Another day, a new era, another defeat
The two main commodities Massimo Cellino will be looking to import into his new project, Leeds United, will come free of charge – but are nevertheless very difficult to obtain. Pride and Passion – anyone out there remember those two old friends? I do. Anybody old enough and fortunate enough to have seen Sergeant Wilko’s White Juggernaut blast its way out of the old second division in 1990 will also nod reminiscently, as the vision of those relentless troops is conjured up by their mind’s eye. The energy, the commitment, the refusal to give in. One game at Elland Road, Sunderland kicked off at the start and within five seconds, they had been dispossessed and were defending desperately as the white tide washed over them. Those were the days. This lot? There’s simply no comparison.
In 1990, Gordon Strachan was the jewel in the United crown. We have our jewel today in Ross McCormack, but it’s not set in a crown – more like a pile of the stuff well-fed pigs leave behind. Leeds have some good players, but team spirit seems non-existent and there appears to be no identifiable ethic of getting out there and getting stuck in for the shirt, the badge and the fans. In 1990, Strachan was ably supported by the likes of Vinnie Jones, Mel Sterland, Chris Fairclough and a pugnacious young midfield Rottweiler called David Batty, together with the nascent elegance of Gary Speed. McCormack in today’s shower has the air of a man who knows that, if the job’s going to get done, he’s going to have to do it largely by himself.
This latest United match at Vicarage Road marked the start of a new era, the beginning of a time when off-field worries, such as deferred wages and the lack of clarity over ownership, could be forgotten. What better time to roll up the sleeves and run out with a snarl on the lips and fire in the belly, determined to get some blood on their boots? But no. It was, if anything, an even more pallid performance than the ones United fans have witnessed and raged over at far too many points in the last few months. Leeds United are running out of time, running out of excuses (though they manage to recycle and re-use those) – and running out of the patience their sorely-tried yet still magnificent support is prepared to afford them.
The gap between Leeds and the relegation pack is now down to a mere eight points. Another win and maybe a draw should be enough to see them safe – and safety is clearly the upper limit of ambition for a team as devoid of application and bottle as this one. Where those points will come from is anyone’s guess – that’s assuming they come at all. Blackpool at home next weekend seems the best chance, but the Seasiders are also embroiled in the dog-eat-dog struggle at the bottom. Everybody is aware of the current malaise at Leeds and teams are facing us expecting to win. Blackpool will be disappointed with anything less than three points from their visit to LS11.
Barnsley away? Forget it. We always lose there, usually by a good few goals. Barnsley might be less than world-class, but they are fighters. Then it’s two home games against Forest and Derby, with an away date at Birmingham sandwiched in between. One point out of nine from those three, maybe. If Leeds do escape relegation, it will be by less than a comfortable margin, and we’ll have done the deed by virtue of performances prior to Christmas – before the wheels fell off.
Whatever the rest of the season holds for us, it’s impossible to be anything other than pessimistic. There is simply no reason for any belief that things might suddenly improve – and if the current attitude and form carries on, then our points total now may well not have changed by close of play on the first weekend in May. And if that’s the case, we’ll have to rely on three of the teams below us failing to overhaul our meagre points total. Dear me, I’m becoming rather depressed.
Still, tomorrow night it’s hopefully cheer-up time with Man U hosting an end of era party. I shall be watching and hoping that they crash out of Europe because that would restore my spirits considerably. But it’s a sad thing when Schadenfreude (no, that’s not a Bayern centre-back) is all that you have to rely on for your jollies, your own team being so utterly and lamentably crap. If Massimo Cellino is going to restore the good times to Elland Road – aided by those long-lost, much-missed allies Pride and Passion – well, it still promises to be a long and arduous, slow climb back up to the heights I remember Wilko’s Warriors attaining. Then again, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I wonder if that step might be taken sometime this week??
Buona fortuna, Massimo.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
The only way this on going saga of absolute inadequacies that we call our team can change is to say goodbye to Brian. I believe that with a different manager even a temporary one he could get more out of these players. There are still most of the players that gave spurs a run for their money.As bad the players look at the moment I am sure that someone else could more out of them.move Brian sideways if need be,and give someone else a chance.not Neil Redfern either.
