AYUP! REF! David O'Leary O'Leeds United

AYUP!

David O'Leary O'Leeds

The Leeds United kids are on the verge of greatness. So whose that quiet Irish bloke they're knocking around with?

___________________________________

It's hard to believe that David O'Leary took on the Leeds job less than eighteen months ago. It really does seem like a century has passed since George Graham signed his contract extension and pledged his future to the club, then walked out to take the Spurs job. There was a rash of speculation about a big name replacement - Martin O'Neill and Gordon Strachan were prime suspects - then the Leeds board went for the quiet man, George's assistant, David O'Leary.

It wasn't the most popular decision at the time. Most fans were still smarting from Graham's cocky attitude to the walkout and his attempt to take credit for Howard Wilkinson's youth policy ground work. True, he was the boss-man when the kids won the '97 FA Youth Cup, but the extent to which he paid them much attention is debatable. Eddie Gray, now assistant manager, and Paul Hart, the director of youth team football, had a hand in all this too. Then, all of a sudden on Match of the Day, O'Leary began to talk of his 'babies' and George was suddenly forgotten. The green shoots of real success were beginning to grow tall.

David O'Leary's background is instructive. He joined Arsenal as a teenager from north Dublin's St Kevin's, coming through the ranks with a clutch of home-grown players. He was a one-club man until his move to Leeds as a player in '93, eighteen years after his Arsenal debut. Internationally he got an early start too, when Johnny Giles picked him to play at Wembley against England in 1977. That he's given the likes of Alan Smith so many opportunities, and Jonathan Woodgate such a run, is completely consistent with his own career.

In January this year his babies' FA Cup dreams were dashed at Villa Park by some magical footwork - as they were against Ginola's Spurs a year ago - but hopes of a Champions League place this year are beginning to be realised as they push Manchester United all the way. Crowds are up. Spirits are soaring. And their rivals have another round of midweek Champions League action at a crucial time of the race. True, there's no silverware yet. And true, it could all go pear-shaped as the pressure begins to rise. But things really do look as bright as the club colours for once.

The only cloud on the horizon could be the alleged Bowyer/Woodgate involvement in a nasty late-night fracas, described by the police as a 'racist incident'. Bad news. Harpal Singh is flying through the ranks and is bringing the local Asian talent and fans along with him. The last thing Leeds need now is their best players showing the club up in the courts. Riding the club of its racist reputation has been hard and the players need to be showing an example. Howard Wilkinson was quoted in the Guardian last year on his attitude to the Leeds youth staff. "You teach them how to play and live... and I'll show them how to win!". Wise words that the highly paid teenagers should heed more than ever now that they are in the spotlight.

O'Leary reckons that beneath the nice guy act he's as hard as the best of them. Now that the young lads are on the verge of greatness perhaps it's time to crack the whip a little. You Behave like Champions. You become Champions. In O'Leary O'Leeds, it looks as if Leeds have the boys for the battle and the man for the job. I think that we're about to find out.

__________Bristlehound

David Hirst Quits

Former Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and England striker David Hirst has quit the game. He's been struggling to recover from a knee injury sustained during pre-season at his current club Southampton. Poor bugger's been plagued with injuries throughout his career. A Cudworth lad discovered bty Allan Clarke, he went on to get three caps for England. Scored against France. Got 128 goals in 309 games for the Owls. Best of luck mate. Beats going down't pit, eh David.

_________Northerner

Hoolig@n

Sam Vision hits out at the Pampered Pro's

Go on, click it then..Dare you.

____________________

David O'Leary

________________________

Saint or Sinner

Kevin Davies is praying the bad days are over

___________

£7.5million transfer fee, a seven year contract and a twenty grand a week pay deal is going to get any Northern lad back up north. For Kevin Davies, a Sheffield lad who had gone from a Chesterfield Cup run to the England Under 21 team it was a dream come true. It was a deal that mirrored Alan Shearers journey to glory a few years ago, and looked as if lightening was indeed striking twice.

Then the nightmare. Roy Hodgeson's Blackburn went into total freefall. Davies got the full force of the Lancashire fans bile as the former Champions were relegated. Not surprisingly he began to feel lower than a snakes arse.

Davies is still only 22 years old but must surely know the hard way how it feels to go from hero to pariah. Ill, injured and forgotten, consigned to club history as a one-goal flop. Talk about too much too young. It begs the question of "what if" John Duncan's Chesterfield had been dumped by Bristol City in the first round of the 96/97 FA Cup, rather than going all the way to that glorious semi-final 3-3 against Middlesborough at Old Trafford (surely one of the greatest FA Cup runs in recent memory). And "what if" Chesterfield had been promoted from that years second division?

Now he's back at Southampton - the team who plucked him from that Chesterfield cup team three years ago - and he seems to be back on form. Three goals in three games and with Glen Hoddle at the helm at The Dell things can only get better for the lad. With so few local kids playing in Sheffield lately it's always nice to see one of our own showing the southerners how to play.

__________Northerner