Leeds Old Boys

They're relegated after going into administration, and I'm sure many are gloating over the decline of Leeds.

But 5 years ago (?) they were in a CL semifinal. At the time I thought they had a great, young team, but did they flatter to deceive? Have the players lived up to the hype?

Rio Ferdinand - certainly the best post-Leeds career. Many would argue one of the best CBs in the world.

Harry Kewell - for a season, the best LW in the Premiership (yes, I do mean better than Giggs) - but injury has limited his time on the pitch, and he's never got close to his best for Liverpool.

Jonathon Woodgate - Huge promise but again limited by injury. Can he get back to his best?

Mark Viduka - virtually unplayable at his best but patchy, with a poor workrate and a tendency to sulk.

Lee Bowyer - one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the country, now struggling to hold down a place for a team in a relegation dogfight (and a racist little shitbag).

Given the lack of achievement since they left Leeds - does this mean David O'Leary was a better manager than we all gave him credit for?

Yes to O'Leary. However they did also have some other very handy players like Dacourt, Keane, Smith, Both keepers.

I dont know what went wrong for Leeds .. maybe they got to greedy.

In terms of which of those players lived up to their 'hype', All yes, apart from Bowyer and Kewell .. to be fair, Kewell had his injury problems .. so has Woodgate, but the future looks bright for him... just don't get injured.

Not really. O'Leary good the best out of them for sure.

Robbie Keane and Paul Robinson have made good names for themselves in the game after being at Leeds. Rio is the stand out player.

Everyone forgot about Lennon!

Forgot Smith (selective memory I suspect) - but again I would argue not anything like the player for Man U that he was for Leeds.

Keane is maybe an exception.

What was the name of their left back who was a great free-kick taker? I'm having a senior moment.

Ian Harte.

Now at Levante.

Yeah he was quality. A fantasy football staple of mine.

cule wrote:Everyone forgot about Lennon!

Ian Harte.

Dacourt has gone onto bigger and better things. Probably only behind Rio in that side of it.

Dacourt has never lived up to the hype for me. Despite going onto big Italian sides.

Danny Mills, David Batty, Nigel Martyn, Lucas Radebe - They had a very good squad back then.

cule wrote:Everyone forgot about Lennon!

He wasn't in that crop of 5 years ago though.

Of people who had to leave at the end you could include Milner as well.

Cesc wrote:Dacourt has never lived up to the hype for me. Despite going onto big Italian sides.

Danny Mills, David Batty, Nigel Martyn, Lucas Radebe - They had a very good squad back then.

Don't forget Michael Duberry and Dominic Matteo!!

Martyn was a great keeper, no question. Radebe was good. Always thought Batty and Mills were overrated.

Erik Bakke was class back in the day.

They even spent £12 million on Robbie Fowler.

Batty took sideways passing to another level.

Roger Hunt wrote: does this mean David O'Leary was a better manager than we all gave him credit for?

judging from his complete inability to get the best out of his players at villa, no. think he just got lucky. most of the talented youngsters were inherited from howard wilkinson, as far as i know.

and he signed seth johnson for £7m.

Cesc wrote:Erik Bakke was class back in the day.

They even spent £12 million on Robbie Fowler.

a legend at the time


sadly he enjoyed a few too many nights out and kebabs

Cesc wrote:Erik Bakke was class back in the day.

They even spent £12 million on Robbie Fowler.

Fowler did score 14 goals in 30 games for Leeds so you cant really knock that record, he just suffered with injuries.

Dont forget they had the coolest black guy in town as well!!





Such a shame they have gone down so far, after the CL semi's I predicted that they would become the dominant force in England and would win the CL

£7m on Seth Johnson.

Tut.

Ian Harte in one season scored 15 goals for Leeds

This squad pwned:

-----------------Martyn---------------

Mills----Ferdinand---Woody---Harte

Bowyer--Dacourt--Batty---Kewell

-----------Viduka--Smith---------

And thats not even incuding Bakke, Radebe, Keane, fowler, Hasslebaink, Mcphail, Johnson, Kelly, Matteo etc.