Bates In Kilkenny Row

Ken Bates has threatened to report Neil Kilkenny to the FA as the row between the pair threatened to overshadow the build-up to Leeds' home Carling Cup clash tonight with old foes Manchester United.
Kilkenny, 25, left Leeds after failing to agree a new contract in the summer and scored for his new club Bristol City on his first return to Elland Road on Saturday. The Australia international ran gesturing towards the directors' box and blew kisses at Leeds chairman Bates and chief executive Shaun Harvey after he had scored.Kilkenny said after the game, which Leeds won 2-1, that his actions were inspired by having been ignored by Bates and Harvey before the game, as well as comments from Bates that he had joined "a smaller club".Bates last night responded: "He can't justify or excuse his behaviour. It shows exactly why we weren't sad to see him go. Neither myself or Shaun ever go down to see players on match days. Why would we? The fact is he asked for a wage which we didn't think he was worth. He's a petulant sod with big ideas of himself. We might report his behaviour to the FA because we've got CCTV footage of it."

Kilkenny, who made 144 Leeds appearances in three and a half years, had been angered by his treatment at the hands of "certain directors", as well as comments made by Bates last week during a radio interview.

Kilkenny Disappointed With Leeds Exit

Neil Kilkenny has spoken of his disappointment over the manner of his summer exit from Leeds United, insisting: “I never wanted to leave the club.”Kilkenny said: “I didn’t want to leave and I made that clear so many times last season.

“I had three-and-a-half years with the club and I loved my time there.

“The way it all finished was really disappointing and I thought my performances over the whole of last season proved my worth.

“The club always got 100 per cent from me and I felt I’d earned a better offer than the one they gave me.

“Sometimes that’s how football works out but I want to make it clear that I wanted to stay, and in a way my hand was forced."

Leeds offer Killa new contract

Leeds manager Simon Grayson has offered fresh terms to out-of-contract midfielder Neil Kilkenny.

The Australia international, who joined from Birmingham City in 2008 after impressing while on loan at Oldham, has been a regular this season.

The 25-year-old has featured in 37 Championship games this term, helping Leeds comfortably retain their second-tier status on the back of promotion.

With the season now concluded Leeds are hoping to secure Kilkenny on fresh terms and fend off clubs who are interested in landing his signature for free.

On Monday Leeds confirmed Kilkenny was a player they were looking to retain next term and would 'remain in dialogue' with his representative.

Leeds 0 Reading 0

Leeds endured another stutter in their promotion campaign as they halted Reading's eight-game winning streak but failed to hit the target themselves.Keeper Alex McCarthy kept Reading in the game in the first half, saving well from Robert Snodgrass and Max Gradel.After the break, Leeds' Bradley Johnson rattled the bar and Mikele Leigertwood fired a shot off target for Reading.Gradel and Snodgrass tested McCarthy late on and Leeds' Sanchez Watt missed a great chance to win it at the death.The Yorkshire club had begun Good Friday in sixth place, the last of the play-off spots.But this Elland Road stalemate ensured they ended the day seventh, below play-off rivals Nottingham Forest - who beat Leicester 3-2 earlier in the day - on goal difference.Leeds just about edged the first half, having the two best chances, both of which were kept out by Reading's impressive keeper McCarthy.The first was a close-range header by Snodgrass, which McCarthy pushed wide, and the second was a swirling long-range shot by Gradel.

The England Under-21 keeper got enough of his body behind the ball to block the goalbound effort but will have been relieved to see it spin wide of the far post.Neil Kilkenny came on for Jake Livermore at the break and his introduction seemed to lift the whole Leeds team.They took the game to their visitors, forcing them onto the back foot whenever possible, harassing them and denying them time to think when they tried to go forward.Reading's Andy Griffin wasted a great chance when he cut in from the right and dummied Gradel, opening up space in the box, only to fire into the side netting when he would have been better off crossing.

Johnson then came closer than anyone else to finding the target when he ran from the half-way line and saw his shot off the outside of his boot rebound off the bar with McCarthy well beaten.

