with both experience and knowledge or the league, teams and players around them. And that is what these to bring-in that Reidy's long-signings do not.
The midfield looked like "one", also (as opposed to several headless-chickens running-around without a clue). David Batty is a definite-starter. His experience and 'fire' is crucial to the team - and they'll be hard-pushed to replace him when he leaves at the end of the season (although, I'd like to see them get Charlton's Parker, if they can). Another player I feel they must-sign come the Summer is Jermaine Pennant. Arsénal clearly don't want him, and he's bound to be available quite cheap. He's been impressive in his short-time there, and is, really, the first 'proper' right-sided midfielder they've had since... "toothless" David Hopkin!!
As for the left-wing, Salomon Olembé could be another potential summer-signing, given the likeliness of his cheap availabillity, since Marseille clearly no longer want him, either. He has also impressed well (despite being played as a left-back). But he is only at his best going-forwards. Like Pennant, he's got a lot of pace that could really 'do-some-damage' in the future.
And then they've still got players like Jody Morris and Seth Johnson to come through in the centre; both of which have been "on-the-verge" for so-long, but never given the right chances they need, until now.
And, of course, there's James Milner - a boyhood fan with a real Love for the club (like Alan Smith) who they MUST hang-on to!
But what surprised me most about what Eddie Gray has already done here was not the sheer determination and will-to-win the team showed, at The Valley. Instead, it was Mark Viduka.
Obviously, the "Stern Scotsman's" "had a wee-word" with the beefcaked Australian and told his to shape-up now and make the most of it while he's here before ever considering jumping the sinking-ship. And it seems to have worked! He looked much like his old self on Saturday; the kind of No.9 who was ready-to-score whenever given the chance. He has changed!
Or so, it appears....
From what I could see, he was still willing to play for himelf, rather than for the benefit of the team. If Alan Smith was free, and a square-ball is all that was needed to find him and the back-of-the-net; Viduka would instead opt to take the defenders on and try, hopelessly, to score from the most 'acute' of angles (which, actually, he almost did, at one point...!). But it DIDN'T work. They weren't entirely playing as a team because of this "difference" he is sharing with Alan Smith.
And don't get me wrong; as much as I admire and respect the never-say-die attitude of England's future No.9, he did act in the same way.
Was it just that strong-and-persistant desire and 'drive' he has to seem "his" team survive, however possible? Or has he perhaps lost respect for the self-minded Australian international?
Either way; it needs to be sorted out. Leeds need Mark Viduka in order to survive the season - and future, infact. Eddie Gray knows that. But what can be done to help Mark Viduka regain the lost respect of his die-hard team-mates who really share a passion for this football club?
It was only 1 goal, and in-truth, Leeds were quite fortunate to see the result stay as it did. But Eddie Gray is already showing us that the end of Leeds United FC is far from "in-sight".
And it's thanks to a 'promising' result like that we could see foreign-investment arrive at Elland Road in-time for Christmas. Even if only for the restructuring of their debts, or just to secure the end-of-season signings of Pennant, Olembé and Scott Parker, permanently; every little bit helps.
Truly, Eddie Gray has already done a geat job - and even a better one than Peter Reid or Terry Venables could ever have done, in only a matter of weeks.
"Fair-play", to him! "Long-live Leeds United", I say!
Good result for Leeds against the high flying Charlton side. I wnat them to stop up, because I also class them as a Premiership side. They seem to be going through hell at the moment with changes of managers, players leaving and the debt piling ever higher.
I thought they were going to challenge for the Premiership a few years ago, but it's funny how things just suddenly change.
After seeing them get thrashed 6-0 against Portsmouth and then getting another roasting against Man United and Bolton, I thought they'd never win again this year.
I even had a bet against them in a £2 accumalator which could of got me over £2000 if all went to plan. But that wasn't to happen with Leeds beating Charlton, Fulham grabbing a draw with Arsenal and Barnsley and Dundee letting me down.
I'm hoping to win over a grand next week, but there are always teams surprising me with results.
I thought they were going to challenge for the Premiership a few years ago, but it's funny how things just suddenly change.
After seeing them get thrashed 6-0 against Portsmouth and then getting another roasting against Man United and Bolton, I thought they'd never win again this year.
I even had a bet against them in a £2 accumalator which could of got me over £2000 if all went to plan. But that wasn't to happen with Leeds beating Charlton, Fulham grabbing a draw with Arsenal and Barnsley and Dundee letting me down.
I'm hoping to win over a grand next week, but there are always teams surprising me with results.
I've said for a while (not on here) that Leeds are a Premiership side, but most importantly, they HAVE a Premiership side. I know the old cliches of "nobody's good enough to go down", and I suppose with the top 6 in England, that's true.
But Leeds have a squad certainly capable of challenging for honours, but I don't know what's happened to them since last season; the same team competing for Champs League has dropped to relegation mediocrity. They've had to sell of a few players, but certainly not enough for the team spirit to remove itself from the face of the earth.
