Keep the faith, Warnock tells stars

Yorkshire Evening Post 16/4/12
By Phil Hay
Neil Warnock has warned Leeds United’s most valuable players that they would be “idiots” to seek a move out of Elland Road when the season ends in two weeks’ time.
Warnock urged his influential squad members to keep faith with the club during a summer of transition after a 4-1 defeat of Peterborough secured his maiden home win as Leeds manager.
The 63-year-old watched from the stands when United beat Doncaster Rovers at Elland Road on the day of his appointment in February, but goals from Billy Paynter and Ross McCormack on Saturday saw Leeds claim a first victory with Warnock on the touchline.
The club’s form in the interim has made the Championship play-offs all but unreachable and Warnock’s attention has already turned to the task of rebuilding his squad with the aim of competing for promotion next season.
He and chairman Ken Bates met last week to discuss the summer transfer budget and the offer of new contracts to key players on the books at Leeds, among them captain Robert Snodgrass.
The Scotland international, whose existing deal expires in June 2013, would become United’s highest earner by accepting the improved deal proposed by Leeds, but he is unlikely to commit to another year at Elland Road without firm assurances about the club’s ambition and future potential.
Warnock is due to speak with representatives of Aidan White this afternoon in a bid to prevent White leaving United when his current deal runs out this summer, and formal offers are expected to be made to McCormack, Adam Clayton and Darren O’Dea in the weeks ahead.
The fate of the remainder of Warnock’s squad remains to be seen, but Paynter staked his claim for a role under the Leeds boss next season by enhancing his poor goalscoring record with a brace against Peterborough.
The ex-Swindon forward had hit just one previous goal in almost two years with United but played an influential role on Saturday, during his first seasonal start.
His fate is up in the air, however, with Warnock saying: “I honestly haven’t got a clue who’s going to be involved next season. I don’t think anyone can say, not even the lads under contract. We’ll have to see what develops.
“The ones who’ve got a year left, the one’s who’ve got nothing left – I’m making decisions and I’ll stand by them. There’ll be some people here next year and people who I hope would want to stay – the lads we’re talking to.
“But if they don’t stay, then that’s their hard luck and I’m not just talking about Snodgrass. I’m talking about others as well. At my age, I don’t worry now about people who want to leave.
“I look to the future and I think this is a great club and a great place to be. You’d be an idiot to leave at the moment. It’s an exciting time.”
Asked if he’d had any response from Snodgrass to the contract offer made to him last week, Warnock said: “No, we’ve not had time – other than me telling him he’ll be stupid if he doesn’t sign!
“If I was him, I wouldn’t rush into anything either. He’s got to know where we want to be, and I’m telling him where we want to be. I hope he’s part of it.
“If not, then he’ll move on, but he might not get a game somewhere else. You never know what’s around the corner. It would be great for him to lead us out next year with a revamped squad, looking forward to the season.”
Leeds hit back from a 38th-minute goal from Posh’s Joe Newell to seal victory with three quick goals either side of half-time. Newell struck after Danny Webber and teenager Charlie Taylor failed to clear the ball from the edge of United’s box, but Paynter was gifted an equaliser in first-half injury-time by a mistake by Peterborough goalkeeper Paul Jones.
Two goals from McCormack early in the second half turned the game on its head and lined up a welcome home win, and Warnock said: “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve had some great performances at home and some diabolical ones too. It seems to be the toss of a coin over how we’re going to play.
“We started well and could have been two or three goals up, but as always we shot ourselves in the foot with a calamitous goal. Fortunately, Peterborough gave us a more calamitous goal back.
“At half-time, we regrouped and we were a lot more positive in the second half. But I don’t get carried away. Nothing’s changed my opinion on what I need in the next few months or where I want to be at the start of next season.”

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