We’ll cut right to the chase I feel. Yesterday I attempted to, fairly unsuccessfully, provide a bit of praise to Neil Warnock, given the way we performed against Crystal Palace relative to how bad it would have been a few months ago. The problem, I found, was that I didn’t actually have much to praise the man for, instead finding criticisms buried away beneath the veneer that I tried to present. After all, I criticised how he’d overworked the players in this run of unchanged selections – after all, the last time we did 6 games on the bounce with the same starting eleven, it was 1992/3, and everyone reading this would probably agree that the game has changed massively since then.
The problem is, really, that as I write I am facing unreasonable optimism from other writers out there who write about Leeds. I write overly negatively a lot, and I understand it is occasionally a chore to read about, but the reality is that there is plenty to nit-pick about with Leeds United. I was asked once what I would write about when Ken Bates left, and for a minute I was concerned, but then thought, “I’ll just write about the team”. The team hasn’t provided optimism, at least no optimism that I can understand logically.
There’s a risk that this’ll be taken too seriously, like it is a big deal, but there are certain pieces out there that have been bizarre recently, and you question what motivated writing them. People seem to have dropped objectivity and instead taken up a position where they write about what they desire to see on the pitch as if it is already there.
The reality is that the success on the pitch hasn’t been there. It’s a laboured point at this juncture, but we sold Becchio and have been no better. We’ve won three of the last eleven games. This is not promotion form. It is delusional to suggest we’ll somehow win nine out of the last nine. Hey, I’d love it if we did, I’d love it if we went up, but it’s not logical to suggest we will.
I hope the club moves forward positively and we do well next year, but things need to change before it does. 8 weeks until a guaranteed appointment between Neil Warnock and the Job Centre, it’s the first in a whole litany of dates that need to be landmarks before next season.
Follow Amitai Winehouse on Twitter (@awinehouse1).
I’m with the pope on this one. ‘Blessed is he who expect nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.’
[1727 Pope Letter 6 Oct. (1956) II. 453]
Unfortunately Sky Sports doesn’t see it that way and hoping we’ll do well next year meets the reality that getting out of this dull division will get progressively harder for those without the ability to spend more than they earn or dip into the parachute jar when times are hard.
Colin said before the game it could be the hardest match of the run in and we managed to get a point so the rest should be a doddle . Every game since Middlesbro away we’ve been saying ” this is a must win ” . We’ve hardly won any ! His team is a mid table championship team same as the one he dismantled . Come on G F H , if he doesn’t beat town on Saturday it’s all over and he has to go . Get on with our future . No waffle , no excuses , you surely know how it works by now .
Agree, Last night was my first game back at ER after self-imposed exile during the Ken Bates era (has that finished yet). The football I saw was absolutely dire, Peltier should have prevented the first goal well well before he even got into the area. Byram was lucky to squeeze in the equalisier. Becchio may have gone but we are still hoofing the ball up to Morrison, and playing in the ball in the air at close quarters. Playing so much head tennis its crazy. Football, the clue is in the name. The players to me looked devoid of confidence and looked like they didn’t want to get stuck in to the opposition, the kind of thing we like. Nothing beats a good challenge, and fires up both players and fans.
Warnock’s post match interview was seemingly critical of the players, but they are only playing to his tactics. Ultimately, this dismal run of form must land at his door. Same team kept for 6 matches, and we’ve drawn 4 of them. And then a go at the fans, “The fans were shouting to play it long”, no we weren’t warnock, we were shouting to play it out wide (preferably on the floor too), where Byram, Warnock, Diouf were always in acres and acres of space, instead there would be little chips and headers at close quarters. Only when Diouf came on did we pick up. He actually got the ball on the ground (probably ignoring warnocks instructions of hoof it high)
I don’t know maybe the players minds are already wandering thinking about who is going to be managing Leeds next season, and whether they should stay or contact their agents and move on. I’m not the worlds greatest warnock fan, and after having him as manager I find it almost impossible to get optimistic about us.
MOT
Peterborough was always a banana skin and I felt sure at best we would draw. We are not letting in lots of goals any more and capitulating like we used to so things must be coming together. We just need to get more attacking intent and quality finishing and to be fair we were unlucky against Leicester and CP. It is all about next season now whatever any one says and hopefully the team will develop a hard to beat mentality going into the new season.