These results against the likes of Charlton should be happening every week for them; or certainly more than they are doing anyway.
As is happening now though, it's all about money. And Leeds need it.
I don't know whether it's the psychological burden of knowing they're debt-ridden and on the verge of administration that makes them think "What's the point?", but a good stint in the Premiership with results going their way would certainly encourage would-be investors to pump a few millions into the club.
I'd hate to see Leeds go down, they're a Premiership club.
I just hope they can prove it over the season.
But Leeds have a squad certainly capable of challenging for honours, but I don't know what's happened to them since last season; the same team competing for Champs League has dropped to relegation mediocrity. They've had to sell of a few players, but certainly not enough for the team spirit to remove itself from the face of the earth.
These results against the likes of Charlton should be happening every week for them; or certainly more than they are doing anyway.
As is happening now though, it's all about money. And Leeds need it.
I don't know whether it's the psychological burden of knowing they're debt-ridden and on the verge of administration that makes them think "What's the point?", but a good stint in the Premiership with results going their way would certainly encourage would-be investors to pump a few millions into the club.
I'd hate to see Leeds go down, they're a Premiership club.
I just hope they can prove it over the season.
"Miracles" seem to be happening all-over-the-place in Football, these days. Whether it's a fat 17-year-old saving-the-day for his country, Arséne Wenger actually admitting that he DID see an incident, or maybe it's just the effect a multi-billionaire Russian Oil-tycoon could have on Chelsea's chances of actually winning the Premier League (for once!).
Either way, these things do happen. And on Saturday we saw another one; Leeds United coming away from a 90-minute Premiership match with a WIN and three-points in the bag! YES! That very-same bottom-of-the-league club on the verge of financial-ruin finally got their act together (if only for one single game...), and it's all thanks to Eddie Gray.
It may only be one game, and there's still a long, long way to go yet; but for a man without any coaching badges, forced to sit within the over-sized shadown of Peter Reid's king-sized ears, there is now a glimmar-of-hope for this youthful team, once on the verge of so-much, under David O'Leary.
For the first time in a long time, they acually looked like a team. Sure, it was "only" Charlton Athletic... But with players like Scott Parker, they NEVER give-up easily.
The defence (aside from the odd hiccup) actually looked quite tough and solid, with "forgotten men" Lucas Radebe and Michael Dubbery back in the side. Forget about Roque Junior and Camara - what you need, for a team in this situation, is a defence with both experience and knowledge or the league, teams and players around them. And that is what these to bring-in that Reidy's long-signings do not.
The midfield looked like "one", also (as opposed to several headless-chickens running-around without a clue). David Batty is a definite-starter. His experience and 'fire' is crucial to the team - and they'll be hard-pushed to replace him when he leaves at the end of the season (although, I'd like to see them get Charlton's Parker, if they can). Another player I feel they must-sign come the Summer is Jermaine Pennant. Arsénal clearly don't want him, and he's bound to be available quite cheap. He's been impressive in his short-time there, and is, really, the first 'proper' right-sided midfielder they've had since... "toothless" David Hopkin!!
As for the left-wing, Salomon Olembé could be another potential summer-signing, given the likeliness of his cheap availabillity, since Marseille clearly no longer want him, either. He has also impressed well (despite being played as a left-back). But he is only at his best going-forwards. Like Pennant, he's got a lot of pace that could really 'do-some-damage' in the future.
And then they've still got players like Jody Morris and Seth Johnson to come through in the centre; both of which have been "on-the-verge" for so-long, but never given the right chances they need, until now.
And, of course, there's James Milner - a boyhood fan with a real Love for the club (like Alan Smith) who they MUST hang-on to!
But what surprised me most about what Eddie Gray has already done here was not the sheer determination and will-to-win the team showed, at The Valley. Instead, it was Mark Viduka.
Obviously, the "Stern Scotsman's" "had a wee-word" with the beefcaked Australian and told his to shape-up now and make the most of it while he's here before ever considering jumping the sinking-ship. And it seems to have worked! He looked much like his old self on Saturday; the kind of No.9 who was ready-to-score whenever given the chance. He has changed!
Or so, it appears....
From what I could see, he was still willing to play for himelf, rather than for the benefit of the team. If Alan Smith was free, and a square-ball is all that was needed to find him and the back-of-the-net; Viduka would instead opt to take the defenders on and try, hopelessly, to score from the most 'acute' of angles (which, actually, he almost did, at one point...!). But it DIDN'T work. They weren't entirely playing as a team because of this "difference" he is sharing with Alan Smith.
And don't get me wrong; as much as I admire and respect the never-say-die attitude of England's future No.9, he did act in the same way.
Was it just that strong-and-persistant desire and 'drive' he has to seem "his" team survive, however possible? Or has he perhaps lost respect for the self-minded Australian international?
