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It's
winters of discontent that are usually associated with the sons
of Yorkshire, but for Leeds United followers, the summer's not been
a lot better either. Though the trials and tribulations of the lengthy
Bowyer and Woodgate court cases are now largely a thing of the past,
the Elland Road club has continued to be beset by off the field
shenanigans which continue to hide the success stories of recent
years.
Not too many clubs spend millions in the pursuit of excellence,
finish in the top six year after year, perform excitingly at home
and in Europe and yet still feel dissatisfied, but that's a measure
of just how far Leeds have come in recent seasons, setting the bar
at a level not experienced since the glory days of Don Revie's great
sides of the 1960s and early 1970s.
Much of that rapid progress has been made under the watchful eye
of David O'Leary who took on the mantle when George Graham decided
to move back to London and the Tottenham job.
Ultimately O'Leary became a victim of his own success, coming under
intense pressure towards the end of last term when Leeds' dreams
not only of the title, but of another lucrative season in the Champions
League were dashed, a particularly devastating blow for a club which
had come to regard a place at UEFA's top table as a right.
That, and a bout of "financial rationalization", sounded
the death knell for O'Leary's reign at Elland Road after weeks of
speculation over the individual futures of the likes of Dacourt,
Bowyer and Keane, with Bowyer seemingly on the verge of a Pennine
walkout to Anfield.
Despite all that, the departure of O'Leary in the final week of
the World Cup still came as a surprise, though not quite as much
of a shock as the identity of his successor.
After speculation that Martin O'Neill would be forsaking the Bhoys
for a return to English football, the unveiling of Terry Venables,
back in management for the first time in more than a year took the
game aback.
Venables' reputation as a coach within the game is without question,
but as far as his time at club level in England is concerned, there's
a sense of promise unfulfilled about El Tel. For all that he has
been lauded as one of the great thinkers and tacticians in the domestic
game, he is still shy of the cabinet full of trophies to finally
seal that reputation for posterity.
Part
of the problem has been that his managerial career has never taken
him to one of the country's real giants - even when he was at Spurs,
it was at the time of their financial crises of the late 1980s which
hardly offered the best platform for his talents, though the side
that included Lineker and Gascoigne did ultimately deliver the FA
Cup.
Leeds probably offered Venables his last opportunity of winning
the biggest prize, the Premiership title. In that ambition, he must
have been buoyed by the success of another elder statesman, Bobby
Robson, at Newcastle United, but he is well aware of the size of
task that's awaiting him.
The departure of Rio Ferdinand almost as soon as Venables took over
in the manager's chair, followed by injury to Robbie Fowler has
already drastically reduced his options, but the addition of Nick
Barmby to the side is an indication that Leeds will still be able
to spend when the need arises.
On
leaving Leeds, David O'Leary said that the job of his successor
would be to build on what he had already achieved, something he
said could only happen if the off the field problems that have beset
the club could be put behind them, a thinly veiled allusion to Bowyer
and Woodgate.
Venables has clearly taken that advice to heart, and has already
gone on record as saying, "If partying, drinking and dancing
is your thing, then play your football over the park. Those seeking
their fortune at the top levels have to be dedicated to diet and
fitness."
Some might argue that given his reputation as a lover of the high
life, that's a bit rich, but that's to misunderstand the man's love
of football and his dedication to his trade.
Venables is a genuine student of the game and he is determined to
leave his stamp on it in what will surely be his last role in club
management.
And if he can get things right, Leeds undoubtedly have the ability
to make a sustained challenge at the upper end of the Premiership,
especially if they can hold on to the players they have on board,
because nobody can deny the talent and the excitement that the visit
of Kewell, Keane, Smith, Viduka and Barmby brings.Less certain is
the goalkeeping position after Nigel Martyn missed out on their
pre-season trip after being on England duty in the World Cup.
His absence allowed the 22 year-old Paul Robinson to underline his
quality, just as he has done whenever he's deputized for Martyn.
This could be the year when Robinson finally steps out of the shadow
of Martyn, both at domestic and international level, for there's
little question that's he an England goalkeeper of the future.
While Leeds have long been a threat going forward, they're not short
of quality at the back either. The lengthy absence of South Africa's
Lucas Radebe at the heart of the defence has been a hammer blow,
but he showed during the World Cup that he is back to his best.
This season will be critical for him as he bids to prove that his
injury problems will not leave a lasting legacy. If he remains fit,
Leeds may barely feel the loss of Ferdinand.
If it's a big season for Radebe, it's even more important that Jonathan
Woodgate puts his past problems behind him and recaptures the focus
and form that had him in the England frame at the age of 19. Probably
the most gifted of all the crop of "babies" that David
O'Leary continually championed, at 22 it's time for him to take
responsibility and run the team from the back.
He'll get help from Dominic Matteo, now appointed club captain after
Rio's departure. Matteo was described by O'Leary as his best value
signing when he bought him from Liverpool for £4.25m. The
Scottish international has been a regular since joining Leeds and
looks set to be a central figure in the reshaped Venables side.
Danny Mills and Ian Harte are likely to be patrolling the flanks
for Leeds after both returned from World Cup duty where they enjoyed
mixed fortunes, Mills recovering from a disappointing game against
the Swedes to finish the tournament strongly while Harte was solidity
itself for the Irish before missing a penalty against Spain, his
blushes spared when Robbie Keane converted his spot kick.
Keane is another with lots to prove after Leeds seemed surprisingly
keen to offload him to Sunderland in the summer. He suffers from
Leeds' embarrassment of riches upfront, but the injury to Fowler
might give him his chance.
But he still has to get past a few other stars - Viduka, Smith and
Bridges are still in the frame, while depending on the formation
that Venables settles on, a second attacking role could well go
to Barmby or Kewell.
Kewell is another of the Leeds youngsters whose star has waned in
recent seasons, injuries having taken their toll on him, but as
a Socceroo, and one well versed in the Venables way, both he and
Viduka should be key figures this term.
Viduka remains an enigma, a goalscoring genius one moment, seemingly
disinterested the next. If he can hit his peak for much of the season,
qualification for the Champions League is definitely on the cards.
Venables' biggest challenge this year looks likely to be just who
to leave out.
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