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Leeds United: Neil’s got lots to work on! - Gray
Leeds United v Doncaster Rovers..Leeds player Lucianno Becchio scores the winner..18th February 2012..Picture by Simon Hulme
Looking at Saturday’s game, you couldn’t have made up the script, could you?
I had a chat with Neil Warnock before the game and he spoke about how much he was looking forward to the challenge of managing Leeds United, with us being such a big club. He also said he was just going to pop into the dressing room to show his face beforehand and introduce himself to the players. It didn’t work in the first half, did it!
When you actually analyse the game, we were really poor. But it was such a great turnaround, wasn’t it? The thing with this Leeds side this season is that you can’t criticise the battling qualities and the spirit, but let’s be honest, Doncaster should have been out of sight and won the game with the way they played.
El-Hadj Diouf, whatever people say about him, ran the whole game and was over and above anyone else on the pitch. He just had that bit of quality and worked his socks off as well.
Obviously, Neil went down at half-time and said a few words. Looking at the game, I think the good thing was that we scored when we did, right after Doncaster got their second.
We weren’t playing well and the crowd were getting a bit disillusioned and if it had gone another five minutes without us scoring, I think the game would have faded away and our fans would have left. But that goal just gave us a bit of a spur and hope, which we needed.
The first goal was so important in terms of scoring when we did and then we went onto equalise and get a winning goal from Luciano Becchio, who I thought played better than of late on Saturday, especially in the second half.
I spoke to Neil afterwards as well and he noticed one or two things he’ll be working on this week. And certainly looking at the last couple of games, it shows the enormity of the task he’s got ahead of him. We deserved to get beaten at Coventry and even the most ardent Leeds United fan will struggle to see quite how we beat Doncaster.
We’ve some big games to come. I’ve said all along this season that there’s no such a thing as a game when you’d think: ‘We’ll get the three points there.’ Portsmouth is tough next week for instance and then we’ve got that tough run of fixtures in March.
Neil will be thankful of having a whole week now to work with the players, not so much as to stamp his tactical know-how on things, but just his personality on the team and to develop a winning mentality.
One thing’s for sure, it’s a big job for Neil and will take all of his experience and know-how.
Yes, we won on Saturday. But if we’d gone 2-0 down against a West Ham, Hull, Middlesbrough or Southampton, who we play in March, we wouldn’t have gone onto win the game.
Against Doncaster, we never started the game well – against a team who are bottom of the league. We’ve spoken about the need to start well so many times this season and Dean Saunders will be saying to himself: ‘How did we lose that game?’
They had so many chances and also hit the woodwork twice and their goalkeeper hardly had a save to make but still saw three go into the back of the net!
Neil will take the win. He’s got that experience to run our football club and he’s got that drive and ambition to get us promotion.
It will be a real tall order this season, let’s be honest, as there’s a lot of teams in between us and the play-off places, some with games in hand and it’s not going to be easy. But as Neil said to me after the game, Saturday was about winning and we’re still hanging in there.
There’s plenty to work on. Defensively, we were poor and the number of balls which flashed across our box and the number of times they got through with just the goalkeeper to beat was unbelievable. To be fair to Doncaster, they didn’t look like a team who are bottom of the league, but they are.
For us, yes we might have won, but we must do better. If we play like that against the better sides in this league, we’ll have no chance. We wouldn’t have been here talking about picking three points up, but zero. It underlines the size of the task which is facing Neil.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 27 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
kevalino
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:10 AMHopefully this will be on one line to help you search for it. http:www.youtube.comwatch?v=-vjItStmovU
kevalino
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:08 AMWe were desperate for a no nonsense manager with experience BUT the short contract worries me. We were SO lucky on Saturday and an alien can see the defensive set up (not just the back 5) is really poor. The question is - are SG's players good enough? I think not and it will be a miracle if NW can turn thisl ot into promotion material. Hence my concern at the short contract. For anyone who hasn't seen it - take a look at this on YouTube - it's brilliant!:- http:www.youtube.comwatch?v=-vjItStmovU
Jettatura
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:50 AMLook, Colin's (and trust me I call him that with affection!) only just walked in and he's got everyone buzzing!... The club has a massive opportunity to regain a lot of goodwill from the fans if they follow up the appointment with some good press!...letting the football world know Colin's doing his own deals would be a massive step towards restoring LUFC's credibility within the football community... Liking the idea of the free junior shirt promo for the Southampton game!... Cynics might say it's a ploy by Bates to defuse dissent... Alternatively that Bates wanted to give the shirts away all the time and it was Simon who was stopping him!... Whatever it is, there's an anticipation!... If its NOT this season then Kenny's GOT to back him in the market... If you give Colin the money, he'll get us up!... I'll just gloss over the fact that the same was applicable to Grayson but what the hey!... We are where we are!... Ask me what I think again in 4 games time!... I DO think we should embrace the 'Colin' tag cos we're gonna hear it from everyone!... On a slight tangent, what odds Colin completes his contract?... I'm just saying, it's a real gobsh1te hires bigger gobsh1te situation!... There really is still a part of me that says this will all end in tears!... Colin's and ours!
