Tag Archives: Warnock

Articles, Leeds United

Leeds United: Remember Warnock as a failure

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By Jack Bennett

When Neil Warnock was appointed by Ken Bates as new Leeds United manager in February 2012, the majority of fans were excited to say the least. His promotion record speaks for itself, and his reputation as a fiery and passionate coach preceded him.

However, in the thirteen months that have followed, we have seen a squad with little stability reduced to a squad with even less stability. Mainstays such as Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio have been sold off to parent club Norwich, and average Championship plodders have been brought in to fill the gaps. But it hasn’t worked, and Warnock knows it. His resignation, live on Yorkshire Radio, brought out feelings of relief and disappointment. Relief that now, just now, we may finally get a manager who has some knowledge of footballing tactics, rather than continuing with the outdated football that has been an arrant failure.

But what has led to him becoming a figure of hate with fans? There’s the point that several fans didn’t want him in the first place, but his appointment was initially met with widespread applause. I’d say that a majority of the discontent came from his outdated tactics, tactics that wouldn’t have looked out-of-place in a 1980s non-league fixture, with only a rare foray off his stubborn path. In Warnock’s eyes, his way was always right. He would dismiss any dissent with a condescending reply and a high-pitched gaggle, a particular kick in the teeth for the thousands of fans that paid week in, week out to watch something that can scarcely be described as ‘football’.

And then there was the singling out of players that he didn’t sign. As recently as last week, home-grown Tom Lees was criticised very publicly by Warnock after giving away a penalty against Ipswich. This made it clear that he would happily criticise player he hadn’t brought to the club, but would blame officials for decisions that led to his own players receiving punishment. When Luke Varney was sent off against Millwall earlier in the season, he received little more than a pat on the back and some sycophancy from his manager. Who is Warnock to dish out public humiliations to our most loyal and passionate players?

And let’s not forget the snide digs at fans. And the refusal to change tactics when things weren’t working. And the refusal to drop his favourites. And his sending-back of Ross Barkley when he was clearly the most talented midfielder at the club. All in all, an embarrassing reign that will go down as Warnock’s final whimper – unless another club feels desperate enough to appoint a footballing dinosaur.

But I think that fans are so desperate now to just see some passing football that many would take anyone as the new manager. It’s not unreasonable to say that whoever we get should be an improvement on Warnock, whose infantile jibes and crass remarks have led to low squad confidence and apathy from fans. And, after the debacle of the last decade, who can blame them? This was, to use a footballing cliché, the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Articles, Leeds United

Leeds United: Warnock – the happy memories

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By Nadav Winehouse
Let’s face it, the last 13 months have not been fun for Leeds fans. Well, the last 94 years have not been fun, but that’s not the topic for today’s article. 13 months ago, I was sprawled across the floor of a Kibbutz in Northern Israel, stealing WiFi from a another member of Kibbutz Beit Haemek in the hope that Ken Bates had replaced Neil Redfearn with someone with an ounce of competence. When the sluggish internet connection finally loaded WACCOE, the members seemed in a state of euphoria, Neil Warnock had been pictured with Ken Bates and Shaun Harvey outside a café in Monaco. I, for one, also shared the glee that they were experiencing, delighted about the fact that ‘Mr. Promotion’ himself was joining Leeds. Unfortunately, we all know how the 13 months that have followed turned out. The majority has been spent with depressing hoof-ball, increasingly tedious interviews and Michael Brown. Despite these factors, there have been a handful of enjoyable moments during Warnock’s reign of terror as manager of Leeds United.

Good Friday 2012 saw Leeds go to the Madjeski Stadium and face eventual champions Reading. The match not only saw Reading put a hand on the Championship but saw Leeds’s transformation into a Neil Warnock side. The innocent Zac Thompson suddenly had his mind hijacked by his midfield partner Michael Brown, and the only instruction was “destroy!”. He was sent off for a needless challenge 13 minutes into the match. Challenges akin to this were committed later on in the match by Danny Pugh, Paul Robinson and Michael Brown, with Brown not only breaking Jem Karacan’s leg, but also leaving a nasty hole within his sock – Don Goodman was disgusted. It was hilarious watching the fans within the flatpack, IKEA stadium watch on, ashen-faced as 1960’s style tackles flew in. Although in the end we lost, this match will go down as typifying Neil Warnock’s brand of football.

Leeds United’s rightful position is by the likes of Spurs and Everton. To my bemusement, we somehow managed to beat the two of them under Neil Warnock. Not only did we beat Everton, we beat them with the worst possible Leeds midfield imaginable, Aidy White playing on the right-wing in this match, a man whose only characteristic to suit this position is his pace, lacking all of the required technical ability to perform adequately in this role. The only man who thinks that Aidy White is a Right Winger is Neil Warnock. The other wing was occupied by Michael Tonge, who has the polar opposite characteristics to Aidy White, half-decent technically and provides some creativity, yet the speed of a 50-year-old man and no left foot. I’m still baffled how the central midfield of Rodolph Austin and Michael Brown managed to cope with the presence of Marouane Fellaini. Spurs was a similar encounter to this, Mourinho’s prodigy was tactically outclassed by a man whose strategical acumen is that of a 1960s . The two results were achievements, but the destructions at the hands of Chelsea and Man City that followed these results weren’t.

We can look at these three games and try to forget the other myriad horrors of Neil Warnock’s time as Leeds manager. I don’t think it’ll be possible, the post-traumatic stress of Michael Brown traipsing around our midfield, ‘Sharon and the kids’, and hoof-ball will be causing nightmares for years to come.

Follow Nadav Winehouse on Twitter (@nadavwinehouse1).

Articles, Leeds United

Leeds United: Warnock all but resigns on Yorkshire Radio

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Neil Warnock has just stated on Yorkshire Radio that he does not want to be in charge next weekend for the match against Charlton.

Going only a step below resigning outright, the incumbent boss stated that it was best for Leeds United to appoint someone as manager temporarily until the end of the season, waiting until the summer to appoint the correct man.

Warnock, who faced a huge amount of vitriol from the stands at Elland Road, was referred to as ‘the one season wonder’ by the hosts of the match day program.

It seems unlikely he will be in charge for the Charlton Athletic game. He has since recommended that Gwyn Williams, technical director at the club, be made assistant to Neil Redfearn, who should be placed in charge until the end of the season. Redfearn, of course, was the caretaker prior to Warnock’s appointment.

With Leeds facing the concept of relegation more noticeably than any notion of promotion, an appointment needs to be made rapidly, because on the back of Warnock’s interview, it is clear that the situation at the club is not ideal. With two wins probably needed to confirm Leeds’s status as a Championship side, the club needs the boost of a new man in charge.

Follow Amitai Winehouse on Twitter (@awinehouse1).