The Times, Sunday Times and Telegraph now seem to require registration to view articles on their sites, with the Times and Sunday Times charging readers outside the UK. The Times/Sunday Times has also moved some of the older articles into an archive which requires separate registration and requires you to pay to access the content. The Independent now charges for access to articles more than a week old. O'Leary rejects calls by fans to sacrifice Kidd - Dominic FifieldCopy from Football Unlimited of
04/03/2002.
It may have been simmering just below the surface for some time but, at last, there is open rebellion in west Yorkshire. Two months of discontent boiled over here yesterday as Leeds's disgruntled support, incensed by their team's recent form and rumours of unrest in the dressing room, viciously vented their spleen on the first-team coach Brian Kidd. The chairman Peter Ridsdale's attempt on the final whistle to pacify the furore by addressing the Leeds support merely fanned the flames, provoking an angry response from those home fans seated in the Park End. Having been threatened with arrest, he could now face an Football Association inquiry. Fans lift lid on frustration - Matt ReederCopy from Yorkshire Evening
Post of 04/03/2002.
FRUSTRATION turned to anger at Goodison Park yesterday as United's abysmal start to 2002 saw them fail to win for a tenth game in a row. Fans, who on New Year's Day were rejoicing as Leeds sat on top of the Premiership, turned against manager David O'Leary and head coach Brian Kidd with a barrage of chants and songs. Their constant announcement of disatisfaction even resulted in United chairman Peter Ridsdale walking across to speak with a section of the supporters after the final whistle. He is calling for calm and for the support of both manager and his team. However, it seems unlikely that the Leeds fans are going to let this one go quietly. In truth the situation has been bubbling away under the crumbling surface at Elland Road for some time. The elevation of Kidd to head coach and the removal of crowd favourite Eddie Gray from the coaching team has never been accepted by the die-hard Whites. While the team was winning they kept their thoughts to themselves and enjoyed the ride. Now that things are going wrong there is no doubt in most supporters' minds where the blame lies. Chants criticising Brian Kidd can do nothing to help the morale of the players as they are fighting for every available point needed to make it into the Champions League. Now without a win since the turn of the year, United have failed to score in six and half hours on the pitch and are dishing up a standard of football which the Leeds faithful will simply not accept. Miffed After years of fluid, free-flowing attacking displays they are completely miffed at the nervous, error-strewn bitty performances which have become commonplace in the new year. It seems they decided that this match against Everton yesterday was going to be the day that their feelings burst into public. Kidd, an immensely shy and quiet man, will no doubt be hurt by the reaction while there is no question that O'Leary was livid by events. As early as the 11th minute, the fans started their usual backing of Gray. But it was five minutes later, when they started abusing Kidd, that things took a new twist - and it continued for the rest of the game. O'Leary did not escape the chants. The first strangled echoes of "O'Leary Out'' could be heard while his insistence not to make substitutions, even though the game was crying out for Robbie Keane, left them singing "We're Leeds and we have got no subs''. It was not the ideal backdrop to a game which United really had to win if they are to pull things out of the fire and make it to the Champions League. The battling point at least takes them above Chelsea into fifth but when you are so far behind the leaders then winning at Everton - possibly the worst side in the division aside from Leicester - is a must. Unfortunately, the fact that they did not win was once again down to some indiscipline within the ranks. Dominic Matteo's 39th-minute sending off for two yellow cards - one extremely harsh - was effectively the end of any hopes for that crucial win. A couple of tackles from behind, on Jesper Blomqvist and on Kevin Campbell, ended his afternoon - the second Leeds man this season to be sent off by referee Andy D'Urso. The man from Billericay has had a real influence on United's campaign. His red card for Alan Smith in Cardiff saw the youngster banned for five games while Danny Mills was banned for this very match after swearing at the man in black when he was the fourth official at Highbury in August. With Rio Ferdinand missing the game through a back injury, United were forced to use the untried and unlikely partnership of Michael Duberry and Eirik Bakke as central defenders. With David Batty, Alan Smith and Harry Kewell left in the midfield, United continued with two up front and the players worked hard to ensure they at least came away with something from a torrid afternoon. Quite amazingly it worked very well with Bakke, the hero of the match, putting in a quite brilliant display. Adapting to the role superbly, he gave the feeble Everton strike-force very little opportunity to get what would have been a winning goal. Everton showed no invention and no real threat and in truth were an extremely poor side who should have battered the 10-man makeshift Leeds. They certainly had the chances to bury the visitors. David Unsworth blasted two or three efforts well wide of the target while both Tomasz Radzinski and Kevin Campbell failed to convert. Their best opportunity came with just eight minutes remaining when Campbell was denied twice in the space of seconds as he turned in the box. First Bakke made a great lunging block and then as the rebound fell kindly for the ex-Arsenal man his second shot was well saved by Nigel Martyn. Even the legendary Frenchman David Ginola could not find the net. Coming off the bench for the final 15 minutes he saw a couple of shots fly wide including a last-minute volley that had martyn scampering across to his right before watching it go just past the post. The home side also had three claims for a penalty but were denied even those by referee D'Urso who must have been hated as much by the home fans as he was and is by the visiting supporters. Leeds did have chances to score before and after Matteo's dismissal. Fowler failed to control a Bakke through ball when he would have been clear through on goal and Harry Kewell's burst and shot was well saved by Simonsen. Smith was the main threat in the second half, his hard running and never-say-die attitude chiselling out the odd chance but both were saved by the keeper. Even if they had gone in to earn a good victory it is doubtful whether it would have been enough to lift the clouds of discontent swirling around Elland Road. The report used to be available online here.
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