The longer the game wore on, the greater the tension emanating from the Leeds team became, and Reading responded by going on the attack with more confidence.

Leigertwood should have done better when he was allowed to bear down on goal unchallenged, but his shot was off target and could only rattle the back stanchion.

Reading have become known as the Championship's late goal specialists, but it was the home side who came closer to scoring.

As in the first half, it was Gradel and Snodgrass who tried their luck, but again the impressive McCarthy was equal to the task.

In stoppage time a rare McCarthy misjudgement allowed substitute Watt a great chance to snatch a winner, but the on-loan Arsenal player lost his footing and skewed the ball wide of the target.

Elland Road holds key to play-off hopes – Kilkenny

NEIL KILKENNY admits Leeds United must win all three of their remaining home games or risk missing out on a place in the play-offs.The Yorkshire club return to Elland Road this Saturday when Watford are the visitors for a game that, thanks to back-to-back defeats on the road, has taken on huge significance for Simon Grayson’s men.With seventh-placed Nottingham Forest, who are one point behind United in the table, in action on Friday night at Norwich City, it is conceivable that Leeds could kick off the following day against the Hornets occupying a place outside the play-offs for the first time since November.Kilkenny, who returned to the starting line-up in Tuesday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at Derby County, said: “We have three hard home games coming up in the last five against Watford, Reading and Burnley.“All three are tough opponents who are fighting for the play-offs. But if we want to get in the play-offs we have to win all three.“It doesn’t matter how we get there, just that we do.“There is always a team that comes from nowhere (to finish in the top six) and usually one that drops out after being up there all season. We have to make sure that is not us.”
Leeds are unbeaten at Elland Road in the Championship since late October, a run that stretches back 13 games.With six of those having finished as draws, however, it means every other side in the top nine have collected more points on home soil than Grayson’s side.Kilkenny added: “Our home form has, largely, been good this season, though I did think we got a bit of luck in our last home game (against Nottingham Forest).“They were a good team who played well in the first half but the sending-off (Chris Cohen was dismissed at 0-0) changed the game (as Leeds ran out 4-1 winners).“We need to get back to doing what we have done best this season, where everyone knows their jobs and gets on with doing them.“There is going to be pressure for us now that the end of the season is approaching.“A lot of teams are pushing for the top six.
“We have to handle it and, hopefully, we will. If we can go on a run now and win all five then everyone will say that Leeds have the momentum going into the play-offs.”

With United’s run-in completed by trips to Crystal Palace, who have an identical record on home soil to Grayson’s men, and runaway leaders QPR, it is clear the Yorkshire club have a tough fight on their hands to finish in the top six.

Looking at the run-ins of the chasing pack, Forest also have a tough schedule with visits to Carrow Road, Bristol City and Palace sandwiching home games against Leicester and Scunthorpe.

Millwall, however, face four sides in the bottom eight along with Swansea City, while ninth-placed Leicester have daunting trips to Reading and Forest to contend with before rounding off the campaign against Watford, Doncaster and Ipswich.

For Leeds, the priority is keeping all three at bay along with Hull City, who are four points adrift of the play-offs and have home games against Doncaster, Middlesbrough and Palace to come along with visits to QPR and Bristol City.

Kilkenny, who was part of the Leeds squad who won automatic promotion from League One on the final day of last season, said: “Our strength of character is going to be important, as will how we handle the pressure. I think we have players who can do that.

“Last season, we went through a similar situation. We had setbacks like what happened at Derby but bounced back. We need to do exactly what we did at this stage last season.”

Manager Grayson has plenty to ponder ahead of Saturday’s visit by Watford, not least the make-up of his side with Barry Bannan having failed to prove an adequate replacement for the injured Robert Snodgrass on the right at Pride Park.

Likewise, fellow loanee Jake Livermore has not impressed in either of the two games he has started since joining from Tottenham Hotspur.