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Richard Naylor – and chuck some yoof in as well??
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I’d go for Naylor as he has the passion and pride needed to get this load of duffers playing properly. Or better still use the younger guys that play in the development squad, they would love the chance to prove their abilities.
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I was foolish enough to believe what with things looking a little brighter that we might have actually got 3 points. What with players playing for their places at the club they might up their game. Guess it shows that most of them don’t even have a game to up! Can’t wait for so many of these players to piss off some where else and get some in that actually show some pride and passion when they pull on that shirt! Normally never been one to wish for the football season to end but god, it can’t come soon enough. Seen more movement on a foosball table
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My suggestion is that BMD is put on gardening leave as of tomorrow and let Redfearn and the Development squad staff pick the team and tactics. They know how to win! Gibbs could sit in the dugout as we know Redfearn is not comfortable as “manager”. I doubt if Hunt, Wooton and Austin would even get on the bench. The youngsters would show some fight especially with MC watching.
Another great article Rob…..at least you have the Pride and Passion to tell it how it is.
I wish I still lived in Nepal because I would send a couple of mongooses to MC because they are great at getting rid of snakes and the boardroom needs to be sorted out immediately where most of the snakes at ER appear to be.
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Excellent mongoose idea – do it!!
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Reading these articles is my only solace from our dreadful season. Is there really any Leeds fan or player at this moment that doesn’t dread the next game. 4 points from our last 5 games looks an impossible task, going to be relying on other results. Respect to the 1700 that turned out tonight.
As for McDermott totally agree that another manager would have left the off field events to the men in suits and got us to safety by now. Praying that Celllino gets no more crap from the FL and can deliver a club that the fans can once again be proud of. Come on Lads 3 points on Saturday please…just want this season over!
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Amen to that – bring on the cricket, or even the bloody World Cup!!
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The side that went down under Dennis Wise were better than this load of crap. at least they will be gone to pastures new next season.Free of charge because no other manager is going to be daft enough to pay good money for ????????.sorry Rob im lost for words.
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I know how you feel. I wrote the article in anger, but I couldn’t bring myself to mention the score or anything about the game itself. Too sick, too sick to death of the endless lack of any bottle or integrity. How much a week for these guys??
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Seeing Brian is going to get paid whether he goes or stays, would it not be best to make him the general manager in charge of scouting.
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Not a bad shout!
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Rob thats whats lacking passion and pride seems its all about picking up a pay cheque these days was a shocking performance tonight when you thought that the shackles of uncertainty are off they perform like that.
Chris Dawson weaved his way past three players before burying the ball in the top corner for the reserves why oh why is there anybody in the Leeds team that can beat players???.
I have just seen Jose run the length of the touchline to celebrate with his team that play for him and give everything we need a guy with passion not afraid to say what he wants not afraid to slag players off when their not performing.We have a guy that stands scowling on the touchline with his hands in his pockets writing notes down wtf.
MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL GOTO BED HAPPY THINKING WE BLOODY MULLERED THEM TODAY i can but dream.
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It’ll happen mate. Not sure when, but we’ll be daring to dream again sometime.
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McDermott has to be sacked now, because at this rate it is extremely hard to see just where the points are going to come from in the last five games.
The whole depressing situation of losing game after game, would not be tolerated anywhere else and that bunch of losers calling themselves Leeds players are a total disgrace to their overpaid profession
The Wilko revolution of the early 1990’s was a very special time and when he took over at Leeds, Wilko had quite a lot of deadwood to clear out, but the players that were brought in, were all hard working players, who all showed passion for the football club and manager.
Those hard working Leeds players most of all had the bottle and strength to play in a Leeds shirt, unlike the current cowardly, unfit Leeds players, who simply can not cope with playing for a big club like Leeds.
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It would be tolerated at other clubs and it is tolerated at other clubs. That’s because players have contracts and most of today’s couldn’t really care less.
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I think that’s half the problem,they are not bloody FIT!!
