Fixtures - subject to change Crystal Palace (A) 7pm Mon 16th August Spurs (H)..............4pm Mon 23rd August at Thorp Arch Derby (A).............7pm Fri 27th August West Ham (H).....1pm Sat 11th September at Thorp Arch Tranmere (EFL)..7pm Tue 14th September Liverpool (A).......2pm Sun 19th September Blackburn (H).....7pm Fri 24th September at LNER York Oldham (EFL)....7pm Tue 28th September Leicester (A)......7pm Fri 1st October Everton (A).........7pm Mon 18th October Brighton (H).......7pm Mon 25th October LNER York Arsenal (H)........7pm Fri 29th October Elland Road Salford (EFL).....7pm Tue 2nd November Man Utd (A).......TBC Fri 5th November Chelsea (H).......1pm Fri 19th November Thorp Arch Man City (A)......3pm Sat 27th November Leicester (H).....7pm Mon 6th December LNER York Everton (H).......7pm Mon 20th December LNER York West Ham (A)....7pm Mon 10th January Derby (H)..........7pm Mon 17th January LNER York Blackburn (A)....7pm Mon 24th January Liverpool (H).....7pm Mon 7th February Elland Road Brighton (A)......2pm Fri 18th February Spurs (A)..........7pm Mon 28th February Man Utd (H)......7pm Mon 14th March Elland Road Chelsea (A)......7pm Fri 18th March Palace (H)........7pm Mon 4th April Elland Road Man City (H).....7pm Mon 25th April Elland Road Arsenal (A).......7pm Fri 29th April 3 matches at Thorp Arch 5 matches at LNER Stadium York 5 matches at Elland Road The EFL Cup will not be important again simply because the 3 games have been squeezed into a busy schedule not giving the players enough break between matches. This means we will use more U18 players in those games. Only a couple of days before games against Liverpool, Leicester and Man utd.
If the idea of having Prem2 teams enter the EFL Cup is to enhance their education, then why not have the season be a couple of weeks longer, so that clubs can field their real U21 side which in our case is our U23s. Kids cannot be expected to play Friday, Tuesday, Friday, So clubs will take shortcuts and play U18s in the Cup and get slapped daft. Crazy and defeats the whole Idea
As of 7th August this is the full list of U23 players, but expecting at least one more addition, but could also see some depart on loan or transferred. I have also included contract end dates and ages. There is also a list of players we have out on loan and the names of players we have sold so far this summer. As and when changes happen I will update the lists: Dani Van de Hueval ....18yo 2024 Charlie Cresswell .....18yo 2025 Cody Drameh ......19yo 2024 Jack Jenkins ......19yo 2024 Stuart McKinstry ......18yo 2023 Amari Miller ......18yo 2025 Crys Summerville .......19yo 2023 Joe Gelhardt .......19yo 2024 Sam Greenwood .......19yo 2023 Max Dean .......17yo 2023 Charlie Allen ........17yo 2023 Liam McCarron .......20yo 2023 Nohan Kenneh .......18yo 2022 Josh Galloway .......18yo 2022 Lewis Bate ........18yo 2024 Jamie Shack ........21yo 2024 Alfie Hughes ........18yo 2022 Sean McGurk .........18yo 2024 Joe Snowdon ........17yo 2023 Jerry Mullen .........17yo 2023 Leo Hjelde ………….17yo 2024 Kris Moore ………….17yo 2024 Fernandez …………..18yo 2025 Loan Players: Bogutsz ...............Club Ibiza Kiko ....................... Elche Edmondson ..........Fleetwood/Port Vale McCalmont ...........Morecambe Kun ...................... Real Union Elia Caprile .......Aurora Pro Patria Davies .................Bournemouth Poveda …………..Blackburn Costa …………….. Valencia Drameh ………….. Cardiff City Players Sold/Gone: Alioski ............Al Arabi Mujica ......Las Palmas Casey ............Blackpool Huggins ……..Sunderland Gotts …………Barrow Hosannah ……Wrexham Stevens ………Barrow Kamwa ……… released