Kilkenny, whose start at Derby was his first in a month, said: “I was back in the side but may be out again this weekend. After a defeat, no one knows where they stand.

“But I hope I can stay in because it hurts to be out of the team. I want to do well, I want to play games and I want to win.”

No matter who makes the starting XI against the Hornets, manager Grayson is adamant his players have what it takes to bounce back.

He said: “It is about keeping our nerve. There is more pressure on those teams in and around us because no one anticipated us being in this position. Certain clubs need to go up.

“We have given ourselves a platform and the situation is that if we win all five games, we are in the play-offs.”

The 2-1 defeat at Pride Park took United’s goals against tally to 60 in 41 games this season, the joint fourth highest in the Championship.

Grayson added: “We were difficult to beat earlier in the season. But we have gone away from doing those things. That has to change.”

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Howson in Fitness battle

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson was running his eye over a full squad for the first time in almost a fortnight today, with doubts persisting over the fitness of captain Jonathan Howson.United’s preparation for their vital Championship clash with Nottingham Forest began in earnest this morning following the return to Thorp Arch of the players released for international duty.Neil Kilkenny, Eric Lichaj and Max Gradel were due to report back today, in time to make themselves available for the visit of Forest to Elland Road on Saturday, but Leeds were continuing to assess the hamstring strain which forced Howson to drop out of England’s Under-21 squad last week.The 22-year-old was called up for games against Denmark and Iceland having initially been placed on stand-by, but an injury sustained in Leeds’ 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United prevented his inclusion.Howson is the only ever-present in Grayson’s squad having appeared in all 42 of Leeds’ competitive fixtures this season, and United’s manager is hopeful that his current skipper will be available to feature in Saturday’s televised play-off battle with Forest.

Grayson’s international contingent appear to have returned to England unscathed, with Kilkenny and Gradel sitting as unused substitutes through matches involving Australia and the Ivory Coast respectively and Lichaj completing the final half-hour of the USA’s 1-0 loss against Paraguay. But Leeds chairman Ken Bates has voiced criticism of the arrangement of a spate of friendlies so close to the end of the domestic season.

Bates said: “They’re all bloody meaningless. As we’ve seen on TV, a few players have come back injured and it’s damaged their respective clubs’ run-ins to the end of the season. Most of these friendlies are useless and for making money.”

Grayson will be without Billy Paynter on Saturday as the striker begins a three-match suspension, but Patrick Kisnorbo is the only other senior professional certain to miss the meeting with Forest.

Leeds were expecting ticket sales for the game to pass 30,000 today, the sixth time this season that the attendance at Elland Road has exceeded that figure

Kilkenny still waiting for Leeds United offer

Neil Kilkenny, whose contract at Leeds United expires in the summer, is still waiting for the club to offer him a new deal.

With Bradley Johnson already having turned down the club's 'final offer', two key midfielders could leave on Bosman free transfers in the summer.

Australian international midfielder Kilkenny, 25, cost £125,000 from Birmingham in January, 2008, and has made 137 first-team appearances.

He is currently away with his country's squad and United are reluctant to commit to a new deal until they know what division they will be playing in next term.

Kilkenny first announced his desire to stay at Leeds in December, a sentiment he repeated a month later, but he is still waiting.

The contracts of goalkeeper Shane Higgs, 33, and central defenders Patrick Kisnorbo, 30, and Richard Naylor, 34, are also due to run out in the summer. Higgs has spent most of the season on the substitutes' bench, kept out of the side by Kasper Schmeichel, while Kisnorbo is still in rehab after damaging his Achilles a year ago.

Naylor has been unable to recapture his regular first-team place since suffering a knee injury last October, though he made substitute appearances earlier this month against Doncaster and Preston.

The future of Honduras international Ramon Nunez is also in doubt.

He is currently on loan at Scunthorpe, having made just two substitute appearances for Leeds.

Nunez, 25, signed a short-term contract at the end of August after a month's trial.

The deal was extended to the end of this season with the club holding an option to keep him for an extra year.

