They began last year hoping to win the championship and this season they hope to do the same. The bad? Well, where do you begin? Like the contrivance that has turned the First Division into the Coca-Cola Championship, Leeds were back at Elland Road yesterday in name but not substance.
“Who?” the Derby County supporters mocked as the players were read out, and, to be perfectly frank, the home fans were asking much the same. Finally, Tommy Miller went close to stretching Ipswich’s winning margin with a volley against the post.. First the good news for Leeds United. Ten minutes before the break they did find the equaliser, when another Horlock corner caught the Gills defence napping and Naylor powered his header home.Having made that breakthrough, the home side continued to press, with Westlake seeing a shot tipped around the post in injury time.

And just a minute after the interval they broke through the Gillingham resistance again as Diallo’s cross bounced around in the penalty area and Bowditch calmly stroked the loose ball home.That signalled the start of an Ipswich onslaught, and three minutes later a six-yard snap-shot from Matthew Richards drew a superb reaction save from Banks before the Ipswich man blasted the rebound wide.Gillingham, though, were not finished, and with time running out they almost snatched a point when Byfield’s point-blank header was expertly saved by Davis. But it’s no surprise to hear that Bentley also grew up wanting to be Paul Gascoigne or Eric Cantona All three are entertainers. A bid for Wayne Rooney would only add unnecessary complications at present. The priority is to establish a coherent attacking pattern, which could prove a formidable one once the Dutchman is fit.Having initially pencilled in his new signing Gabriel Heinze at left-back, Ferguson, guilty for once of not doing sufficient homework, is furious that the combative Argen-tinian will not be seen at Old Trafford until after the Olympics Neither will Cristiano Ronaldo. By that time, however, Rio Ferdinand will almost be ready to return, offering the reminder that when he walked off against Wolves in January to begin his costly suspension, United were top of the table.In the opposite dug-out when the Premiership resumes next weekend, Ferguson will be reacquainted with Mourinho, conqueror of his team in the Champions’ League last season. Mourinho is clearly an outstanding coach, who knows it, but has impressed the Chelsea players with greater organisation and discipline than the lovable Claudio Ranieri ever quite managed.Unlike his predecessor, he will have time on his side, Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon being less keen to jettison their own appointment. With space to run into the striker stretched his legs, and after racing to the byline he squared the ball back across the box for Smith, who made no mistake with a cool chip over the advancing Davis.Undeservedly behind, Ipswich pressed forward, and Shefki Kuqi almost pulled them level when he glanced a Kevin Horlock corner wide.

They carved out their first chance when Ian Westlake found space in the area but fired his shot straight at the Gillingham goalkeeper, Steve Banks. But six minutes later the visitors found themselves ahead, rather against the run of play.When Westlake misplaced his pass in midfield, the ball found Byfield out wide. Then the same player tried his luck again with a shot that Smith did well to block.Gillingham were struggling to make much of an impact, and it was not until the 18th minute that Byfield tested the home goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis, for the first time. But Ipswich battled back well to level through Richard Naylor before Bowditch produced a first-class finish to seal the points just after the break.Ipswich were dealt a major blow prior to kick-off with the news that their captain, Jim Magilton, was ruled out of the game with a thigh strain. Roberts, once of Ipswich’s greatest rivals, Norwich, was immediately involved in the action as his foul on Drissa Diallo earned him a yellow card after just seven seconds of the new campaign.Following a cagey opening littered with free-kicks, Ipswich took control. Gillingham, meanwhile, fielded a new-look attacking partnership, with new signings Iwan Roberts and Darren Byfield handed their first competitive starts. Dean Bowditch, who joined Ipswich as a 10-year-old eight years ago, proved the hero of Portman Road as Ipswich came from behind to beat Gillingham yesterday.

Yet in the last five minutes Rangers still managed to throw themselves forward in a final attempt to prove not who was the better team so much as who had the greatest stamina.Gallen, an inspiration throughout, bustled into the crowded Rotherham goalmouth and his downward header demanded that Pollitt dive to clear it away, and with it secure the proper outcome.. Even so, there was a lurking feeling that had there been a consensus among the players, they would have agreed that 1-1 would be a fair day’s reward for an arduous day’s effort. Proctor, particularly, did that neatly, several times turning and beating Rangers’ central defenders without quite making enough of his advantage.In an effort to relieve the pressure on dehydrating bodies, both managers made full use of their substitutes. Over the final 15 minutes of the first half, they consistently broke through Rotherham’s midfield at a pace that defied the oven-like conditions. A particularly incisive move shortly before half-time saw Ainsworth release Paul Furlong in the penalty area, and he almost beat the stretching touch of Mike Pollitt, who just managed to elevate the ball over the bar.As the heat began to draw the energy, so the draw became the most likely outcome. Bravely, Ainsworth made a couple of 40-yard runs for Rangers but the long ball became the preferred option for Rotherham, who relied greatly on the ability of Michael Proctor and Barker to bring it under control. Yesterday, they began with familiar resolve, making Chris Day ease away a first-minute header from Richard Barker that threatened to squeeze inside the far post, but Rangers reacted with purpose and thought.Kevin Gallen swept the ball wide to Richard Johnson, whose centre descended, as accurate as it could possibly have been, to Gareth Ainsworth, and his strong header had Rangers a goal ahead in only the fifth minute.