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Brendan's Postbag: Leeds United 's Gradel has made real impact
Hi Brendan. Max Gradel has made a big impact at Leeds – he offers us something different. He is here until the end of December, do you think Simon Grayson should make an effort to sign him full-time in the January transfer window?
CHRIS LIVERSEDGE, Ilkley
Hi Chris,
I've been impressed by what I've seen of him and if he carries on making the same impact he has over the next month, I think he would be a good acquisition for the club – even if it's just for the rest of the season.
He's not getting in the Leicester team and has now come to a bigger club – even though we are in a lower division, we are a bigger football club.
He's in the limelight here as well and he hasn't been at Leicester.
In terms of starting him, the only thing is that he plays on the right and Rob Snodgrass has been playing there, so what are you going to do with him?
Snodgrass might be happy to play on his natural left side but, to be fair, Bradley Johnson is doing well there and has made that position his own. Last season, I called him the 'invisible man' because he wasn't doing anything and was in and out of the side.
Simon hasn't had to change the team much – Gary Mac nearly always made one or two changes every week – but you don't change a winning team unless you have to.
Gradel's shown himself to be an impact player so far. He only played about 12 minutes in his debut against Norwich and was in the sponsors' lounge afterwards after being named man of the match!
He came on and immediately played a couple of great balls in, which Jermaine Beckford just missed, and really got the crowd going and has carried on.
You wonder if he's the type who makes an impact only as a sub, like in the late '70s and early '80s with David Fairclough at Liverpool, who made his name as a super-sub.
Having said that, he started the other week against Grimsby and had a good game.
He's done well in front of a big home crowd at Elland Road, but another question is can he do it away?
You know what Leeds fans are like, if they see a player on the pitch doing the business in the white shirt they will back him 100 per cent – as they have done with Gradel.
And if you have that sort of big crowd behind you at Elland Road, you want to play!
****
Do you think Jermaine Beckford will leave in January?
What I'll say is I think he will go – but it's a matter of when. I'm just hoping he stays for the rest of the season.
It looked like someone might pinch him before the start – a time when you could have replaced him. At the start of the season and if he was having a goal drought, I might have been tempted to cash-in. But now, he's scored lots of goals for fun again.
I know Newcastle were rumoured to be sniffing around recently and if Leeds are going well and he's still scoring goals in January, clubs are going to be after him.
Clubs who are say struggling in the Championship will see Jermaine banging them in and might be tempted to bid. It's what football's all about and it then depends on the chairman and what money they offer – whether it's too big to turn down.
Simon then might have to make a decision in terms of who he is going to stick up there to score the goals he does. That's the thing.
What I would say is if Leeds don't go up again, for his own future, he's got to look to move. It was the same with Fabian Delph last year.
In this division, if you are a defender and are against someone like Jermaine, you are always on your toes and that's what frightens you. He might look lazy in some games, but he can score in an instant and that's why Simon won't take him off.
I remember when I played Liverpool and they had Rushie (Ian Rush). He didn't do anything, but you couldn't leave him alone for a split second because the second you did, he scored – it was the same with Gary Lineker.
When he gets kicked, it's because people are scared of him and respect him.
For me, Jermaine's all-round game is still too poor to really step up to the top. But I think he can at least make that one step up to the Championship. He would be playing against better defenders, though, and in the Premiership he would be up against internationals who are all as quick as him and have a lot more experience.
But I've never doubted his finishing ability. It's as good as any. Even though it's League One, you've still got to put the ball in the back of the net.
He does that – left foot, right foot, he chips and pings them in and can go around the keeper!
****
Hi Brendan,
What did you make of Thierry Henry's actions against Ireland. It's disgraceful France should be allowed through to the World Cup after that!
JEAN, Garforth
One of the lads at work said: "I used to like Henry as a player, but I hate him now!"
Players are cheating too much and getting away with it, but I just think how the hell didn't the linesman see it?
Henry's admitted it, it's on camera. If it was close, why didn't the linesman see it and flag for it?
I've played in games where I got away with murder – I know we didn't have as many cameras then – then someone else might do something and get punished for it.
I know there's talk of goal-line technology and cameras, but I don't agree with that. I still say no, it's just my opinion.
If you do have it, you won't see people discussing things afterwards. What we do after a football match is go have a drink and have an argument about it!
Football's football and that's why you get all the talking points.
They are using TV cameras and replays where they want to these days and are picking incidents, such as the Eduardo diving episode, which annoys me.
But they won't after what happened in the France versus Ireland game.
They won't get the game replayed. That result will stand. Although I can understand the Irish getting aggrieved and the government getting behind them.
I think the result will stand as the officials haven't got the bottle to change it.
****
Have you ever wanted to quiz a United legend? Now's your chance. Write to: Brendan's Postbag, Sports Desk, Yorkshire Evening Post, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1RF E-Mail: yep.sport@ypn.co.uk Log on to: www. yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
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