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Good read again rob,its sad to think that nobody is trying to fight for there shirt the only way things are gonna change is if we limp into the summer with what we have got and i think we need a total overhaul,out of that shower tonight [why is hunt even playing] i think only 4 survive in my eyes mccormack,murphy[young will improve] byrum[injured]and smith.The rest in my mind can go and ply there trade somewhere else [stewart was better tonight but still not good enough to polish mcs shoes]We need some metal in midfield a better defence my 11 year olds team defend better than them tonight i still dont understand with cellino at the match why there was no fire but i bet there will be one at ELLAND ROAD tomorrow and i hope he tells them how it is and how its going to be from now on or you can sling your hook.I know it wont be turned around in one day but that was shite my friend …………..MOT
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That “my friend” construction is very Cellino, isn’t it? “Brian and David, my friends – arrivederci. You’re sacked”.
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Agree them 4 and maybe pearce, kenny & warnock (but only for next season, looking to replace in a year)
Up front we are fine, Ross is best striker in championship, smith is brians best signing, he works hard and 10 goals is decent return considering our shite midfield.
Defence byram when fit, pearce will be ok with a good new centre half organising the defence with him, warnock alright for cover.
Midfield – dreadful, Leeds as a club is all about midfield, we’ve always been a midfield first team, none of them ate fit to wear the white.
Priorities in summer.
1 get someone who can boss the midfield and captain the team and be decent on the ball to build from the back. Ross is a good player, but strikers don’t make good captains.
2 good centre half to organise the defence, dies need to have silky continental skills, just needs to read game well and control the midfield. We need a new whyte or fairclough.
3 someone to whip good crosses in to smith and mccormack. With service them two should bring plenty of goals, smith making a nuisance of himself and Ross using his natural goal scoring talents.
4 some promising young midfielders
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Promising young midfielders? What, instead of Mowatt, Murphy and Dawson?
As fot the other places you say that need filling, most people would agree – including Brian McDermott.
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Just got back from watford . Things go from bad to worse . The players have learned nothing at all from previous drubbings and pathetic performances. I’m not one for calling for our managers to go every time we lose a game or three but jesus where do we go from here. The manager is unable to motivate his players . His players fail to motivate themselves or the supporters and as faithful as the fans have been all season we are running on fumes. Its sad and demoralising to watch , I mean cheering when we have an half chance in front of goal , its sad , it hurts . Its got to be said though . We need massimo to grab this club by the neck and make some hard but positive decisions. Chant of the night… cellino whoooooa . Cellino whoooooa he comes from italy . He dunt pay VAT….. Class . I’m f….d I’m off to bed . M.O.T
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Hats off to the magnificent White Army. Ladies and gentlemen – you deserve far better.
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To me the glass is always half full and not half empty. With Massimo’s support we can get to the promised land. I like his aggressive style and hands on appeal. Sorry but McD and Haigh you have to go as well as the pile of shite players that where the LUFC shirt.
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Every journey starts with a single step, let that step be to sack McDermott today. With him we won’t score another goal let alone secure another point. Get someone else in then the second step get rid of the whole squad except Ross, Pearce, mowatt (has potential) byram (based on last season), Murphy (I think he will come good), smith (has done enough to be a sub). First to go is Austin, followed by wooton then lees then kebe and hunt (taxi back to Berkshire). Then Stewart (the weakest human being whoever lived). Then the rest, it says something when I long for johnnycake Douglas and Fraser Richardson. I think if he gets ratified on Thursday Brian will be gone over the weekend.
Worst team ever managed by a great guy who has allowed this to get to him rather than feed his anger or pride. Brian is a good honest man but this has all beaten him and it shows through his team
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I was fortunate to see the world’s greatest team “conquering” all under Revie. Momentarily Sgt. Wilko threatened to do the same and O’Leary teased us with his young cavaliers. This team, however, ranks amongst the worst I’ve ever seen. No fight, no creativity, no pride. What frustrates me the most is that they are all capable of better. Remember the opening game against Brighton? Where’s that never-say-die attitude gone? Huddersfield at home? Fantastic fight back and a little bit of swagger to boot. Off-field carnage doesn’t help but I can’t help thinking that our on-field malaise is more to do with McDermott, our very own Tinkerman (Aldi version). He doesn’t know his best eleven, he doesn’t know the best formation and he certainly has no tactical nous. His persistence with the prolific Hunt just about sums him up. He might have had some success with a club called Reading but Leeds United is an entirely different proposition. BM is out of his depth and the best chance of securing our safety would be to release him immediately. Put him in charge of scouting? Based on his acquisitions thus far, no thank you.
