Reflection during the break: Takeover and team talk

The weekend off is exactly what Leeds United needed as the takeover saga continues.

It's almost comical if you think about the amount of takeover speculation that Elland Road has had in the last couple of years. The long, drawn out talks between Leeds and GFH, that took place more than a year ago, seemed as though they would never end. And when they did finally purchase the club, promises were made that have since been broken and a year on the Leeds are far lower down the Championship table than they hoped to be. 

Current owner of Cagliari, Massimo Cellino.
                                                           Picture from http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk.

Similarly, the fiasco on transfer deadline day between prospective owner Massimo Cellino, current owners GFH and manager Brian McDermott, was embarrassing for all parties involved.

For better or worse, Cellino's takeover looks as though it could go ahead - once the Football League have finished turning up every stone around Italian, of course. Twice convicted of fraud and currently contesting an embezzlement charge, the current Cagliari owner may not sound like the man Leeds United need to have in charge at the moment but he's the man they're getting. The 57-year-old has pledged to invest heavily in the club and he does seem to have the cash to splash, which is more than can be said about GFH who accepted a £1.5m loan from Cellino himself in order to pay players' wages this month.

Whatever the outcome, it seems obvious at this point that Leeds United will have a new owner very soon. In terms of football however, it's also a rocky situation. 

After several periods of trial and error it seems that McDermott's favoured formation is going to be the wide 4-4-2 featuring McCormack alongside target-man Matt Smith, whose hold up play and overwhelming strength caused Yeovil problems immediately following his introduction to the game - as it has done against several teams this season.

The formation seems to suit United more than the adapted 3-5-2 did and now the appropriate wide players have been acquired, there should be no need to revert back to the previous system. If anything, the 4-4-2 is at very least the stable option. When playing three at the back Leeds were all too often exposed diagonally and down the channels, which is something that four at the back more or less shuts the door on, so to speak.

New Leeds wide-man Cameron Stewart.
                                                                               Picture from http://www.leedsunited.com/

Jimmy Kébé still seems to be finding his feet since arriving and the fans will need to be patient whilst he settles in. He has shown some flashes of the Reading Kébé of old. The same can be said for his opposite winger Cameron Stewart, who is still learning his trade at 22 years of age but looks as though he could either be a real talent or a complete flop under pressure. Stewart's final ball and decision making are letting him down too often at the moment but he does have two tricky feet which, when coupled with an explosive surge of pace, are gold dust in the Championship. Either way McDermott has put huge stock in both wingers and there are no replacements in the squad capable of playing to their standard, so it's going to be a case of like it or lump it for many fans.

Defence will be the manager's main concern at the moment. With the exception of Jason Pearce, who has had an excellent season all things considered, Leeds are struggling to find an appropriate centre-back to partner him with. 

Tom Lees, 23, has featured alongside Pearce on a number of occasions but the former England U21 international has come under criticism lately for the poor quality of his distribution out from the back. 

Veteran Lithuanian defender Marius Zaliukas seemed to be a steady hand but after two poor performances against Sheffield Wednesday and Rochdale, it looks as though McDermott is going to make the former Heart of Midlothian captain fight for his place in the squad.