What is more important at this stage, a win or a good performance? I say on this occasion a win - something we haven't had for 8 games - is what we need just to give the boys some confidence before the play offs.

It looks like Steve Stone is going to be ready for the play offs after all barring any injury recurrence, which will give us more options tactically. I expect him to start today as I think will Eirik Bakke, who is getting back to some sort of form and could be a vital player in the play offs.


The main thing today is that we avoid injuries to key players and the best way to do that is to not play any key men other than those who need the matches like Bakke and Stone. I think KB may keep the likes of Hulse and Derry out of today’s game meaning Simon Walton should get a start alongside Bakke in midfield.


We have not beaten the already relegated opposition in 3 attempts since relegation but we could not have wished for better opponents at this stage of the season. Already relegated, likely to experiment and not a team of cloggers.


Eddie Lewis needs a run out after being rested recently as does Robbie Blake after recovering from the mystery virus but the exact line up is anybody's guess.


No injuries and 3 points would be ideal before next week's final game against possible play off rivals Preston who definitely fancy themselves at the moment.

Next week's team selection should be even more interesting than this week's, though personally I would send out a reserve team and kick the shit out of them but more on that later in the week.


I think we will win today but contrary to what a lot of people think I do not think it is vital to finish 3rd or 4th and get home advantage in the second leg of the play offs. We often get better vocal support away from home and we have not lost away from home to any of our rivals all season.


Prediction: Leeds 3 v Crewe 1


Come on you Whites!!!!!

Going into this game I felt we had to at least match what The Blunts did at Hillsborough so when Leicester went down to 10 men after 10 minutes I thought there was no danger and we would be at least keeping the pressure on for another week, wrong again.


KB played the same 11 that beat Watford midweek other than the enforced absence of Shaun Derry who was surprisingly replaced by Eirik Bakke, on the bench there was no Richard Cresswell.


Four minutes into the game and we were one down after Iain Hume managed to squeeze a shot in after Leicester had been given a free kick close to the box, we had never won here and it looked like that run might continue, then after 12 minutes Rob Hulse was brought down in the box by Patrick McCarthy, penalty and a red card for McCarthy.

Robbie Blake stepped up and it was 1-1, for the second game in succession the opposition had had a man sent off, only one but there was still plenty of time for another.

From the 12th minute onwards it was all down hill, we were poor but this is not something that has just happened this week, I do not think we have created much at all since the 2nd 45 against Plymouth. How many of our goals have been penalties this year? I cannot remember when we were last awarded as many penalties, we cannot complain.

Leicester did not look like a team with 10 men and though we had chances neither keeper was threatened, Bakke looked well off the pace and was replaced and not before time 10 minutes into the second half by David Healy. For a team that still had high hopes of automatic promotion this was an uninspired performance and the team were quite rightly booed off the pitch.

We should not give up on automatic promotion until we cannot make it but I think once we have got the 12 points we now need to guarantee a play off spot we should concentrate on getting our key men fit and ready for the final few games of the season and the play offs.
Next up Luton and I think we will see a better performance, we have to.


Full time 1-1 by the way.

It is all back on again after last night’s victory after 60 minutes,against 9-man Watford. Even the fact that Reading missed a last minute penalty at The Blunts did not dampen the optimism for the rest of the season. We started with the same team as we had against Derby and had the better of the early part of the game with Jonathan Douglas’s shin control letting him down in front of goal when he was well positioned. Watford got back into the game but there were no clear chances for either team until Watford were awarded a free kick on 40 minutes for a foul by Sean Gregan. Ashley Young smashed it straight into the top left hand corner. That seemed to be spur we needed as we had 3 good chances one of which saw Gregan hitting the bar. But at half time and it remained 0-1


HT 0-1


Both teams had goals disallowed early in the second half and Gregan was booked on 51, not long after that it all kicked off. First Rob Hulse pounced on a defensive mistake in the Watford box and was pulled down by keeper Foster as he moved towards goal. Red Card for Foster and a penalty to us that Robbie Blake coolly knocked in, 1-1 and things were looking good.

Two minutes later and things were looking even better as Gregan’s brilliant provocation of Darius Henderson ended with the Watford man elbowing him, getting a Red Card and losing half a shirt. Watford down to 9 men and Jade Goody in the crowd was not looking happy. The Whites pushed forward and created a few half chances and on 81 Robbie Blake got his second, slotting home from 10 yards, 2-1 to Leeds and that was pretty much it.


A massive win for us, unbeaten now in 5, it leaves us 9 points behind Sheff U with a game in hand and a visit to Bramall Lane on Tuesday, 18th April.


Next up Leicester at the weekend for us blunts are away at Sheff Wed.