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Good straight to the point post. Hunt shouldn’t be allowed in the ground never mind in the starting eleven. I agree that McD has totally lost the plot and should be relieved of the managerial duties. As I said earlier, give Richard Naylor the job until the end of the season. .
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Revie would have no chance today with some of you lot as fans. I agree, BM doesn’t know his best 11. But he does know something most of you don’t: we don’t have a best 11. He came in, changed things, did well. Started the season well, our players got found out, he changed things, we did well, our players got found out. Etc.
1. We don’t have enough decent players at this club.
2. Warnock’s players were signed to play Warnock’s way, the new players were signed to play BM’s way.
3. BM set out to sign 7 or 8, a mix of experienced players and kids. Then he was told to stop signing them.
4. So BM has a mix of players. Some equipped to play the long ball game — Austin, Pearce, and so on, along with other Warnock (or Grayson) signings who can play either way but can be exposed as being too slow — Brown, Tonge, Warnock, Pugh — and 1 or 2 who are just crap — Peltier, the permanently injured Drury, Ashdown and Norris (who did get his chance under BM, in an early League Cup game – and was crap). Some of these players can come good when they play Warnock’s way and come up against a team who don’t see them coming and allow them to dictate – that’s precisely what happened against Totternham and Everton, players like Brown and Tonge were allowed to run things.
5. So the result is the proverbial lost dressing room, a group of demoralised young players and a group of older players who don’t want to get injured.
6. Along with Zaliukas, Kebe and Hunt. We don’t know what’s wrong with playing Zaliukas, Hunt was signed injured (cheaply) and doesn’t seem to have recovered, and Kebe has turned out to be the kind of player who didn’t mind putting the work into his career to get as far as the Premiership and now wants to avoid injury on loan or just slack off.
7. When you get a situation like that things get much worse after Christmas, because everyone’s played you once. I’m amazed people think that chucking Dawson and Walters into this mess, maybe along with 6 or 7 of their mates, will do us or them any good.
So we can try our luck with a Warnock style 4-4-2 against some teams, assuming Stewart feels like bothering or can work out how to cope with it (I admit it, I’m struggling to be well disposed towards Stewart), and maybe we get lucky but usually we don’t.
Or we can play the diamond or a 4-3-3, and again we may get lucky but usually come unstuck.
So in terms of players good enough to be part of a decent 18 we’re left with Smith (a useful but limited weapon, a horse for some courses only), McCormack (I suspect he’s still carrying an injury), Byram (hasn’t been fully fit this season), and White. That group is
simply
not
enough.
I admit I do have some nagging doubts about the manager: why is Mowatt the only kid who can cope, and why Hunt and Zaliukas? But on the evidence thus far, BM not guilty, I say. As for getting someone in to shout at the players, don’t make me laugh. Modern footballers have it all their own way and can just shrug it off.
We have no idea what BM is really like as a Leeds manager, and we won’t have unless he’s backed in the summer and given until Christmas to make progress.
Yes, this is horrible. But didn’t we all expect it? Remember the start of the season? It was all “yes, we need 6 or 7, wish we could get Kebe/McNuff/375 players from Reading” and then, once BM was stopped from signing more players, a lot of us said we hadn’t got enough and would end the season as badly as last season, and that this was all Warnock’s fault. (Actually I think it’s mostly the fault of Bates and GFH, but who cares).
PS signing a malleable coach and 10 unwanted players on loan from France and Italy won’t fix things. We need what stelufc said to go with our young first team players in their last chance saloon, anyone promoted from the development squad, and McCormack, White, Smith, Byram and Mowatt. And players like that are hard to find, even if MC spends 20 million (if FFP allows it).
