Gus gone, and Dennis banned!

If any other football club lost their assistant manager, and then had the manager banned by the league, all in the space of 3 days, it would seem rather unfortunate. But, this is Leeds United, and after everything we've had to overcome in the last six years, it's just another day at the office.

Yes, Gus Poyet's move to Tottenham as Ramos' translator... I mean, assistant manager has been agreed and Leeds are now looking for a replacement, with Gianfranco Zola being the only name to emerge from the ever-churning Leeds United rumour mill that makes me feel the slightest bit excited.

Personally, I would like to see Vinnie Jones approached. He's expressed an interest in returning to Leeds before in a coaching role, and he's just the kind of character Elland Road needs. Failing that, Gary McAllister, Lucas Radebe and Eddie Gray spring to mind, but it's doubtful any of them are even being considered.

Whoever becomes Dennis' new assistant, they'll find themselves immediately in at the deep end as Dennis serves his ridiculous 3 match ban handed down by the almighty gods that are the Football League disciplinary board. They claim to be investigating the referee's antics too, but since it was Dennis Wise of the notorious Leeds United that made the complaint, I seriously doubt much action will be taken.

All in all, a rough few days for the club, but nothing out of the ordinary. Good luck to Gus in his new job, and lets hope Dennis finds a worthy successor soon.

Onwards and upwards

Another win, still undefeated and moving upwards rapidly.

If anyone had told me at the start of the season that our first twelve games would see us undefeated, with a record of 10 wins and 2 draws, and we'd be just 6 points off the top by mid October, I'd have been rolling about on the floor in laughter. However, that's exactly how it stands, and had it not been for the 15 point deduction, we'd now be 9 points clear at the top.

The achievement is not to be underestimated or down-played either. Yes, we're in the lowest division of our entire existance, and yes we are the biggest club down here, so we're obviously going to attract the bigger players. Plus, with close to 30,000 fans turning out to our home games, we're also sitting in a much stronger position financially than our counterparts.

But, let's not forget what we've had to endure before this season even started. Firstly there was the mass clearout of players, followed by a lengthy and turbulent spell in administration, leaving supporters questioning whether or not they'd even have a club to support this season.

Thanks in no small part to the Inland Revenue, Dennis Wise was left with just a few days to sign almost an entire squad of players and have them ready to play the following weekend, and to top it all off, the Football League somehow re-wrote the rule book, and decided our exit from administration (which they'd already agreed to) was somehow "illegal" and we'd be starting the season 15 points behind the rest of the league.

So, we now sit within reach of the playoffs, and even the top of the table, and yes, we are quite smug about it. And rightly so! No one has had to endure the same fall from grace that Leeds United has. The inept financial mismangement that saw us fall from the highest level of world football to League One in just six years. Endless buyout speculation, the media constantly on or backs and labelling us for every sin they could dream up, dodgy chairman, useless managers, Ridsdales fish, and let us not forget the almighty power that is the Football League.

So, yeah, we're smug. Dennis threw a team together in almost no time at all, that came out only a few days later to claw us back our first three points. 5 games later, we were on 0, and now, just twelve games in, we sit proudly in 9th spot, looking upwards, and knowing this is the first small step on the road back to the Premiership.

Peter Ridsdale, the Inland Revenue, Lord Mahwinney and the Football League, I thank you all. Between you, you've managed to completely destroy our football club, but in doing so, you've created the kind of unity that every other team in the world should be jealous of. The kind of unity that will see us back to the starry heights of the Premiership, and we, the Leeds United faithful will still be here when we rise again. Just as we were when we fell.

Other teams supporters that may be reading this and mocking us, I thankyou too. For all of you that continue to batter the mighty Leeds United with your endless abuse, and kick us when we're down serve only to unite us more, and make us stronger!

"15 points. Who gives a f*ck? Super Leeds, we're going up!"