Loads of International call ups

Leeds United duo Neil Kilkenny and Davide Somma are set for more international action after receiving call-ups for their respective countries.
Killa is named in the Australia squad for their forthcoming friendly against Germany in Monchengladbach on Tuesday March 29.
The former Arsenal youngster was a member of the Socceroos squad which reached the final of the Asia Cup earlier this year.
And striker Davide is set to return to South Africa for his third international call-up for their game against Egypt on Saturday March 26 in Johannesburg.
The pair joined Ramon Nunez who has already been called-up by Honduras, and a host of other Leeds players could follow suit.
Max Gradel could be named in the Ivory Coast squad for the same period while Robert Snodgrass and Barry Bannan will both harbour hopes of a Scotland call-up for their game against Brazil at the Emirates.

Grayson praises players

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson hailed his players performance at Preston on Tuesday after watching his side close the gap on second place in the npower Championship to just three points.
Goals from Neil Kilkenny and Billy Paynter, his first for the club, set United on the road to a 2-1 win at Deepdale, but the points were eventually secured on the back of a strong rearguard effort during the closing stages of the contest.
"We said to the players that it would be a test because they were scrapping," said Grayson. "They are a strong team.
"We knew we would have to scrap and it might be ugly, but we scored some good goals and dug a result out.
"They scored with a wonder goal - Humey can do that - but we dug in and got bodies in there, showed an ugly side and we did it really well.
"We knew Preston would put us on the back foot. They have some good players. We reacted in a real positive manner. If you get three points through battling and scrapping so be it."
Grayson had signalled his intentions with the capture of Aston Villa's highly-rated midfielder Barry Bannan on Monday, but his midfield responded to the new arrival and Kilkenny bagged his first league goal of the season before striker Paynter brought the house down with his first goal for the club.
"We have to raise the level of performance if we are to be successful and Killa scoring was delightful," said the boss.
"And we were delighted to see Billy score and you could tell from the reaction of the players - they all joined in - and the fans what it meant to all of them to see Billy score. It was a great strike.
"Everyone can see the effort he's put in. He's come on and done well in games, he's worked ever so hard, and taken his opportunity."

Preston 1 Leeds United 2

Promotion hopefuls Leeds climbed to fifth in the npower Championship table as goals from Neil Kilkenny and Billy Paynter saw them push Preston a step closer to relegation with a 2-1 win at Deepdale.Preston had started well at Deepdale as they looked to record a first league win in 14 games, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring through Kilkenny's fine strike.
Paynter then doubled the advantage and Iain Hume's goal was not enough to help Preston secure a point.The win moves Leeds above Nottingham Forest and they now lie just three points short of an automatic promotion place.
Preston are now 13 points adrift of safety and are in need of a miracle if they are to retain their Championship status.
Preston were boosted by the availability of keeper Andy Lonergan and defender Craig Morgan, who missed the draw with Norwich with a stomach bug.
They were also able to include on-loan Bolton man Ricardo Gardner while Leeds had their own loan signing, Aston Villa's Barry Bannan, on the bench.
Despite their precarious position Preston almost made a dream start as Keith Treacy's ferocious strike from the edge of the Leeds box cannoned back off the crossbar with Kasper Schmeichel well beaten.
Hume then fired over from distance as North End raced out of the traps.
Striker Chris Brown, who grabbed his first goal of the season against Norwich at the weekend, also went close but Schmeichel was able to gather his header.
Leeds captain Jonny Howson blazed over the bar on a rare foray forward for the play-off hopefuls but the hosts continued to look the more likely.
Schmeichel made an athletic save to deny a low Eddie Johnson drive before Gradel forced Lonergan to do likewise for Phil Brown's men.
Preston may have looked the more likely to grab an opener but they were stunned when the visitors took the lead against the run of play.
The ball fell to Kilkenny 20 yards out and he hammered the ball beyond Lonergan into the top right-hand corner in the 29th minute.
Paynter's shot was well blocked by Sean St Ledger as Leeds pressed for a second before Brown missed a glorious chance to level eight minutes before the break.
Hume's cross found the striker six yards out, but he somehow failed to hit the target.
Treacy again went close from distance upon the resumption but Schmeichel was again equal to the task.
Simon Grayson's men now looked far more assured and the lively Gradel was twice narrowly off target from the edge of the box, but Paynter's effort a few minutes later was on target and saw Leeds double their advantage in the 57th minute.
But Preston showed great spirit to respond just six minutes later.
Treacy picked out Hume and the former Barnsley man smashed the ball into the top corner to give the home side hope of salvaging something from the game.
Paynter could only hit the bar from close range from Gradel's cross, before the winger himself wasted a good chance by heading straight at Lonergan.
Bannan made his debut as a substitute and Preston pushed forward late on in search of a leveller but Leeds held out for the three points.