PPS Clue: MC: “The wage bill is too high.”
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unfortunately that first step is to sack big mac asap
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Let’s also not forget about the mighty Canaries, who are perched on a ledge looking like falling off. with their last 4 games all involving the top 4 and now with no manager…….. there is still much enjoyment to be had 🙂
MOT
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Aye, there is that 🙂
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Wouldn’t it be just great if they went down and we diid spend money — and got Snodgrass and Howson in. We may as well nick Johnson too. Anyone know what their goalkeeper is like?
‘Dead Canary’ – would make a great T-shirt.
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NOW you’re talking!! The t-shirt idea is particularly attractive.
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Spineless completely spineless like others I want the season to end , avoid relegation …. We were contenders for a top ten finish at least , not known a run like this that I can remember , even in div 1 with a points deduction we had massive spirit mind that squad makes this squad without comparison …. I am not a butland fan he ships like the ship we are sinking …. I feel for BM but it’s really time to go , his selections are all over the place … He has run out of excuses all we hear about is will he keep his job…. Maybe he should be in Massimos office asking him what is best for the club ….. If he like so many before loves us so much…. Do the best thing walk the plank son. This has nothing to do with the fact Cellino is at the helm now …. It’s messy facts 8 losses to many goals shipped …. Sorry Brian I don’t believe you have the dressing room as for them idiots … How long have you got … No pride …. Gutless ….. Where’s Keble I thought he had flu a month ago …. Cry baby doesn’t want to play …. Stewart zalilukas murphy all BM purchases on the bench because they are shit …. Not tactics where the coaching even I could get more out of this lot…… Wigan game there manager stood on the line barking orders showing some emotion think I saw BM squeak complete rubbish. By Christ I hope we stay up . The embarrassment if not , I would never waiver my support ever always Leeds to the bitter end….. But let’s try and win a few before end of term…. Reform next season shed some of the chaff …. New manager new players and get some pride back MOT WE ARE LEEDS
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Come on! Brian as scout, you must be joking! Wooten, Kebbe, Stewart, Hunt, Murphy. Bye bye Brian, pay up the leavers, bring in Naylor until the end of the season and play the youngsters. Time for a complete clearout.
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Fabulous article once again Rob ; hard to believe this is the team who played Leicester off the park a couple of months ago! Yes,I know we lost but that was our last decent performance…
Back in the 80’s, I was good mates with one of our best players ; a player who was loved by supporters for his effort, commitment, never-say-die attitude and considerable ability. I was out socially with him and his wife on a Saturday night after we’d beaten Bradford away and said player had managed to look distracted and had consequently turned in probably his worst performance in the white shirt.
He asked why I was a bit quiet that night and I laid into him, letting him know in no uncertain terms, how we dream of wearing the White and would happily die out there on the pitch if needs be and he just told me to calm down and asked if I had never had a “bad day at the office!” It explains an awful lot about our current plight methinks and no, I don’t sympathise one iota!!
Cheers
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Dear Dr Rob thanks for setting up this LUFC Fans Self Help Group,
my wife doesn’t understand and keeps telling me, “it is only football”
I have decided it also may help to face my fears by visiting Elland Road on Saturday, I am not sure if this is a wise move as I may catch McDermottitus, or worse catch a dose of fedupofmiserablehalfheartedoverpaidtwatplayeritis
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I’m old enough to see the real great side from the 60’s. Players who were worth the shirt, that includes the likes of Belfit , Bates, and other fringe players. That sort of role that would suit McCormack in my opinion, he has a top attitude but in my opinion he wouldn’t have got in any decent Leeds team. That’s how bad it is now with these overpaid and very ordinary footballers .
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I think so too. Maybe football is just finished as a decent sport.
