Without a mention of "Gary Kelly" former Leeds boss out to bury ghosts of Cardiff past.

Despite our shock elimination from the play-off's, Leeds fans may still be keeping an eye on Wembley.

Yes, today we should have been descending on Wembley for the second-season running but alas it will be Millwall or Scunthorpe destined for the Championship.

However a greater prize awaits tomorrow (Monday) for the winners of the Championship play-off between Sheffield United and Burnley.

Our near rivals are managed of course by Kevin Blackwell, who was sacked just seven games into the 2006/07 season following that humiliating defeat against Watford at the Millennium.

I, like many of you, were there that day and was shocked that a side who had literally sweated blood in the semi-final second-leg at Deepdale turned in such an anonymous performance. With the majority of the Millennium a sea of white, blue and yellow, the team did not turn up and questions were asked why Blackwell could not motive his troops to perform on the big stage.

Leeds never recovered from the defeat and twelve months later they were in both administration and League One.

To be honest, I was not sorry to see him go. I appreciate he had a hard job following the post-Premiership relegation meltdown, but some of the football we played under Blackwell was the most dullest and scrappy in my living memory.

After a spell at another crisis club in Luton, Blackwell returned to Sheffield United where he has galvanised the Blades to just one-step away from returning to the Premiership - where no doubt you will be bored to tears hearing the words "Carlos Tevez affair".

In a couple of today's "Sunday's", Blackwell reckons Leeds may be "cursed" citing the 2007/08 play-off defeat against Doncaster and Leeds abstract performance in the 1996 League Cup final against Aston Villa.

Blackwell claims he felt "numb" after the final whistle in Cardiff three-years ago. It is also revealed that he has not spoken to Ken Bates since his sacking and reveals he feels "let down by certain people" at ER.

Its a bit of a tough one to call this one, although I was no fan of KB I don't wish him any harm, however I don't particularly like Sheffield United much so I think I will be putting aside the "War of the Roses" stuff and hoping that Burnley triumph tomorrow.

Photo: Action Images

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