Kilkenny is determined to turn up the heat for Leeds

When Qatar was named late last year as the host of the 2022 World Cup, the rumblings of discontent began almost immediately.
The Middle East country was too small, it has just one major city and no big football stadia. A population of just 1.5m would, the critics also argued, lead to games being played in front of huge swathes of empty seats, while Qatar's lack of a footballing pedigree – the national team has never even come close to qualifying for a finals in the past – would make a mockery of the tournament.

By far the most troubling aspect of FIFA's decision, however, was the searing heat that would make playing the finals in the summer months near impossible. Vague mention had been made during the bidding process of how Qatar would construct huge air-conditioned stadia but, thanks to the tiny Gulf state not truly being considered serious bidders compared to the US and Australia, few took much notice.

All that changed the moment FIFA revealed, after the fourth round of polling, that Qatar had beaten the United States by 14 votes to eight. Serious questions suddenly started to be asked of the victorious bid, and in particular how it was going to be possible to host a World Cup amid temperatures that peak at 50 degrees.

Within days we had our answer as the idea of shifting the 2022 World Cup to winter was first mooted. The major leagues around the world were understandably not impressed, pointing out that up to three seasons would be disrupted by such a change.

The debate is continuing, though FIFA president Sepp Blatter's remarks at the opening ceremony of the Asia Cup last month that winter was the most sensible option suggest a final decision has already been made.

One man who knows about the demands of playing in Qatar is Neil Kilkenny, the Leeds United midfielder having spent the past month in the Emirate state trying to win the Asia Cup with Australia.

The Socceroos' mission ended in disappointment with Japan beating a side featuring Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill in the final courtesy of an extra-time winner from Tadanari Lee. Despite that, Kilkenny enjoyed the experience and believes Qatar will put on a real show for the world in 2022.

The 25-year-old does, however, have serious reservations about the timing of that World Cup in 11 years.

"In the Asia Cup, the games were played at 4pm and 7pm to try and make sure the heat was not too much of a problem," said the United player. "But it was still hot. The temperature was about 25 degrees and quite humid so it wasn't unbearable for those of us playing or anything like that.

"But it was still hot. The big problem for football would come in the summer. I have been out there at that time of year and it really is very, very, very hot.

"As a player, playing at this time of year makes a lot more sense as we don't want to play in the heat and humidity of a summer. It is what I would definitely prefer due to it getting so hot in Qatar.

"The problem, though, is that playing a World Cup in winter would cause all sorts of problems for the leagues. For the Asia Cup, the leagues just carried on but that couldn't happen for a World Cup because all the star players in the Premier League or wherever would be missing for weeks.

"That is why I just can't see them changing the timing, which is a shame for the players."

Kilkenny flew back into England last Monday afternoon and was on the bench for Leeds a little over 24 hours later when Simon Grayson's side fought out a 2-2 draw at Hull City.

While he was away, United emerged from a demanding schedule that included two FA Cup ties against Arsenal and trips to promotion-chasing Cardiff City and Portsmouth still firmly in the hunt for promotion. Now back at Elland Road, Kilkenny is determined to do his bit in the race for the Premier League and believes his experience in the Asia Cup – he came off the bench in three of Australia's six games –- will be useful.