Either way; it needs to be sorted out. Leeds need Mark Viduka in order to survive the season - and future, infact. Eddie Gray knows that. But what can be done to help Mark Viduka regain the lost respect of his die-hard team-mates who really share a passion for this football club?
It was only 1 goal, and in-truth, Leeds were quite fortunate to see the result stay as it did. But Eddie Gray is already showing us that the end of Leeds United FC is far from "in-sight".
And it's thanks to a 'promising' result like that we could see foreign-investment arrive at Elland Road in-time for Christmas. Even if only for the restructuring of their debts, or just to secure the end-of-season signings of Pennant, Olembé and Scott Parker, permanently; every little bit helps.
Truly, Eddie Gray has already done a geat job - and even a better one than Peter Reid or Terry Venables could ever have done, in only a matter of weeks.
"Fair-play", to him! "Long-live Leeds United", I say!
Either way, these things do happen. And on Saturday we saw another one; Leeds United coming away from a 90-minute Premiership match with a WIN and three-points in the bag! YES! That very-same bottom-of-the-league club on the verge of financial-ruin finally got their act together (if only for one single game...), and it's all thanks to Eddie Gray.
It may only be one game, and there's still a long, long way to go yet; but for a man without any coaching badges, forced to sit within the over-sized shadown of Peter Reid's king-sized ears, there is now a glimmar-of-hope for this youthful team, once on the verge of so-much, under David O'Leary.
For the first time in a long time, they acually looked like a team. Sure, it was "only" Charlton Athletic... But with players like Scott Parker, they NEVER give-up easily.
The defence (aside from the odd hiccup) actually looked quite tough and solid, with "forgotten men" Lucas Radebe and Michael Dubbery back in the side. Forget about Roque Junior and Camara - what you need, for a team in this situation, is a defence with both experience and knowledge or the league, teams and players around them. And that is what these to bring-in that Reidy's long-signings do not.
The midfield looked like "one", also (as opposed to several headless-chickens running-around without a clue). David Batty is a definite-starter. His experience and 'fire' is crucial to the team - and they'll be hard-pushed to replace him when he leaves at the end of the season (although, I'd like to see them get Charlton's Parker, if they can). Another player I feel they must-sign come the Summer is Jermaine Pennant. Arsénal clearly don't want him, and he's bound to be available quite cheap. He's been impressive in his short-time there, and is, really, the first 'proper' right-sided midfielder they've had since... "toothless" David Hopkin!!
As for the left-wing, Salomon Olembé could be another potential summer-signing, given the likeliness of his cheap availabillity, since Marseille clearly no longer want him, either. He has also impressed well (despite being played as a left-back). But he is only at his best going-forwards. Like Pennant, he's got a lot of pace that could really 'do-some-damage' in the future.
And then they've still got players like Jody Morris and Seth Johnson to come through in the centre; both of which have been "on-the-verge" for so-long, but never given the right chances they need, until now.
And, of course, there's James Milner - a boyhood fan with a real Love for the club (like Alan Smith) who they MUST hang-on to!
But what surprised me most about what Eddie Gray has already done here was not the sheer determination and will-to-win the team showed, at The Valley. Instead, it was Mark Viduka.
Obviously, the "Stern Scotsman's" "had a wee-word" with the beefcaked Australian and told his to shape-up now and make the most of it while he's here before ever considering jumping the sinking-ship. And it seems to have worked! He looked much like his old self on Saturday; the kind of No.9 who was ready-to-score whenever given the chance. He has changed!
Or so, it appears....
From what I could see, he was still willing to play for himelf, rather than for the benefit of the team. If Alan Smith was free, and a square-ball is all that was needed to find him and the back-of-the-net; Viduka would instead opt to take the defenders on and try, hopelessly, to score from the most 'acute' of angles (which, actually, he almost did, at one point...!). But it DIDN'T work. They weren't entirely playing as a team because of this "difference" he is sharing with Alan Smith.
And don't get me wrong; as much as I admire and respect the never-say-die attitude of England's future No.9, he did act in the same way.
Was it just that strong-and-persistant desire and 'drive' he has to seem "his" team survive, however possible? Or has he perhaps lost respect for the self-minded Australian international?
Either way; it needs to be sorted out. Leeds need Mark Viduka in order to survive the season - and future, infact. Eddie Gray knows that. But what can be done to help Mark Viduka regain the lost respect of his die-hard team-mates who really share a passion for this football club?
It was only 1 goal, and in-truth, Leeds were quite fortunate to see the result stay as it did. But Eddie Gray is already showing us that the end of Leeds United FC is far from "in-sight".
And it's thanks to a 'promising' result like that we could see foreign-investment arrive at Elland Road in-time for Christmas. Even if only for the restructuring of their debts, or just to secure the end-of-season signings of Pennant, Olembé and Scott Parker, permanently; every little bit helps.
Truly, Eddie Gray has already done a geat job - and even a better one than Peter Reid or Terry Venables could ever have done, in only a matter of weeks.
"Fair-play", to him! "Long-live Leeds United", I say!