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Leeds United: Promotion isn’t out of our reach yet - Redfearn
Neil Redfearn denied that Leeds United’s promotion bid had ended with Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Coventry City, but the club’s caretaker warned that their defensives record was threatening to make the play-offs unreachable.
Redfearn claimed Leeds were still in with a chance of securing a top-six finish in the Championship despite his side dropping to 11th place after a woeful loss at the Ricoh Arena.
United’s position looks increasingly hopeless with their squad lying six points behind the league’s final play-off position.
Five of the 10 clubs above them hold games in hand and defeat to bottom-to-the-table Coventry was a devastating blow to a team who are managerless after the sacking of former boss Simon Grayson earlier this month.
Gary McSheffrey’s late penalty earned Coventry a deserved victory, the second time in as many games that Leeds have succumbed to an injury-time goal.
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Redfearn said: “I don’t think the season’s over. There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of points to play for.
“But one of the most worrying things about us is the number of goals we concede. We’re conceding too many and that isn’t just since I’ve been in charge.
“We kept a clean sheet at Bristol City, albeit against nine men, but we’ve conceded twice at Coventry and twice (against Brighton) on Saturday. We conceded in both games when we had something in the bag with time up. It’s unprofessional.
“Whether it’s me who’s answering these questions or Simon or anyone else, you’ll get the same answers. This is something that has to be addressed and until it’s addressed it’s going to be difficult for us to get to where we want to be.”
Redfearn, United’s under-18s and reserve-team coach, was given four games to earn the vacant manager’s job until the end of the season, but his chances were crushed by a dismal result in the midlands.
The 46-year-old will remain in charge for Saturday’s clash with another relegation haunted outfit, Doncaster Rovers, at Elland Road, the last game of the spell as acting boss promised him by chairman Ken Bates.
Redfearn again declined to discuss his future, saying: “The most important thing is the club.
“As a professional person and an employee of the club, when I was asked to be caretaker I said I’d do it. I didn’t look past that.
“To be fair to the chairman he just said ‘you’ve got four games’. He couldn’t have been any clearer than that.
“Maybe the club are looking to make a decision after that, I don’t know.
“It’s difficult for me in the sense that somebody’s lost their job and I’m filling in while the club sorts itself out.
“It’s a difficult time because people are uncertain about what’s going to happen, but the most important thing is that I run things as professionally as I can and help the club so they’re in a better position and able to make the decision they want to make.”
Redfearn refused to defend United’s performance at Coventry, attacking his players for “failing to turn up” on a night of major importance.
“I thought we were poor from minute one,” he said.
Fabian Delph, meanwhile, is a doubt for the clash with Doncaster after leaving the Ricoh Arena on crutches.
Delph, whose month-long loan from Aston Villa has two games left to run, was hurt in a second-half challenge and made way for Michael Brown with 28 minutes to play.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 39 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Whackyjacky USA
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 08:31 PMCorrection: Relegation is within our reach with the players we have. Not their fault, fact of the matter is you cant make a velvet purse from a sows ear.
chris75
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 04:30 PMNR stop making yourself look a plonker we Peter Lorimer who does that job.
white rainbow
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 04:20 PMThe ONLY thing that Bates will understand is an EMPTY Elland Road on match day.
50p in the boys pen
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:29 PM£36 to watch the famous DONCASTER ROVERS!! DEAR me. Please DONT let these southern business men take the P*ss
50p in the boys pen
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:27 PMPending Moderation
foss
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:26 PMIt is total rubbish to say we can still make the play offs, bates and his board sacked SG after the transfer window shut at that point our season was over. If they had any promotion aspirations they would have sacked him before Xmas. Sorry to say it but season over!!!!
Sick of Kens lies
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:21 PM@21, BELIEVE NOTHING THAT COMES OUT OF BATES' MOUTH. It's all propaganda and lies; he changes his statements constantly to try and take the heat off him and his lapdogs, Harvey and Lorimer. Remember Leeds fans, when we finish 11th, and then Snodgrass and Whyte go at the end of the season - IT WILL ALL BE OUR FAULT ACCORDING TO BATES.
Sick of Kens lies
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:16 PMRedfearn has to say this. Although mathematically possible, any Leeds fan with a brain knows full well that we aren't making the play-offs this season, or next for that matter either. Have a look at the last 15 fixtures - we have no chance. I said on here months ago (even when we were in the top six), that we wouldn't finish in the top 10, and i'm afraid to say that that prediction is looking bang on at the minute. I reckon we'll finish 11th or 12th come the end of the season. I'm staggered that Leeds United still get crowds of 20,000+ after the way the club and the chairman treats them, i really am, but sooner or later some of those super-loyal fans have to start asking themselves is it really worth the money you pay to watch that rubbish ?
50p in the boys pen
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 02:15 PMNo manager in February is gonna say we have no chance of promotion.By the way Cat A for the visit of the mighty Donny Rovers on Saturday. I,d love to meet the person who OK,S these prices. Come on all fair minded decent honest people they are taking the P*SS big time. Is it really fair to charge fans £36 for what is the worse Leeds united set up in the history of the club. I admire fans who follow their team no matter what but to be honest I am starting to look at the whole Leeds united set up as a them and us thing. The faceless men who are running LUFC have budgeted for any gates over 18000 thats why your paying these prices to watch a set of loan players and players that other clubs dont want
steven742
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 01:16 PMchanges need to be made, how about the start 11, clearly not pulling there weight so give the fringe players change whats the worse that can happen we lose, we do already!
edgeleywhite
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 01:01 PMYes it is Neil
keighleywhites
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:24 PMSad News reaching us from Monaco Much loved Crafty Cockney Ken Bates has passed away in his sleep ........ Carlsberg dont do Obituaries but if they did ..............,..
mccarthy
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:21 PMYes i agree with wjohn,11, but this business of rattling on week in week out has become a long playing record. OK for the gullible supporters who will listen to the same old storey, like we have players in mind,clubs are reluctant to let men go, we are adressing the problem, and so it goes on, we heard it after most games with Simon, same thing now with Redfearn. Any common sense supporter can see our chances have gone, if we cant get points at home or against Coventry, then how on earth can we expect to get them in the immediate fixtures after this week, West Ham, Southampton, Middlesbro, need i go on. we could have had another man in charge by now, and been prepared for for the harder games. Finally after the brighton defeat Redfearn stated we have enough up front to sink a battleship. well try telling Brighton, and Coventry that.
thirskwhite
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:15 PMNeil you are making yourself look stupid with these comments...no team has ever lost 12 games and made the play offs....whoever is in charge of the PR down there needs sacking....next headline from Aidan White...the players are behind neil...we can still do it etc etc!!! as I have posted here before....Donny Rovers to do us on sat me thinks...Diouff to score..get £5 on it now..MOT
fullerton
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:57 AMBack to on the field matters, I thought NR's saddest comment above was "I thought we were poor from minute one"
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