Leeds United's U23s enjoyed four pre-season outings this summer, in games against Guiseley, Fleetwood Town, Jong Ajax and Manchester City U23. The junior Whites faced a varied calibre of opponent, recording two wins and two defeats over a two week period. Marcelo Bielsa was present for much of the U23s pre-season schedule, casting his eye over the young players looking to break through into his first-team in the years to come. There was disappointment for great hope Joe Gelhardt, as well as Ian Poveda who has been on the first-team fringes, for vastly differing reasons. Meanwhile, Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville appears to have staved off a loan move elsewhere - which usually spells the end for young players under Bielsa - with some stellar pre-season displays. Mark Jackson's men rounded off their preparation for the season with a resounding 4-0 win over Manchester City's U23s, although many of the Cityzens' key U23 players had been called up to Pep Guardiola's Community Shield squad. Average player ratings: Van Den Heuval 6 Cresswell 8 McCarron 7 Drameh 9 Jenkins 7 Kenneh 6 Bate 6 McKinstry 6 McGurk 7 Miller 7 Summerville 9 Gelhardt 6 Greenwood 7 Dean 7 Caprile 6 Moore 6 Allen 6 Poveda 5 Snowdon 7 Forshaw 6 Klaesson 7 So Poveda ranked as worst performer Gelhardt injured and noy played a few minutes. Summerville and Drameh are stand out players by far but Bate, Miller, Greenwood, McGurk with plenty to come
Thanks for that Doc. My three to definitely feature for the 1st team this season are....and this will obviously come as no surprise to you, Geldhart Drameh Summerville My wildcard selection is for McCarron, just have a sneaky feeling that he'll get some game time.
Liam McCarron is a strange one because when Orta brought him in from Carlisle Utd their manager was very angry about losing him. E had started playing for the 1st team and was getting to grips with the EFL battle against bigger, stronger and much more experienced pros, and he was only 16yo. He seemed to be hit and miss for the 23s but has been part of that unit for a while now. He has played in various roles but this season so far as a LB because of not using Huggins and losing Davies. He has looked good so far but the new Celtic kid will be playing there mostly but also CB, so he may get game time there. He has always been comfortable on the ball, so maybe he is moving ahead now
Leeds down at Palace for yet another tussle between the 2 promoted teams from last season. Leeds won both games and also won the league by a mile, so expecting a good game and a good result in this higher standard league
Already 1-1 after a great piece of skill from Summerville who ran in behind the defence. Stupid bit of marking allowing a simple header 1-1 and Leeds still on top and win a penalty and a straight red for Palace, but a weak Penalty from Joffy a s still 1-1 and I make that 3 penalties Joffy has missed. Maybe time for Summerville or Greenwood to take over
Half hour gone still 1-1 but Leeds still on top with Gelhardt unlucky on a couple of occasions, Drameh playing really well and young Bate is a top baller
38 minutes and still 1-1 but Summerville and Drameh running the right side and creating danger. Gelhardt has just had a brilliant strike at goal forcing the keeper into a top drawer save.
Half-time, 1-1 That’s the first half over. Plenty of action. Some nice play from the Leeds with Forshaw trying to keep Leeds moving quickly, Bate buzzing around, popping up everywhere. Drameh and Summerville the two most impressive performers for the Whites however. Gelhardt with a poor penalty but he looks a handful Great opportunity to start the season with a win
Good opportunity for the win as you say Doc but I'd still rather be watching 11 v 11 in terms of judging player development.
60 minutes gone and Forshaw replaced by Sam Greenwood. Cresswell and Summerville were replaced at half time by Sean McGurk and Nohan Kenneh. 1-1
64 - Leeds haven’t quite got control of this. Ball in their half much more than in the latter stages of the first half. Bate and Jenkins need to get on the ball and pull the strings. The tempo needs to be upped against the 10 men. Miller is out on the right now, McGurk on the left.
The only thing I can say about this Leeds team is that its new, we have players gone from last season and some players promoted from the U18s and new players from outside the club. It all needs to jell together because we have the ingredients now we just need Jacko to put the right combinations on the pitch. We also have the new Norwegian kid from Celtic to arrive too. Amari Miller, Sean McGurk, Lewis Bate, Klaesson, Hjelder mixed in with Summerville, Drameh, Greenwood, Gelhardt, Cresswell and Kenneh. It will happen because these are top players