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League Leed-ers O'Leary steers club to top of Premier League
Posted: Thursday December 23, 1999 03:21 PM
LONDON (AP) -- Looking for the English Premier League's next great manager? Look no further than Leeds and David O'Leary. It's hard to argue with his results in just 14 months since being named when George Graham moved to Tottenham. The former Irish international defender has Leeds on top of the league - a two-point edge over Manchester United, though the defending champions have a game in hand - heading into the traditional day-after-Christmas slate of 10 games. Leeds has more young talent than any club in the country, which showed a week ago in a 2-0 win over a veteran, foreigner-filled Chelsea on two goals from 20-year-old Stephen McPhail. Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale, in an interview in the Yorkshire Evening Post, already has him ranked alongside greats of the English managing game like Bill Shankly and Alex Ferguson. "He is a natural leader," Ridsdale said. "I am one of those people who believes that leaders are born and not made. They have it naturally and it is instinctive - of course you can fine tune it - and I believe that David O'Leary has all the attributes of the born leader. "I think history will end up with him going down as one of that handful of truly great managers over the years..." Leeds is home on Sunday to Leicester with Manchester United also at home against Bradford. In Sunday's other Premier League games: Coventry vs. Arsenal, Derby vs. Aston Villa, Everton vs. Sunderland, Newcastle vs. Liverpool, Sheffield Wdnesday vs. Middlesbrough, Southampton vs. Chelsea, Tottenham vs. Watford and Wimbledon vs. West Ham. Leeds will again be without midfielder David Batty as he recovers from a calf injury with 3-million-pound (US$4.8 million) transfer from Blackburn, Jason Wilcox, expected to make his home debut at Elland Road. Manchester United's main question is midfielder David Beckham, who is nursing a hamstring injury. Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, out of action since early December with a tender hamstring, could return although replacement Raimond van der Gouw may still get the nod. Beckham has been reported considering a move to somewhere sunny with speculation rife it could be Barcelona with his wife, Victoria Adams (Posh Spice), pushing for the change. Third-place Sunderland, four points behind Leeds and two shy of Manchester United, is expected to be without striker Niall Quinn against Everton at Goodison Park. The Irishman is struggling with an ankle injury with manager Peter Reid unwilling to risk using the man he considers the league's best striker. "Without doubt, the best center forward in the country," Reid said. Fourth-place Arsenal has an unhappy player in Emmanuel Petit. Petit has ripped into officiating and the level of violence in the English game. "The spirit of football created by the English is no longer seen at Premier League grounds," he said. "Far too may players confuse aggressiveness with violence. English referees lack the courage and personality to intervene when faced with excesses. Player safety is no longer guaranteed, especially the foreigners." Liverpool's Robbie Fowler still lacks match fitness and is unlikely to play Sunday at Newcastle. ... Brazilian defender Emerson Thome could play for Chelsea at Southampton after transferring this week for 2.5 million pounds (US$4 million) from Sheffield Wednesday. In a full schedule of division one matches, leader Huddersfield is at Crewe with No. 2 Manchester City at West Brom. Elsewhere, Birmingham vs. Sheffield United, Blackburn vs. Nottingham Forest, Charlton vs. Crystal Palace, Fulham vs. Ipswich, Grimsby vs. Barnsley, Norwich vs. QPP, Port Vale vs. Bolton, Stockport vs. Wolves, Swindon vs. Portsmouth and Walsall vs. Tranmere. The Scottish Premier League returns to action on Dec. 27 with the Old Firm match Celtic vs. Rangers highlighting the calendar. Rangers lead the league by four points. Elsewhere: Aberdeen vs. Dundee United, Dundee vs. St. Johnstone, Hibernian vs. Kilmarnock, Motherwell vs. Hearts.
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