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Leeds United: Redfearn has given us added confidence - McCormack INTERVIEW
It won’t have escaped Leeds United fans’ notice that during an at-times difficult January that the club’s Championship fixture list the following month was a tad kinder.
Long, but winnable, trips to Bristol City and Portsmouth and an away appointment at basement boys Coventry City, not to mention home games with lowly Doncaster Rovers and Gus Poyet’s Brighton and Hove Albion, without a win in 10 against United and having won at Elland Road just once in their history.
The common theme being that they are all against sides below United in the league. Representing the sort of run of games that caretaker boss Neil Redfearn could hardly have cherry-picked much better in terms of staking his own claims for the full-time United managerial post.
Saturday’s three-goal victory at Ashton Gate represented nothing less than a dream start and if it generates winning momentum for the rest of this month the Redfearn bandwagon will gather some ‘legs’.
Early days, granted. But a few more W’s this month and present chairman Ken Bates and the board might just have a headache or two, according to striker Ross McCormack, who says in terms of early impressions that Redfearn couldn’t have made a much more telling impact.
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The Scot, who fired his 15th goal of the season in the West Country, having also netted the decisive strike in the reverse fixture against City at Elland Road, said: “If we go and win a few games in a row, then the chairman’s going to have a headache in terms of giving Redders the job.
“If we go and win six in a row, I’m sure Neil will get the job! But we’ve got to take it one day at a time and every day, we’re striving to be the best we can be and climb the league.
“We know Neil from the club and he’s a great guy. He’s given everyone the confidence to express themselves and it stands us in good stead.
“I think you saw that from Darren O’Dea and Tom Lees willing to take the ball out from at the back. Redders gave them that confidence in the few days before the game that if you give the ball away, don’t be scared to take it again.
“Obviously, the old manager has gone now and first and foremost, I’ve got to give Simon Grayson and the team credit for what him and his team did for the club. He took us out of League One and made us a force in this division.
“We’re still only just off the play-offs and he can keep his head held high, in terms of what he’s done. He came in and gave the place a lift and everyone is focused to try and get into the play-offs.”
Almost exactly 12 months ago, United came away from Ashton Gate with a major shot in the arm following an impressive 2-0 victory.
Saturday’s circumstances – and conditions – were different, with the hosts ultimately finding themselves down to nine men, although the confidence levels that the players will have exuded when they got back on the team bus for the trip home will have felt the same.
For United’s main men ‘up top’ in top-scorer McCormack and target-man Luciano Becchio, the sense of well-being at both finding the net in a league game for the second time in a fortnight will have been palpable.
While several rivals dropped points or were frozen off, United – belatedly – filled their boots and none more so than McCormack, who admits he has one eye on the Championship golden boot after netting for the third successive match and fourth time in five league games this new year.
His scoring exploits are threatening to rewind the clock to early season when the goal poacher blazed a trail at the top of the charts with Southampton’s Rickie Lambert, with the former hitting seven times in eight league matches, with his goal-den run including six in consecutive Championship games.
While having to settle for one late on at Ashton Gate, on another day he could have brought home the match ball, with officials ruling out three goals for offside, with each decision leaving the ex-Cardiff City and Glasgow Rangers frontman scratching his head somewhat.
McCormack, level at the top of the Championship scoring table with Lambert – both players having netted 14 league games so far, said: “To be honest, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it (the Golden Boot). But it’s one game at a time, one goal at a time.
“I got three ruled out for offside (at Bristol) and I’m not really sure any of them were. But on another day, I’d have maybe got two or three, but it wasn’t to be.
“I’ve had goals disallowed that shouldn’t have been and missed chances, but the main thing is that we won the game on Saturday and it was convincing, albeit against nine men.
“Personally, I’m not worried if I go five or six games without scoring. I know I’ll keep getting chances; if I miss, I’m not worried.
“Last season I got two or something and now it’s 15. As I’ve said, it’s about games and (playing) games give you confidence and confidence breeds goals.
