FA Cup quarter-finals
League Cup 3rd round
Uefa Cup 3rd round
Prediction: 15th. Happy just to stay in the top flight
Inside Track
Alan Smith
Age 22
Nationality English
Position Forward
Appearances last season 33
Leeds’ best performance last season?
6-1 at Charlton
And the worst?
Sheffield United in the FA Cup 6th round at Bramall Lane. We lost 1-0
Most memorable moment?
Our 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Elland Road. Great day
Who gave the best individual performance against you?
Patrick Vieira of Arsenal in their 4-1 victory at Elland Road. He was awesome
Which were the best set of fans?
Newcastle United always have great support
What do your club have to do to improve this season?
We must improve our home form having lost nine games in the League at Elland Road last season
Which game are you most looking forward to?
Our first, against Newcastle United at Elland Road
Which of your young players should we look out for?
James Milner
What would be a good season?
Our goal has to be qualifying for Europe again
What is the worst ground to play at?
The Dell. Thank you Southampton for building St Mary’s Stadium
Which musician, alive or dead, would you get to compose a new club song?
Eminem
One tip for aspiring footballers?
Work hard and never stop working
Sum up manager Peter Reid in three words
Passionate, committed, Scouse
The key questions
1 Will they ever get that debt under control?
The signs look ominous, at least for the foreseeable future. A couple of seasons of extravagance look likely to condemn the club to a decade of frugality with Peter Reid able to spend on new players roughly what Peter Ridsdale did feeding the goldfish. Unless a long-term solution is found, decline and relegation seem inevitable
2 Will Alan Smith be given the chance to play up front again?
Despite the gloom, there is still talent left at Elland Road, notably the talismanic Smith. Leeds through and through, he battled manfully when played out of position on the right of midfield by Terry Venables but now Harry Kewell has gone, he could reclaim his rightful striking place alongside Mark Viduka . . should the Australian stay
Transfers:
In Morris (free), Camara (loan) Domi (loan)
Out Harry Kewell (£5m), Olivier Dacourt (£3.5m), Jacob Burns, Thomas Newey (both released)
The bottom line
Top earners
Viduka £68,000, net of image rights
Smith £60,000
Johnson £50,000
Premiership wages ranking
4th
Total wage bill £53.6m. Kewell’s off the payroll after his £5m move to Liverpool, but wages are still up £10.3m on the previous year. Peter Reid will be under pressure to transform that cash into silverware to keep the shareholders if not happy, then at least not so depressed
Leeds are a bit like... Major Charles Ingram
They thought they could live like millionaires, but were left to rue an expensive court case