OzTyke
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:31 AMFully agree with you gingerstreak, if the fans can jam in the place again, and work up a head of steam like Warnock will no doubt have coming out of his ears, it might still be achievable. MOT!!!
gingerstreak
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:33 AMYeboah21 - Think Warnock's Barmier than the rest of us !!!!! - I Agree with the comments regarding getting behind the team - Most of us wanted Neil Warnock - So we HAVE to give him 110% support - Especially at the remaining home games - Or we really are the Moron's that KB credit's us as been.... And we wont be truely happy until we are Truely Miserable !!!! If Warnock fails to deliver let it be Inspite of the Support NOT Because of the Lack of Support MOT...
gingerstreak
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:21 AMHave said in the past that all the blame couldnt be placed at SG's door - The players are professional, and paid good money to represent the mighty whites, and all too often they didnt show up when it mattered, either in the Effort, OR Pride department... Neil Warnock polorises opinion amongst the Fan's, but love him or hate him - You WILL see the players earn their money through Passion, Commitment, and effort - Something that has been sorely lacking - Would love to know what he did actually say at Half Time,,,, - Great Effort?, Well Played?, - somehow i dont think so - On the face of it, Neil managed to turn a game from One or Two things he noticed in a quick 5-10 min chat !!! - Just think what he can do let loose on the Training Pitch for a week or so !!!!! - I think Saturdays intervention highlighted that as much as 'Redders' was liked by the players - he wasnt able to spot what Neil did in 45 minutes..And KB saw that ....... I Still dont trust Bates - BUT, Am prepared to Defer my judgement as i have SOMETHING POSITIVE TO SHOUT ABOUT...Maybe, Just Maybe we have turned the corner - And Bates MIGHT be able to say he is now building the club 'TEAM FIRST' - Yes i am the Eternal Optomist, but then again, i AM a Leeds Fan !!!!! - Leeds, Leeds, Leeds MOT.....
edgeleywhite
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:31 PMAgree post 11. A small number of fans in the kop did start booing the anti bates chants. Good on yer. Support your team or stay at home!!
Yeboah21
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:30 PMðmarching on together we're gonna see you win nar na na na we are so proud we shout it out LEEDS LEEDS LEEDS WARNOCKS BARMY ARMY WARNOCKS BARMY ARMY ðððððð
bramley whites
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:20 PMOh grayson lovers get yourself to town it only down rod lol leeds leeds leeds
bramley whites
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:15 PMGrayson the leeds fan manager of the puppys lol hello hello we are the warnock boys ! I agree with yeboah and that we have got to give bates the oppertunity to put things right ! if he doesnt he kbows dam well what leeds fans are capable of ! so lets give the boys a hand and stand up and sing for leeds united we are the greatest in the land
Yeboah21
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:06 PMProbably will fetch pk i think hes been with him for past ten years and hes a better effort than Simons, with who he brought from Blackpool pr???? Jesus Warnock MOT
Russ whites
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:57 PMi agree with yeboah 21 give Neil respect and none of this colin ,lets get behind the team and N .W ,and now expect the team to play for the right to wear the shirt and with abit more tactical awareness coming from N.W we will make the playoffs I won't be surprised to see Paddy Kenny in the summer he seems to follow N W and his after all a west yorkshire lad from halifax
Yeboah21
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:49 PMJust one more thing, how many peoples heart sank with relief when warnock was announced manager of our great club? Coz mine skipped a beat, and wen I heard him after the match I had flaming kittens, this is best I've felt since 92
Yeboah21
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:43 PMI don't really think we should be calling the gaffer Colin, all he's been guilty of in the past is loyal to what ever team he's managed and wore his heart on his sleeve, this does not make him Colin, it makes him a good manager a leeder and he gets the best from what he's got, it's what we need, and should be gratefull we have him, mot with Neil warnock, Oi Lino did you f@#%ng see that? Quality chap
horseoutside
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:28 PMIt won't matter that Colin can only get loanees in. He will only want proven characters he already knows and has already worked with, and who he might buy in the summer, depending on which league we are in. In order to make the playoffs, we need a good run of results which will in turn build momentum and confidence for the playoff games themselves. I think it is a good thing that we have some of the top teams to play, as this will have the effect of raising our game to the required level. Playing struggling teams can be tougher going as you get dragged down to their level on the field. My own feeling is that the playoffs are within reach. Regardless, everyone at the club is playing for their future, either in the PL or the championship. If Colin makes it clear that he wants a WIN every game, and no less than 110% from every player who steps onto the field, then we have a fighting chance. MOT.
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