“It was nice for me and Luciano to score. Luciano was injured for a little bit of the season and after coming back in, probably hasn’t scored as many as he’d have liked. But it showed on Saturday, the goals are coming and hopefully we can build up a decent relationship.
“We had a game plan in the first 15 minutes to not concede and stay compact, with myself and Luciano dropping back to their deep midfielder and we had to counterattack.
“Because make no mistake, we’ve got players like Snods (Robert Snodgrass), Aidy White, Clayts (Adam Clayton) and Fab (Fabian Delph) that will hurt anyone on the counter.
“The game was probably spoiled when they went down to 10 men. The message we could hear from their dug-out was for them to stay in the game and the longer it stayed 1-0, there was always a chance they could come back into it.
“So we needed the second goal and thankfully, we got it – although not as early as we would have liked.
“The first red card was a stone-waller, but I’m sure about the second one. Unfortunately, it was a second booking and it can happen.
“But the main thing for us was getting the win. Some had games called off and I’ve been on the other flip side, where you have got games in hand and I don’t think you want that.
“You want the points on the board and thankfully, we’ve got that, so that puts pressure on the team above us to keep winning.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 15 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
whiteknight1959
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:18 AMhe lost the dressing room along time ago his love life came first before his job .
Leeds83
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:01 AMMaybe we didn't realise that Simon HAD lost the dressing room. He had issues and split with his wife, had a bust up with Andy O'B, Rossco didn't see eye to eye. Players not signing new contracts and leaving, playing youngsters as the elders had lost respect??? As Bates stated, they are looking for someone else to work with the current team of players and get the best of out them, if Simon had lost them - Redfearn has found them...... Give it a go, stranger things have happened!
Cinderstherebornwonderdog
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 06:23 PMMcCormack and Lonergan both engaging in covert criticism of the previous regime to absolve themselves in the fans eyes. Seen it many times before at Leeds and other clubs when the manager gets the sack. Predictable and sad.
Marchingonwherever
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 06:06 PMHe has potential but is that enough at the moment. Who ever comes in will give the players new found confidence as they will feel they have something to prove. The problem is can he keep them confident and give them a lift when we go through a bad run? My opinion is no. This is why we need someone with experience and for me that is Warnock. We need someone who can make players play regardless of their confidence and Warnock is that man.
marccollins62
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 05:41 PMleedsls27, First thing on here that has made me laugh in ages. It would be funnier if it wasn't so true though. I have no idea who can replace SG as I have no idea who could work in the financial constraints and work with Bates and get our underperforming team back on track. If I was clever enough to answer all that,the answer would probably be me and I would do the job myself.
horseoutside
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 04:11 PMAll you people who think Redfearn isn't capable of weeding out the squad at Elland road and getting the best out of the current players are well off the mark. Its all about man management and instilling professionalism and enthusiasm and a real team work ethic. He will figure out who he wants on the pitch and what he wants them to do, and will organise them properly, have no doubt about that. It will be good to see the team improve its performances as he gets a grip on particular players and moulds them into an effective unit, working for each other. The first two paragraphs in this article are like a bad defence. Full of holes and not fit for purpose. YEP get a grip.
Leedsintheblood
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 03:14 PMMight need to run this story past an editor - a human one. The first paragraphsentence uses 'that' twice and makes it incorrect. The second paragraph starts with the word 'Long' has several clauses and no actual point. It isn't a proper sentence. I stopped reading there because it seemed you couldn't write and need to study grammar before your next story. For a professional journalist that's not the best we might expect. I'm sure there is a lot of pressure to get a story written and published so not to worry too much. 'Just sayin'
Sick of Kens lies
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 01:54 PMYes Ross, very clever comments those, as he will no doubt be our next manager. To be honest i'd prefer someone with some real fire in their belly, say a Warnock or Davies), but if Refearn can do a good job as manager, then it doesn't really matter who the manager is does it really ? I don't care if Paul Daniels is manager as long as we are doing well and moving forward on the pitch (forget the ground work). My ideal choice would be Warnock - forget hating the guy, as Donald Trumps saying goes "It's nothing personal, just business."
leedsls27
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:41 PM@SarfLDNmoron: Yeah solid points raised, completely agree, and of the three young, ambitious managers thrown into the pot as examples of where we should be looking all of them are currently below us in the league, one by a whole division! If they hadn't all depressed me to the point of tears I'd laugh out loud hysterically. Oh and we also had three goals disallowed in our 3-0 win at the weekend, how totally, completely and utterly, despicably, disgusting is that? Sack them all, nay take them outside and flog them. I'm organising a march as we speak...