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I can’t see the point in sacking bmac at this stage of the season , to bring in who? The development team coach ? Nah , Cellino is here to start a revolution, his words not mine , and is that how you start a revolution ? Not on you’re nelie,, the problem Cellino has at this time of the season is the the people he wants to bring in to kick start his revolution are tied up busy with other clubs , clubs that are probably involved with promotion etc ,, there is no doubt that bmac is on his way out but I just can’t see Cellino sacking him to bring in a development team coach and nothing changes on the pitch , Cellino will sack him at the end of the season and then he’ll start his revolution
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Hi Rob,
I wish to comment on the clamour for further managerial change. Before the arrived at Leeds each of our last three managers were considered to be good managers with a successful track record. All were made unfulfilled promises of cash for player purchase little was forthcoming. In Warnock and Grayson cases, they had to cope with the sale of their best players with little or non of the proceeds given back to buy replacements.
When Brian McDermot arrived he was promised a “war chest” for this season. Things looked good when he beat a number of other clubs to buy Luke Murphy, for £1 million and Matt Smith for £250k. from memory he stated that he had targetted and had preliminary agreements with three or four others, particularly a midfield general and wingers, only for the deals to evaporate, Remember Barry Fry stating that we could not afford his player. How embarrassing was that ?
I ask the question would he have bought the inexperience of Murphy Smith had he known that the rest of the cash was not there to buy the experience that he had targetted and negotiated for, only to have to pull out.
In January a limited ammount of cash was made available, he had to pull out of a further deal for an experienced player because GHF would not sanction it, so had to resort to loans of players who had previously been good but arrived not match fit, injured,or injured soon after arrival. plus free transfers Every player he has actually bought has been possibilities for the future not the finished artical.
We are never party to what goes on behind closed doors but the recently disclosed letter from GHF gives some idea as to what he has to contend with, and explains why our new owner fired him, because GHF wanted to, but hadn’ t the guts to do it. After getting. more facts he has changed his mind and is prepared to give the manager a chance to prove himself.
Look back over the season and you can count on one hand, the number of games where we have performed like promotion contenders, and we lost three of those. Under the circumstances to get us within striking distance before Christmas with what we had was an acheivement. What has happened since up to a point is a natural leveling of where we should have been. Unfortunately this has coincided with a lack of confidence inplayers from whom we could have expected better.
I totally reserve judgement on the ability of all of our young players. Put a good player in a team lacking in confidence and rather than bringing the level up, they go down a level. Just look at Andross Townsend, when he played for us, We wouldnt have paid him in washers. A year later playing with a team brimming with confidence and he is a world beater.
Back to the manager, he was good before he came, he got more out of an average lot before Christmas than should have been expected.He has righted many background issues ie. Scouting, and creating a family environment at the club, back to the Revie days. It is only since Christmas that things have gone pearshaped. He has looked clueless at times, has released players who in my opinion were better than what was retained, before his injury Green looked very good sitting in front of our back four giving them much needed protection. Yet when he recovered fitness he was not given a further opportunity and was allowed to go to Ipswich. I would question if Tom Lees has played better than Peltier this season, as he appears to have lost his way and has been at fault for many crucial goals. Were these his decicions or the interfering GHF? will we ever know?
On balence I think he deserves a chance to prove what he can do
possibly up until Christmas next year, after he has been allowed to bring in the actual players he wants, rather than the frees he has been forced to accept.
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Excellent argument – you’ve persuaded me of the sense and fairness of that. I wonder if Signor Cellino would agree?
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Noooo! The problem we have is with McDermott. He inherited Warnock’s team and then added his own players. How many managers out there actually 100% realise their wish list of recruits? Not many. If McDermott is a better manager than Warnock he’d have got more out of the same and then some with his new recruits. Suggestions that he took sloppy seconds because he missed out on others merely adds weight to the notion that his time is up.
We have capitulated of late. I can’t remember a time where I expect us to lose every game as I do now. We’ve not played well all season with a few notable exceptions. I stated elsewhere that we’d been overachieving and so it’s been proven much as I hate to say so.
The problem lies with our insistence on the cheaper options at managerial level. When was the last time we paid compensation for a manager? Grayson. And he did what he was bought in to do. Promotion. He suffered with the lack of backing from Bates but in my opinion should have got promotion at the first time of asking in the Championship. After that, he seemed to lose his way.
