“We Are Still a Work In Progress “ — Notes for the Leeds Game Friday, 23rd Aug 2013 12:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game by delving into their forums. “McDermott is doing his best to bluff a bad hand.” “I see nothing in our present team that indicates we will even get a sniff of promotion. Apart from a couple of players, we are, well, let’s just say average.” “I reckon we are just scrapping results.” “We’re a good way off at this stage. It is there for all to see.” “We have looked second best in all our games so far, and yet we are undefeated.” “We haven't been found out. We were lucky in all the games we've played.” “The owners are on a two-year plan to stabilise the club. You have to give GFH (Gulf Finance House, the owners) that time. They're not miracle workers and never proclaimed to be, but they are doing things which I never saw in my two decades watching Leeds.” Brian McDermott“After years of searching, we have at long last found a manager who starts with the intention of not getting beaten. It’s not pretty but it is effective.” “We know that Brian Mac will build us a team if given time and patience.”
“McDermott is all about the details, and picks teams specifically to deal with opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.” “I don’t expect excitement on Saturday. We haven’t had any yet.” “We are building a foundation of fitness, great organisation and a zero tolerance of mistakes.” “We have a manager with the right credentials. Unfortunately, we still have the nucleus of Neil Warnock’s team. Our speed of progress is linked to how quickly McDermott can bring in the players he desperately requires.” “With seven of Warnock’s players out of contract next summer, McDermott could well have millions to play with next year.” “This manager is the polar opposite to the last one. Before, it was all journeymen and old hands just in to do a bad job. I am fully prepared to back a manager who wants to bring in young players as well as experienced ones. Under Warnock we were all crying out for this to happen. This happening now is a breath of fresh air.” The Tactical Overview in One Sentence: Leeds fans are concerned about their lack of width, pace and off the ball movement in using the midfield diamond system, and they would welcome the addition of a winger to bring balance to their attack. Defence“Our defending is poor. We constantly let players run into space, don’t close down and don’t track.” “Our defence looks unorganised and always vulnerable to pace and to the high ball.” Leeds defence can be hesitant and indecisive both in and out of possession. “We're awful defending set pieces. My head is in my hands every time we give away a corner or a freekick in a dangerous area.” “Our centre-backs are simply too small against some very tall and muscular opponents.” “We will not get promotion with Paddy Kenny in goal. His shot stopping is decent but his all-round goalkeeping is one of the worst I've seen. There was havoc in the six-yard box a couple times. If he just came and collected the ball, it would've been so preventable and easily dealt with. Yet we have players risking their lives to prevent a goal because he doesn't do that.”
The former QPR keeper makes fans anxious:“’Kin ’ell, Kenny! Again!” “Kenny is more hot and cold than my bath taps. He fluffed the Wednesday goal (in Saturday’s 1-1 draw), and thank God Pearce was awake to clear off the line when Kenny stranded himself again.” “Kenny wasn’t stranded. He had to throw himself at the ball because the central defence just watched a simple ball being rolled gently through them.” “Big Jack would have had it in Row Z before it got anywhere near the penalty area.” “We require our full-backs to push forward with the system we play.” “The issue was the diamond. The midfielders play with no width, so it all has to come from the full-backs. That means they get caught out far too much for my liking.” “Have we finally sorted the left-back slot?” Former Liverpool, Blackburn and Villa player Stephen Warnock is “unbelievably good. He is given no support from midfield given the shape of the team.” The 31-year-old is “too quick to play the long ball. I really rate him but wish he would hold on a little longer or play a simple ball instead of a 70-yard through ball.” “He lost us possession countlessly in the first half on Saturday.” “A superb right-back and where he belongs.” Former Huddersfield and Leicester player Lee Peltier has been “very involved and has fought hard. He makes good forward runs, but his final cross or ball could be better.” “He’s rock solid and committed to the cause.” “He hasn’t got a clue when on the ball.” “My word, Peltier is playing awesome at the moment. Getting forward and defending the right side as well. If Sam Byram is only a few weeks away, I