Leeds United fans went into the 2014-15 season with a cautious sense of optimism having seen Massimo Cellino take charge of the club in the latter stages of the previous campaign.
The eccentric Italian owner promised Premier League football within two years, but it soon became clear that the off-field troubles of recent seasons were not yet a thing of the past.
Summer saw the departure of Brian McDermott and appointment of the relatively unknown former Forest Green Rovers boss Dave Hockaday, while the club was also served with a winding-up petition.
The threat of a transfer embargo was lifted, however, and Cellino used the funds from the £11m sale of star striker Ross McCormack to bring in a host of players, the majority of whom arrived from his native Italy.
Success has not yet followed, however, with a turbulent campaign both on and off the field leaving Leeds just one point above the bottom three.
August
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It was not exactly a convincing start to the campaign from Hockaday's side as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Millwall on the opening day of the season. They only just scraped past Accrington Stanley in the first round of the League Cup too, but a late victory over promotion candidates Middlesbrough at Elland Road brought with it more hope.
They failed to build on that result, however, with the previously winless Brighton & Hove Albion running out 2-0 victors on the same ground just three days later. Ill-discipline was already becoming an issue for the team, and they saw two more players sent off during a damaging 4-1 defeat at the hands of Watford to make it consecutive losses.
Hockaday's job was already coming under scrutiny, and the final straw for the trigger-happy Cellino came with an exit from the League Cup at the hands of local rivals Bradford City. Leeds broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute of that game, but the Bantams fought back and clinched the victory in normal time of what was Hockaday's final match in charge.
Neil Redfearn was appointed as caretaker boss and had an immediate impact on the team, ending the three-match losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers.
September
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Redfearn's positive influence continued into September, as Leeds embarked on a four-match unbeaten streak. Their first outing of the month took them to St Andrew's, where Alex Mowatt scored 15 minutes from time to earn a point for his side. They then got two goals in the final 10 minutes to complete an impressive turnaround against high-flying Bournemouth, emerging 3-1 winners at Dean Court.
It seemed as though it would be hard to top that result, but Redfearn managed to do so with what proved to be his final match in this particular stint as caretaker. Leeds hosted rivals Huddersfield Town at Elland Road and, despite having a man sent off, still cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Even that result to cap off an unbeaten stint in temporary charge was not enough for Redfearn to get the job on a full-time basis, however. Instead, Darko Milanic was appointed on September 23, although his reign got off to an inauspicious start with a 2-0 defeat to Brentford at Griffin Park.
October
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Milanic picked up his first point as Leeds boss with a goalless draw against Reading at the beginning of October, before also sharing the spoils with Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday three days later. A second consecutive Yorkshire derby followed after the international break, but this one was even less successful as Rotherham United came from behind to win 2-1.
A 1-1 draw with Norwich City at Carrow Road piled more pressure onto the shoulders of Milanic as Cellino reportedly wrestled with the decision whether or not to sack the winless manager. That elusive first victory never arrived for the Slovenian boss, however. He was given his marching orders just 32 days after arriving having seen his side blow another lead to lose to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
November
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November saw Redfearn return to the dugout as permanent boss this time, but he struggled to achieve the sort of form he had managed when in temporary charge. His first match resulted in defeat as Cardiff City ran out 3-1 winners, while a 2-2 draw against Charlton Athletic three days later extended the club's winless streak to eight games.
A home tie against Blackpool provided the perfect opportunity to escape that slump, and it was one Leeds took with both hands. They raced into a three-goal lead at half time and saw out the match to eventually emerge 3-1 victors. Controversy over a wind-up petition dogged the club off the field throughout the month, but the situation was ultimately dismissed.
Redfearn continued to struggle for consistency on the field, however, as his side once again fell from 1-0 up to lose 2-1 against Blackburn Rovers. They ended the month on a high, however, proving that they could upset the big boys with a 2-0 home victory over high-flying Derby County.
December
December proved to be a nightmare month for the club both on and off the field, starting with the Football League's decision to disqualify Cellino from his role until March 2015. The Italian eventually appealed the ruling and goes into the second half of the campaign with his situation still up in the air.
Things began fairly brightly on the field as they took an early lead against Ipswich Town at Portman Road, but the high-flying Tractor Boys responded to score four without reply and cruise to victory. McCormack made his return to Elland Road with Fulham in their next match and left with all three points courtesy of a Hugo Rodallega strike.
Leeds's final match before Christmas brought with it a point against Nottingham Forest, but more off-field troubles hit the club soon after as Giuseppe Bellusci was charged with allegedly using racist language towards Norwich's Cameron Jerome. The defender denies the charge, however.
The club's poor form continued on Boxing Day as they fell to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of struggling Wigan Athletic, before ending the year with another 2-0 loss to Derby. Leeds took just one point from a possible 15 in December, leaving them teetering perilously close to the relegation zone.
Star man: Alex Mowatt
Must do better: Billy Sharp
Where to strengthen in January: Midfield
Position at start of 2015: 20th
Mid-season grade: D-
To see Leeds's remaining fixtures in 2014-15, click here.
Barney Corkhill