Suggestions that McDermott is a master tactician or brilliant coach are a little premature. He’s had a couple of good seasons with a club, Reading I believe, and that’s it. Warnock and Grayson had more success in their managerial careers than our Brian.
Keep him until Christmas and we’ll have blown any chance of progress and I suspect, won’t have attracted the right players to take this club on to a higher level.
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So I’m not delusional – there is someone else who can see it the way I do!
Brilliant point about what BM has had to put up with. I reckon what we know is the tip of the iceberg. Has he, in fact, ever been more than a caretaker manager with limited power?
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Rob – great blog and as usual you manage to put in words what the rest of us are feeling! As I see it, Brian McDermott will be given the Blackpool game to see if he can get any sort of response from the players ( and we have been saying that since the Rochdale game !) and anything other than a win or draw and he will be sacked! As Eddie Gray lamented last night, even when the team have won games this season, the performances have been questionable and we have not dominated or controlled the matches and have relied on a fair degree of good fortune in the process. As for the majority of the players last night and the squad as a whole, they should hang their heads in shame and quite rightly will be remembered as the worst set of players to wear the Leeds shirt in living memory !
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Can’t help but agree. I’d love to see a little professional pride here and there, but there’s little if any sign of that.
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A view from a sympathetic Watford supporter. I hope you don’t mind me coming on your site. Just to let you know you were not by a long way the worst team we have played at the Vic. Millwall, Blackpool and Barnsley were far worse and I just cannot see how they have any hope of escaping relegation. I felt that Leeds lacked organisation especially in defence as all three goals were poor defensive errors. I think Wootton was probably the worst culprit. However your fans were once again brilliant and I hope for your sakes you manage to survive. As you would say “Marching on Together”. I just wish you had played like that the last game of the season last year!
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Many thanks for that. I felt your pain in the play-offs last season, although it was funny what you did to Leicester!
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Best memory ever against Leicester and no one can take that away. Thanks for the comments and big respect to all the travelling fans last night when you had nothing to play for. I think Burnley had less support on Saturday and they are going up FFS. Leeds will not go down even if you don’t get another point this season. Good luck in the future.
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And to you, mate.
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Hows it working out with your Italian owners? Been good for the team? Better football?
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We love the Pozzo family as our new owners. They saved us from an absolute certain administration. The story of our problems prior the their arrival is very long and confusing but this has now been sorted out and definitely for the better. I am not sure that our owners can really be compared to your new incumbent except that like Cellino they own a Serie A club. The Pozzo’s run their business completely differently from any other club even in Italy. They have a worldwide scouting system to find players that otherwise pass “under the radar”. They will not pay exorbitant wages but tell the players that if they perform they will get a transfer to a bigger club than us. Alexis Sanchez is a case in point. He was unknown when signing at Udinese and is now in the starting 11 at Barcelona. As Watford fans we totally accept that but as this was happening anyway before the Pozzo’s arrived nothing much has changed. Most importantly making sure that we have a manageable wage bill has meant that for the first time we have a secure future which is something you must want more than anything else. There is nothing more depressing than seeing the team you love being run by muppets to inflate their egos. At Watford we can actually look forward to a future rather than worry if we are going to have a team to support next season. We have been within hours of administration on several occasions over the last few season. That is not going to happen now as we are meeting Financial Fair Play rules and last year turned a profit for the first time in many years.
The downside is that we have already had a high turnover of players. It is all well and good seeing lots of different and exciting names appear at the club but it does nothing for producing a stable side. We have used 36 different players this season alone and that means we have no stability in team selection. I think Leicester and Burnley have used around 20 players and they look more together.