He said: "The Asia Cup was a good experience and something I really enjoyed. The standard was good. People in England may not know too much about the teams, with the possible exception of South Korea and Japan, because they are from Asia.

"But they are technically very good. Defensively, some of the teams may not be the best but they can keep the ball well and attack very well."

Kilkenny was an unused substitute in Australia's opening two group games as India were beaten 4-0 and South Korea claimed a 1-1 draw. His first involvement then came in the final group game as the Socceroos booked their place in the knockout stages with a 1-0 victory over Bahrain.

Iraq were beaten by the same scoreline in the last eight as Kilkenny again came off the bench before Uzbekistan were swept aside 6-0 in the semi-finals to set up a meeting with Japan last Saturday.

The Leeds midfielder said: "The final was watched by a crowd of 50,000 and we should really have won. We had a lot of chances but just couldn't score and then Japan got the winner in extra-time. I came off the bench again and it was disappointing not to win the game, though at least I can always say I have played in an Asia Cup final.

"Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. I flew out there (the day after Leeds had drawn 1-1 with Middlesbrough) not really expecting to play. I knew the situation and just wanted to show what I could do to the manager.

"Luckily, I was given that chance when I came off the bench against the United Arab Emirates in a warm-up friendly and the manager was pleased. I had to sit out the first two group games but it was great to come off the bench against Bahrain and help the team win.

"After the final, the manager said he was pleased with me. He then said, 'Concentrate on playing well and regularly for your club'."

With 17 games of the Championship season remaining, Kilkenny is determined to do just that and help mark what is likely to be his final season at Elland Road – his contract expires in the summer and talks broke down last year – with a second promotion.

He said: "I left for the Asia Cup when we were second in the table and I wanted the lads to carry on doing well. They have not picked up as many points in the last couple of weeks but, hopefully, now I am back we can go on a run."

Neil Kilkenny wants to stay at Leeds United

Leeds United midfielder Neil Kilkenny wants to resolve his future at Elland Road when he returns from the Asia Cup.The 25-year-old is currently on international duty with Australia at the Asian Cup but his Whites contract is set to expire at the end of the season. "There's nothing to discuss about my contract at the moment".
"Discussions have started, they have been going on for a long time so we'll wait and see when I get back.
"At the end of the day if Leeds want to keep me they know I want to stay, so the ball is in their court."
Kilkenny had been an important part of the Leeds midfield prior to departing to Qatar towards the end of last month.
Australia are in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup and Kilkenny will be looking to feature in his third successive match when the Socceroos take on Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Kilkenny helps Australia reach final

Neil Kilkenny came off the bench to play the final twenty minutes as Australia romped to a 6-0 semi final victory over Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup.

Kilkenny came on with Australia already leading 3-0 against the much-fancied Uzbekistan side who had won Group A in the group stages.

Former Leeds player Harry Kewell opened the scoring inside six minutes, his third of the tournament.

Australia went in at half time two up and the game was still in the balance until the final half hour when Uzbekistan capitulated.

Six different players scored the six goals for Australia as the score could have quite easily have reached double figures despite Uzbekistan enjoying over 60% of the possession during the game.

Australia will now meet Japan in the final on Saturday after the knocked out Korea on penalties after the game had finished 2-2 after extra time.

With Leeds having no game on Saturday you can tune into British Eurosport channel 2 from 3pm and watch the game live.

EX LEEDS UNITED KEEPER SET FOR SPURS RETURN?

KILKENNY GETS INTERNATIONAL TASTE

Neil Kilkenny made his first international appearance for two-and-a-half years when he stepped off the bench during Australia's 1-0 win against Bahrain on Thursday.
Killa has been an unused substitute in the Socceroos first two Asian Cup games, but he joined the action for the final 11 minutes of Australia's final Group C game.
The victory was enough to send Australia through to the knockout stages of the competition.
The Socceroos won their group and are now likely to play either Iraq or North Korea on Saturday in the last-eight.