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HAY: Nice and easy does it
Transfer deadline day was a non-event at Elland Road, save for the long-predicted parting of ways with French winger Sebastien Carole.
The majority of Football League clubs would say the same and most, in general, were happy to leave the last-minute scrambling to Manchester City and their Arabian goldmine.
Without the clamour at Eastlands, the day would have been largely unremarkable (unless the news that Manchester United won the argument over Dimitar Berbatov strikes you as improbable).
Leeds, it turns out, were not in the market for new signings on Monday and, as expected, were solely interested in edging their excess players away from Elland Road.
Gary McAllister had alluded several times to the need to address his heavy wage bill and the lack of movement at Thorp Arch was not a surprise. Nor was it much of a disappointment.
It has never been fashionable to sit idly on deadline day, but there is less dignity or order to be found in urgent attempts to sign players.
Leeds had the time and – perhaps – the money to negotiate a late deal or two, but the justification for doing so would have been scant. New arrivals would have left McAllister looking like the dog with the bone in Aesop's fable.
There is a valid argument which says Leeds are short of alternatives in attack – and we will all watch Dougie Freedman's time at Southend United with interest – but there is no other area of McAllister's squad which could be legitimately described as weak.
Adding to that flock unnecessarily would have shirked the job of making the best of the players already available.
The range of personnel open to United's manager is a crucial trump card and the fundamental reason why Leeds should match, if not set, League One's pace this season.
It is also the reason why their league results so far do not deserve ridiculously harsh scrutiny.
Successful teams take time to evolve and the one conclusion which can be reached a month into the season is that McAllister is still to discover his most effective and consistent line-up.
A squad as big as United's is an undoubted blessing, but there are times when that blessing can be mixed.
McAllister is in the process of resolving his defensive line and seems content with the partnership of Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio in attack, but the combination of midfielders most suited to League One is taking time to show itself.
Pre-season was an initial opportunity for McAllister to formulate a reliable line-up but it was inevitable that his thinking would be altered by competitive football.
United's defeat of FCV Dender, for example, was instantly impressive but, at the risk of being cynical, the Belgians' attitude was not that of a committed team.
There is no question that McAllister learned more from the win at Scunthorpe United, just as he will have done during the uninspired results against Oldham Athletic, Yeovil Town and Bristol Rovers.
All four matches reiterated the need for understanding and patience.It is easy to view and rate the difficulty of McAllister's job in terms of the number of players he has on his books, and it is well known among League One's managerial fraternity that the wage bill at Leeds is one of the division's highest.
Yet football is not so simple or easy to manipulate. There are pros and cons to every single player.
Jonathan Douglas, to name one, brings less to the table in terms of attacking creativity than several of his team-mates, but the statistics show that United are rarely beaten with the Irishman in their line-up.
The question of the left wing, meanwhile, should be answered by Andy Robinson this season, but Robinson's better form is only just starting to show itself.
And though no player has more natural talent than Fabian Delph, McAllister must decide whether the 17-year-old is capable of playing 40 matches in his first full season.
It makes sense, then, for United's manager to reserve judgement on the club's form until the 10th game of the term.
Five points from four games is somewhat inauspicious and a better start would have been preferable, but it doesn't decrease the likelihood that Leeds will find away out of their league this season.
While there are few in Leeds who have much desire to throw praise in the direction of Dennis Wise, it should now be clear how special the results seen on his watch at the start of last term were.
Seven consecutive victories and 13 matches without defeat are incredible statistics, a fact proved by the realisation that the last squad to perform so consistently was managed by Don Revie.
But that searing start was essential for Wise's Leeds; it was never demanded of McAllister.
It is revealing to note that Swansea City won three of their first eight matches last season.
McAllister's demeanour, in any case, is as convincing as it was before the season kicked off, and a less confident manager would have scrambled for new signings on Monday.
United's manager seems to realise that inside his squad is an assured team screaming to break out. His task is to find it.
****
It seems unlikely that Leeds United will receive a great deal more punishment than a slap on the wrist over their admission that an unlicensed agent was used during the transfer of Anthony Elding to Elland Road.
Leeds have pleaded guilty to the recent Football Association charge and will state their position at a personal hearing in due course, but the details of the case do not appear to justify stringent sanctions.
Lorenzo Paolo, the man who represented Elding during his move from Stockport to Leeds, apparently lacked the appropriate paperwork to handle transfer negotiations.
But United's failure to confirm his status is nothing like an accusation of financial impropriety or irregularity.
According to the club, no money was paid by United to Paolo, and it is not alleged that any cash changed hands.
Leeds may be forced to accept that they were careless in negotiating with him, but the insinuation from the FA about the club's actions is no more severe than that.
A financial penalty is most likely.
Nevertheless, England's governing body are to be applauded for following through with their threat to take a tougher line on the role of agents in transfer dealings.
United's charge was one of four set down by the FA last week, with others involving Crystal Palace, Millwall midfielder Ali Fuseini and two licensed agents.
The list of allegations indicates that officials at Soho Square are investigating the complex areas of transfers and player representation as vigorously as they promised they would when the most recent shake-up of the system was announced.
The transparency of professional football depends on such scrutiny, even if it means that certain clubs and individuals are caught in the tightened net.
****
Rumours of Charlton bidding 2m for Jermaine Beckford in the hours before the transfer deadline appear to lack foundation.
"Complete rubbish," said chairman Ken Bates when asked to comment.
"Though Jermaine will be leaving Leeds – he's going to Swindon next weekend!"
It seems, in fact, that not a single member of United's first-team squad was the subject of a genuine bid on Monday, a lack of activity brought on by the club's deliberate attempt to stifle interest in their players.
"Nobody's for sale," Gary McAllister said. "That's probably why there were no offers."
Ends
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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