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Amazon.co.uk Review
As manager David O'Leary admits in his controversial chronicle of the 2000/01 campaign, Leeds United on Trial, whatever his talented young side achieved on the pitch was overshadowed by the ongoing criminal trials involving three of its brightest stars. On January 12, 2000, student Sarfraz Najeib was chased by a drunken mob through the streets of Leeds, cornered and brutally beaten. Leeds players Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate were accused of taking part in the attack, and team-mate Michael Duberry accused of subsequently attempting to pervert the course of justice. For the record, only Woodgate was convicted of a criminal offence (affray).

O'Leary's views on this unsavoury affair take up around a quarter of the book, the rest being dedicated to reviewing a quite extraordinary season for one of the emerging forces in European football. O'Leary has presided over a transformation at Leeds since becoming manager in 1998, and in 2000/01 they were fourth in the Premiership and shock Champions League semi-finalists, having come through groups featuring Euro monster-clubs such as Barcelona, AC Milan and Real Madrid.

The former Arsenal player describes how he had set himself square against what he perceived as the brutal, cynical style of Don Revie's Leeds heroes of the 1960s and early-70s, and sought to emulate the Keegan-era Newcastle side in becoming everyone's favourite "other" team: a strategy that he details as hinging on success in "selling" the new Leeds image to sought-after young talents such as Robbie Keane and Rio Ferdinand. O'Leary is an intelligent, authoritative guide to the business of winning football matches--with plenty of surprising and entertaining insights into the strengths and weaknesses of his players, and the odd indiscreet peek behind the scenes.

But there is no escaping the trial, and while O'Leary is unstinting in his condemnation of his players' behaviour, one conclusion that could be drawn from statements made by O'Leary--his description of the way that Woodgate "valiantly" tried not to let the trial affect his performance on the pitch, for example--is that in the modern age football always comes first.--Alex Hankin

Book Description
Leeds on Trial is the explosive inside account of the season that transformed a youthful, inexperienced side into one of the most feared in Europe, in the process confirming their young manager as the brightest prospect of his generation. It was a season of high drama both on and off the field: the trial of Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate dominated both headlines and players' thoughts alike; the œ18 million signing of Rio Ferdinand broke the British transfer record; an incredible run of injuries to key players such as David Batty and Harry Kewell saw Leeds drop twenty points at home by Christmas and slump to fourteenth place in the table.

But in Europe, O'Leary's young team had grown from boys to men. Leeds came through a group boasting Barcelona and AC Milan, and then one featuring Real Madrid and Lazio. And once O'Leary's side was restored to full strength, the team powered through the early months of 2001 towards their season's extraordinary climax: a high tension Premiership duel with Liverpool and a battle with Valencia for a place in the Champion's League final.

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First Sentence
When I accepted the job as Leeds United's manager back in October 1998, I recognised the two critical challenges I had to overcome. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Leeds United: Trials and Tribulations by Phil Rostron  (1)  £6.99

Acorna's People (Acorna 3) by Anne McCaffrey  (6)  £5.59

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9 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (9 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: Not-so-naive young manager tells his side of the story, 28 Dec 2001 By  Jabba (jon@leedsfans.org.uk) (London) - See all my reviews DOL takes you through three hectic years in charge at Elland Road from the moment that George Graham slithered off down the M1 to the point at which the jury returned their verdicts in Hull. Interesting insights into some of the key moments of his time at Leeds - the wobbles at the end of 2000 that gave rise to a few jeers from the crowd when poor performances on the pitch were seemingly ignored by the management, both trials (Woodgate's management team and advice don't get off lightly) and the great run in the Champions League. Also note a few apparent conflicts with other accounts of certain incidents both in the press and in other publications (the Batty injury saga for one doesn't tie up with what Batts had to say in his autobiography). In places it comes across as a little bit self-righteous, and a little bit "us against the world" - but if, like me, you're any sort of football fan, you'll be no stranger to that attitude. There may not be a conspiracy, but they are out to get us! There's been some controversy about the timing, title and content of the book - so should you buy it? I'd say yes - if you're a Leeds fan you'll find at least something new and insightful, and if you're not but have been brainwashed by the almost uniformly negative coverage of the club from the Grub Street hacks it goes some way to putting the other side of the story.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: A fantastic book by the best manager in the league, 3 Jan 2002 By A Customer A superb account of life behind the scenes at Fortress Elland Road. DOL gives a frank and honest account of his run ins with Michael Duberry and Alan Smith, and says why he believes Rio Ferdinand is the best Central Defender in the country. He gives his reasons behind the appointment of Brian Kidd as head coach and why the physio had to go after hampering David Batty's recovery from injury. He tells of his delight at the form of striker Mark Viduka, and reveals how he got along with all the coaches of the sides we encountered on our Champions League adventure. As a Leeds fan who didn't miss a game last season the memories recalled by the Gaffer are looked upon even more fondly but it is still a great read for anyone, just to read about when Englands greatest player Lee Bowyer handed DOL his shirt at the end of the season, fearing he may never see him again.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Fascinating read, 19 Nov 2003 By  Gareth Smyth "Laqlouq" (London) - See all my reviews       This review is from: Leeds United on Trial: The Inside Story of an Astonishing Year (Paperback) I found this a fascinating read. A lot of cant and hypocrisy surrounded the condemnation of what may and may not have happened in the Boywer/Woodgate incident, but suffice to say O'Leary fashioned a team that could compete with the best in Europe, only to be followed by the current debacle at Leeds United. This is O'Leary's side of the story and some may find it a tad defensive, but I would immediately buy a follow-up. On Leeds? On Villa? On whoever makes reading about football this interesting.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) ›