Club focus - Leeds United -
Whites prepare for crunch clash against Charlton AthleticBy Rami Soufi
Friday 30 April 2010
Leeds United will travel to Charlton Athletic in the most important match of the season for the players and fans alike, considering a victory for the Whites coupled with a defeat for Millwall, will guarantee automatic promotion to the Championship. Simon Grayson is likely to stick with the same starting line-up from last weekend's 4-1 triumph over MK Dons when all three strikers fielded during the match were on the scoresheet. The attacking partnership of Max Gradel and Luciano Becchio combines the pace and energy of the former along with the finishing capability of the latter, while top scorer Jermaine Beckford came off the bench and fired the goals to prove his worth, as the curtains come down on his Leeds career.
The Charlton match could very well be Beckford's last for Leeds if he manages to get on the pitch. If the Whites secure victory and their Championship qualification status, the manager may opt to start some of the reserves such as Mike Grella and Tresor Kandol in the last match -
Grayson may be keen to protect his star striker so that an injury cannot prevent the club from receiving a substantial transfer fee in the summer 
. However, the boss may offer Beckford an opportunity to celebrate success and play one last time at Elland Road. Before the sentiment and emotion seep in, the Whites must get down to business and focus on overcoming their opposition this weekend. The Addicks have only lost three games at the Valley and still maintain a mathematical chance of earning automatic promotion despite the odds and logic overwhelmingly pointing towards a play-off place.
The Whites manager will have a major dilemma as he might ponder tinkering with the starting pair upfront, considering Beckford managed two goals last weekend against the Dons. Grayson admitted he is impressed by how well Gradel and Becchio have performed together but he did add that Beckford is back in form, proven by the first of his two goals after coming off the bench to give an emphatic touch to the final scoreline. Beckford's first goal would have made any Premier League striker proud as he struck a sweet flying volley which ripped the net, while performing the whole acrobatic move of controlling, directing and scoring in one motion. Beckord has managed 30 goals this season and Grayson hinted he might keep him on the bench once again, considering he would strike fear into opponents when he is unleashed on a tiring defence in the latter stages.
Regardless of who is chosen to partner Becchio, who is the likeliest starter, the current campaign will only be considered a success if Leeds return to the Championship, with the supporters itching to see bigger opponents so they have a chance of achieving their greatest target of them all - returning to the Premiership. While much has been said about the Whites over the last few seasons, the fans feel the Whites belong in England’s elite league. The current squad might be short on talent to compete against Premiership opponents, yet the main foundations of the club remain synonymous with the top division, considering the capacity of Elland Road, the average attendance at home games and the quality of the youth system which has produced over the last few years some of England's brightest and most promising talents. James Milner, Aaron Lennon and Danny Rose are all graduates of the Leeds youth system.
The club and the Leeds faithful are fed up with having to act as a feeder club to Premiership sides who often attempt to poach the promising youngsters in return for next to nothing. While Leeds will not consider themselves to currently have the necessary squad to return to the Premier League, it would be reasonable to state that the club's potential exceeds the parameters of League One. The first step in the long and arduous process of returning to the top flight starts in Charlton because victory draws the club even closer to the Championship, which will act as the stepping stone to a hopeful return to the Premier League. For the supporters, beating Charlton will be the first step in bringing back memories of the good old days when Elland Road was a sellout on a regular basis.
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