Following on from part one, we head back to last summer to begin the second part of our 2014 review...

July

July, and the opening of the summer transfer window, saw plenty more movement as centre-back Marius Zaliukas left for a Scottish football return with Rangers. United made their first acquisition of the summer while out in Italy as goalkeeper Stuart Taylor arrived on a free transfer from Reading. After intense speculation, McCormack eventually sealed his big-money switch to Fulham for an undisclosed fee on July 8 after 58 goals in 158 appearances for the club. The following day saw the second arrival of the summer, another goalkeeper in the shape of 23-year-old Italian Marco Silvestri from Chievo, before Tommaso Bianchi and Souleymane Doukara soon followed from Sassuolo and Catania respectively. United kicked off pre-season with a comprehensive friendly win over local side FC Gherdeina, with goals from Matt Smith (6), Noel Hunt (3), Steve Morison (2), Dominic Poleon (2), Lewis Walters, David Norris and Luke Murphy. The final game of the Italian stay ended up as an intra-squad friendly after Romanian side Viitorul Constanta failed to show. United returned to England and lost just one of their remaining friendlies, 2-0 away to Mansfield, as Hockaday geared up for the opening day clash at Millwall. Full-back Gaetano Berardi became the sixth signing of the summer on a two-year deal from Sampdoria, while long-serving defender Tom Lees departed for Sheffield Wednesday.

August

August proved to be another hectic month in the transfer market as United took their number of summer arrivals to 15, starting with the signing of Nicky Ajose from Peterborough four days before the season began. Ajose started in the 2-0 defeat at Millwall, a game which saw Lewis Cook step off the bench for his United debut, as the 2014/15 campaign got underway in disappointing fashion. A 2-1 Capital One Cup win at home to Accrington Stanley three days later helped to raise spirits thanks to Souleymane Doukara’s first two goals for the club. Zan Benedicic, Giuseppe Bellusci, Liam Cooper and Billy Sharp were next through the door and the latter enjoyed a dream debut on August 16, netting a dramatic late winner to sink Middlesbrough at Elland Road. But United were unable to follow it up, suffering defeats to Brighton, Watford and then Bradford City in the League Cup as Hockaday’s reign was brought to an end. Further additions were made to the squad as Mirco Antenucci, Casper Sloth, Adryan and Dario Del Fabro all signed up. Neil Redfearn stepped into caretaker charge and Stephen Warnock’s strike secured a 1-0 home win over Bolton.

September

Brian Montenegro became United’s 15th and final summer signing, arriving on deadline day on a season-long loan deal from Nacional, while strikers Matt Smith and Dominic Poleon departed to Fulham and Oldham respectively. Redfearn remained in caretaker charge for the 1-1 draw at Birmingham before overseeing impressive wins away to Bournemouth and at home to Huddersfield. September 23 saw Slovenian Darko Milanic appointed as the club’s new head coach on a two-year deal. The former Sturm Graz boss was joined by Novica Nikcevic as his assistant but suffered defeat in his first game at the helm, losing 2-0 away to Brentford. Redfearn returned to his role in the Academy.

October

Milanic collected his first points with Elland Road draws against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday as he entered the two-week international break looking to make his mark on the squad. However, despite Antenucci opening the scoring, Rotherham came from behind to take the Yorkshire derby spoils in a televised Friday night fixture. A Doukara strike then secured a 1-1 draw at Norwich four days later, but a 2-1 loss at home to Wolves on October 25 saw the club part company with Milanic after six winless games. Redfearn returned to the first-team fold for the second time of the 2014/15 campaign and took training the following Monday as he prepared the squad for a trip to Cardiff City.

November

Ahead of the game in South Wales, Redfearn was appointed as the club’s new head coach on a one-year rolling contract, with the option of returning to the Academy. He said: “I’m pleased, I’m raring to go and I really want to make a good fist of this. It’s a time when the club needs putting back on track. It’s exciting times for the club, I still believe that.” His first game in charge ended in a 3-1 defeat at Cardiff before the in-form Alex Mowatt, who went on to collect the Football League’s Young Player of the Month award, hit a stunning double in a 2-2 home draw with Charlton. A 3-1 win over Blackpool followed at Elland Road, with goals from Cooper, Doukara and Antenucci, as United entered the final international break of the year on a positive note. Redfearn’s side were edged out away to Blackburn following a late Jordan Rhodes goal, but the performance of the season so far came the following week at Elland Road against league leaders Derby. In a display described as “excellent” by Redfearn, Antenucci scored either side of the break to take his seasonal tally to seven and end United’s nine-year wait for a win over the Rams.

December

December 1 saw the Football League disqualify Massimo Cellino from being a director of Leeds United until March 18 2015. A process and date for his appeal was eventually agreed and the matter will be heard by a Professional Conduct Committee, chaired by Tim Kerr QC, on January 15. Cellino agreed a deal with GFH Capital to inject up to a further £20million of equity into the club after visiting the investment bank’s Bahrain headquarters, while Matt Child was appointed as the club’s new Chief Operating Officer to “take immediate responsibility for the management and development of the day to day business”. On the pitch, United slipped to consecutive defeats to Ipswich and Fulham. Steve Thompson was brought in as Redfearn’s assistant from Huddersfield and a Billy Sharp penalty grabbed a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest in his first game in the dug-out. Boxing Day saw United fall to a 2-0 home to defeat to Wigan before 2014 came to a close at Derby, again losing 2-0.