Leeds United on Trial: The Inside Story of an Astonishing Year Book

As manager David O'Leary admits in his controversial chronicle of the 2000/01 campaign, Leeds United on Trial, whatever his talented young side achieved on the pitch was overshadowed by the ongoing criminal trials involving three of its brightest stars. On January 12, 2000, student Sarfraz Najeib was chased by a drunken mob through the streets of Leeds, cornered and brutally beaten. Leeds players Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate were accused of taking part in the attack, and team-mate Michael Duberry accused of subsequently attempting to pervert the course of justice. For the record, only Woodgate was convicted of a criminal offence (affray). O'Leary's views on this unsavoury affair take up around a quarter of the book, the rest being dedicated to reviewing a quite extraordinary season for one of the emerging forces in European football. O'Leary has presided over a transformation at Leeds since becoming manager in 1998, and in 2000/01 they were fourth in the Premiership and shock Champions League semi-finalists, having come through groups featuring Euro monster-clubs such as Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid. The former Arsenal player describes how he had set himself square against what he perceived as the brutal, cynical style of Don Revie's Leeds heroes of the 1960s and early-70s, and sought to emulate the Keegan-era Newcastle side in becoming everyone's favourite "other" team: a strategy that he details as hinging on success in "selling" the new Leeds image to sought-after young talents such as Robbie Keane and Rio Ferdinand. O'Leary is an intelligent, authoritative guide to the business of winning football matches--with plenty of surprising and entertaining insights into the strengths and weaknesses of his players, and the odd indiscreet peek behind the scenes. But there is no escaping the trial, and while O'Leary is unstinting in his condemnation of his players' behaviour, one conclusion that could be drawn from statements made by O'Leary--his description of the way that Woodgate "valiantly" tried not to let the trial affect his performance on the pitch, for example--is that in the modern age football always comes first.--Alex HankinRead More