would definitely expect Pelts to keep his place and Byram to play right wing.” Former Portsmouth centre-back Jason Pearce has been an “excellent, whole-hearted defender. He puts his body on the line and plays for the shirt.” “He looks to have a bit more confidence.” “I still worry about him when he has work to do, but he has improved markedly from last season.” Pearce’s partner, the 22-year-old youth product Tom Lees has been heavily criticised. “I don’t think he’s good enough. He doesn’t compete physically, is slow and you can expect one ricket per game.” “He was caught napping again for Sheffield Wednesday’s goal.” Lees was sent off in our 3-0 win in last season’s game at Portman Road in March. “He’s an accident waiting to happen,” “Lackadaisical at best,” “He’s often caught out of position. He needs to be more confident on the ball as opposed to panicking and hoofing it if he is to become a top centre-back.” Scott WoottonThis week’s signing of the 21-year-old centre-back from Manchester United is seen as good news. “Is he any good? I have never seen him play.” “He is not a world beater but has plenty of potential and a good acquisition.” “Lees may not be sleeping too well right now.” “This is the right way forward. Young and got something to prove, and let's face it someone on Manures first team fringes has got to be a little bit decent.” “He is part of the future. That much is evident and we shouldn’t be expecting him to be an experienced head just yet.” Midfield“I don’t know if the diamond formation is going to be effective in the long-term this season with the players we have.” “We lack width, pace and flair. It takes a lot of effort for us to create good chances.” “We are not a settled unit in midfield. It helps when aren’t constantly giving the ball away.” “The diamond system works very well when we move forward quickly. Risky incisive passes work best.” “Everything is being done so slowly. There is no pace about us.” “There is a real lack of urgency.” “We have been passing it about, but only in our own half. Up front, our passes went astray.” The midfield is clearly still getting to grips with this new system. “To play the diamond system to its fullest capacity requires a lot of off the ball running, and hitting opponents early and fast. This is what McCormack said we are learning with this new system.” At the base of the diamond, Jamaican International and team captain Rudy Austin is “our enforcer.” “He gives the defence such protection.” “Austin reminds me of David Batty. He breaks up the attack and then he should pass it square!” “He is absolutely superb. He is a man mountain who leads from the front.”
“I still don’t understand the wasteful long wide crosses from Austin at the moment.” “Austin's passing is atrocious. When he and Green both play our pass completion percentage must drop to about 50%.” “Luke Murphy was anonymous. He needs to work harder to get into the game.” “The system being played is asking Murphy to play too wide to the left to really have a controlling effect on the game.” The 23-year-old was signed for over £1 million from Crewe this summer, and is “out of position, where his strengths are underutilised.” “What a good player this boy will become when allowed into centre midfield. He has great feet and is so calm on the ball.” “Murphy is quietly growing in the role. He does a lot of good neat and tidy work in midfield and is not afraid to put a tackle in.” In contrast, former Derby player and Republic of Ireland International Paul Green has been “terrible.” “His distribution is woeful and he looks like a lad lacking confidence.” “He works his socks off, but he gives the ball away willy-nilly and he went missing for the Sheffield Wednesday goal at the weekend.” Former Blade and Stoke City player Michael Tonge has come on from the bench in the last three games. “It’s an awful pity he is so lacking in pace.” “He’s a real footballer and adds something going forward.” “He can’t run and doesn’t track runners, but he can play and open up teams.” “Once he starts running, you feel like crying.” “How many managers are going to persist with Aidy White before someone says enough is enough and sells him?” The left-sided former youth player is “good on the ball, pacey and getting better at taking his man on, but has no end product at all. He’s so poor at picking a pass that he shouldn’t be anywhere near the tip of a diamond.” “If we can bring in a winger, we can see Ross McCormack move further forward. Murphy can then take on that advanced attacking midfield role. This will leave Austin with Green or Tonge and the new winger as a midfield three. Ross can play in a front two with one of Varney, Hunt or Poleon.” Ross McCormack Ross McCormack “McCormack ended up dropping deeper and deeper on Saturday. That was caused by Green