Since Zola left we don’t have a manager as such. Our head coach says which positions he feels need strengthening and the scouting system then tries to find the best fit. The head coach then just works with the players to make sure they apply his systems. Zola was very much more an English style manager but we played the best football ever seen at Watford under him (I have been supporting Watford from the early 1970’s and Graham Taylor’s sides were nowhere near as good to watch as Zola’s). I probably don’t need to tell you about the result last season at Elland Road but we were scoring for fun. However his style was sussed by the end of last season and once opposition managers found that sticking 10 or 11 players behind the ball and hitting us on the break was the way to beat us we had no plan B. The new coach has taken a different approach in making us hard to beat which is much more the Italian way. The football is nowhere near as good to watch but is effective in getting results. It is a shame that the season is coming to an end as at last we look like a team which may put a run of results together.
I think your new owner will bring in a bit of the above and hopefully for you he will get some quality defenders from Italy to help out in the organisation. However I don’t think Cagliari have the same scouting system so it may be that you will get surplus requirements from Italy. Depending on who the new manager/coach is (even I don’t think McDermott has long left) depends on the style of play. If you do have an Italian coach then the team is likely to be a lot fitter and more disciplined. Under Zola apparently we only did about 5/6 hours training a week and 1 hour on tactics. The players now train every day and spend 8 hours a week minimum on tactics. It doesn’t make for pretty football but makes you competitive and hard to beat.
Whatever happens I wish Leeds and all the fans the very best and I look forward to playing you again next season. You are by far the best fans in our league and you don’t deserve the shit you seem to be enduring.
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Yeah, we aren’t going down. No matter how bad we get, those 3 will go.
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I’ve stuck up for Brian in the past, and I do feel sorry for him saddled with the gfh idiots.
But its obvious he’s lost the players. There’s no excuses now there’s no interference from gfh and the clubs future is certain.
Also hunt Instead of smith, why? Ok smith isn’t the most talented footballer, but he works hard, has scored 10 goals and is a good foil for Ross, what the fuck has hunt done to “earn” his place?
loose against blackpool and Brian has to go or we will be relegated.
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Oh another idea, get dom matteo out of the boardroom, get him in a tracksuit and have him kick the players up the arse.
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Sound common sense, that.
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Love the headline. And the Watford Gap shouldn’t really constitute a “chasm”, should it?
It shows how bad we are right now that this team of under-achievers, misfits and non-triers (with one notable exception) could make it look like the Grand Canyon.
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Was at Watford last night – is it only me that thinks Brian is actually trying to get sacked?? why else would you field a side and employ the tactics that he does?? he’s looking for a way out (with a cheque in his fist) trust me.
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He wouldn’t have come back if it was just money, He could have got his contract paid up and gone for unfair dismassal, but chose to ignore the advice he got from the Managers Association.
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weve got 1 chance to stay up Sack the dope ,someone said make him SCOUT! bloody hell more Kebes,Hunts,Stewarts,Woottons,Zaliukass,Wickhams NO THANKS
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The only way mc doughnut could earn some respect from me is if he told all the players who’s contracts are up at the end of this season to clear there lockers out and piss off now and finish the season with the development team as the first team gave up the ghost around Christmas live in hope die in disappointment mot
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I agree with IBA that BMAC has yet to be given a fair chance with a team of his own choosing but will he get one?? Having just listened to the Cellino interview he seems to want to give him a chance but for how long??? Brian is not doing himself any favours, his motivational skills don’t appear to amount to much so I’m expecting him to be sacked, perhaps at the end of the season. I guess he’s got until then to persuade Massimo that all this crap is not his fault. GOOD LUCK with that!
Onwards and upwards, looking forward to next season already MOT with MASSIMO.
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As the saying goes a bad workman always blames his tools and we have a lot of tools mot
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I’ve got to the point I cheer other teams goals against us. I am angered when we score (because we are always out of the game by then) and I almost masochistically want the heavens to open up on us. Of course I don’t think any of that but I have come to the realisation that I support the club and only the club. I do not support these players as they do not represent us in any way. After the year we have had and with the money we now have, I could not care less if we sold everyone. We will be safe Rob, we need one point and we will be fine. Milwall have to win 3 from 5 currently and Blackburn 4 from 6 and I just can’t see either happening. Thank god though because we won’t pull ourselves out of it. I have only total hatred for our current squad. Not healthy.
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Sorry I meant Barnsley. Ahhh I don’t even care what I meant!
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