SarfLDNmoron
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:28 PMwjohn228: "The only possible reason for giving the job to Redfearn is to just get us through to the end of the season when Leeds will be able to appoint a young ambitious manager with a future in front of them". This young and ambitious manager may well be Redfearn. He may be a revelation, he may stink, but if he is going to be the next manager (and i think it is likely) get behind him and give him a fair crack of the whip. We all hate Bates but don't transfer that hate onto the bloke just trying to get his break in management.
leedsls27
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:21 PMI suggest we organise a "redders out" march immediately. It's absolutely obvious to all that after one match the bloke hasn't got a clue, I mean what idiot would actually want a manager that the players might actually like and respect and be prepared to run through a brick wall for? It was blindingly obvious throughout that if Bristol had 11 men they would have mullered us because our so called team obviously isn't good enough either. How we managed to keep a clean sheet for nearly half the game against 11 and then score three without reply, away from home, after we'd weathered their storm is completely beyond me, and don't even get me started on the tea lady I bet it's absolutely nailed on she doesn't warm the pot first and puts the water in before the milk. In fact let's organise two marches, one from Leeds to ER and the other from ER to Leeds then we can all meet in the middle, have a big cuddle, slap each other on the back and agree what jolly good footballing experts we all are, sorted. To coin a phrase, I would love it, absolutely love it if we went up this season with a scuffed deflected shot off someones backside in the last minute of the play off final and went up as the worst team ever with the worst manager ever and worst chairman ever and then come on here with a big fat cigar and wave two massive fingers in the direction of the lot of you whingeing, moaning, depressing losers. MOT, MOANING ON TOGETHER...
Marti
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:49 AMExpect a Lorimer article in the next day or so on how good Redfearn would be as he knows the players, knows the club and has a 100% win record. Propaganda at full pelt from ER so as to sufficiently con us into thinking that a youth team manager with no experience is a step in the right direction.
Yorkshire Lad
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:40 AMI think we can read into McCormacks words as '' we want redders, he won't upset the applecart too much''. If you look blindly at the result, 3-0 away from home, then then NR is doing a great job. The reality is, until the 1st sending off LU were very much 2nd best to Bristol. Would we have won 11 v 11 ?? So, don't read too much into that result. Not blaming NR, but the lazy and under achieving player's at ER. For a few months now, different player's have said '' we are not playing well, but we will put it right''. Have they ? Nope ! You can bloame SG all you want, but a lot of these player's just think they need to turn up. Will a new manager shake them up ? Well, Wilko did in the 80's ! We need someone to sort out this talented but inconsistant lot of player's out ! In the longterm I don't think NR can do this, he is too close to alot of the current squad. We need a breath of fresh air. Not only in the managers position, but in the boardroom !! Bates out or invest in LUFC's future.
Weve all had enough
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:38 AMI know people who are close to McCormack, they told me months ago that Ross didn't get on with Grayson, this is clear from this interview
wjohn228
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:17 AMGroup of underachieving players struggle against a 9 man team towards the bottom of the Division. Players would really like the internal guy to get the managers job. The alternative would be to bring in someone who will shake things up, tell the underperformers to shape up or ship out and give some hope that promotion is a realistic prospect for the future. The only possible reason for giving the job to Redfearn is to just get us through to the end of the season when Leeds will be able to appoint a young ambitious manager with a future in front of them, able to get their teams playing attractive passing football. Someone in the mould of Freedman, Howe and Robinson. We definitely don't need managers in the mould of Jones and Warnock
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