and Murphy failing to get forward and link up play. Because our midfield was so static, Ross had to drop back into the space one of them should have been occupying to try and build an attack. “This made his role at the tip of the diamond ineffective, because he was now battling against midfielders on the halfway line, and not threatening at all.” “He was criminally misused by Warnock, who couldn’t reconcile McCormack’s skill with his hoofball tactics. Yet he flourished under Simon Grayson who allowed him to play his natural game.” He has been heavily linked with Middlesbrough, with a £2 million bid widely mentioned. “Of all the sales, this one would be the hardest one to swallow.” “If McCormack leaves, it could well be Championship suicide. I honestly cannot see where the goals will come from without him.” “If we sell McCormack, GFH will undo all the good they have earned in no time.” “The backlash will take us back to Elland Road under Ken Bates. If I were McDermott, I’d lay it on the line with them not to sell him.” Attack“We don’t have the attacking quality to take the game when the half-chances come.” “We don’t have the weapons to create chances regularly when the tempo of our play goes down.” “Once again there is no movement and no options.” “We lack creativity as a team in the final third. We desperately need pace in the team.” “We need to create chances, rather than depending on moments of brilliance.” “We desperately need a striker. Luke Varney isn’t it.” “He ran around a lot (on Saturday). He always does.” “He works very hard but lacks quality. We haven’t the money for Charlie Austin, so we have to make do with Lukey.”
“He puts the effort in, but if Varney is our main striker, we will not score many goals.” “He did nothing in the first half (on Saturday) and little more in the second.” “He ran around like a headless chicken.” The former Portsmouth striker “seems to prefer heroic failure to heroism.” “Poleon has pace but it’s just a pity he appears to be looking for something up his own backside.” Their 19-year-old youth product Dom Poleon is “better not starting, but coming on with 20 minutes to go against tired defenders.” “He will do well against less physical teams.” “His inexperience shows, and he needs to learn to lift his head and take better options.” “He has raw talent, but makes too many poor decisions due to a lack of experience.” “His touch lets him down.” “Get cute lad! It ain’t an easy outing at this level!” “Matt Smith is definitely more of a presence than Varney.” The former Oldham target man “is a buy for the future. To give him his due, he does get on the end of crosses.” “Nearly all of his headers went into the wrong place and our attack seemed unable to read what he was going to do.” “Smith may shine when we have players in the team that can actually deliver a decent cross.” Summer signing Noel Hunt “is a decent player at this level. Once fully fit and the team settles into its formation I think we'll see his worth on the pitch.” “Hunt will show his value stretching defences and creating space for Ross McCormack. With no crossing and service, Hunt can't impact the game much like Ross.” “El Hadji Diouf looks even slower than last year, which I wouldn’t have thought possible.” “He’s clearly not fit yet.” The 32-year-old former Doncaster striker is seen as a bench option at best. David Norris“I’m happy to see Norris missing from the matchday squad.” “He had a dreadful game, and there’s not a lot else to say” The former Ipswich midfielder had a poor game in the Capital One Cup win against Chesterfield. Like a good number of Warnock signings, the 32-year-old is viewed as yesterday’s man. Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on ITFC and the Game“Tough one to call, Big Mick is renowned for getting his defences in order that they do not give a great deal away. I will be happy with a draw. Anything above this is a bonus, as not many teams will take a lot away from Portman Road this season.” “We always have a man sent off there.” “Expect the usual muppets who get wound up when confronted by a real away following. I think we make them feel inadequate. It’s a laugh taking the mick out of those farm boys.” I will update the forum with more of their thoughts on us and the game on Saturday morning. WebsitesThere are a number of active Leeds message boards. Unofficial Leeds United and Marching On Together are the two busiest. http://www.not606.com/forumdisplay.php/43-Leeds-United and http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=323 are quieter but also worth looking at. The articles on http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/leedsunited/ make for informed and interesting reading. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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