Neil Warnock: I’ve already said if Leeds United don’t get promotion I’m going to leave - Independent 22/2/13
What I Learnt This Week
Neil Warnock
I went shopping on Thursday. When I picked up some toilet roll it was a packet of six. Sharon said: ‘Don’t you think you should just get two!’...
...we both started laughing. Two blokes alongside us started laughing.
I said: "We've got Blackburn, Leicester and Palace coming up away from home so you're right, we'd better make it a two."
Don't get me wrong, I want to stay at Leeds as long as I can. We have 15 games left and 15 games is a lot of points to play for. I think the play-offs are still a possibility. I'd like any manager to get more out of the group of players than I did against Blackpool; they gave me everything.
One report said: "The contest opened up in front of a sparse Elland Road crowd..." – 25,500 on a Wednesday, on a freezing cold night! It was a fabulous crowd. The new owners put the prices down and it was fabulous to get that many there.
After Sunday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, it was good to get back to winning ways. I thought it was a fabulous result and the performance was as well. We have to get wins to get back into it. Anything but a win would have been a disaster. We got the win and I think the fans appreciated that.
The away fans were right behind the dugout. I could hear them singing: "Neil Warnock is a so and so". I turned around to where our fans were sitting and I said: "Is that the Blackpool fans or our fans?" They all laughed.
I have got to take it. Yes, I want to win. I do feel we've been unlucky. I don't feel I warrant such criticism. At the Etihad I didn't warrant the fans' abuse. They were a team that cost £250m and ours cost £1.2m.
I decided after Man City that not only was I going to try and win the next game, against Blackpool, but that I was going to try and enjoy it as much as I could.
I didn't let my family go to the Blackpool game. The manager's job is difficult enough and if the fans do turn on you, you don't want your family listening to it all. They wanted to come, but I said: "I'd rather you stop away tonight."
Management is a lonely job sometimes. I can't complain, though. I've had a good career. I've not been out of work long!
I think I started to develop a thick skin early doors. Managers don't like to hear it when they get stick, I don't care what anyone says, but you have to get used to it. At some stage you will get the sack or you will leave a club. I think you have to have a thick skin and a sense of humour.
I've already said if we don't get promotion I'm going to leave. I won't change that. At a time when a lot of managers are on a long contract and they cost clubs a lot of money, Leeds have got a good deal with me – my contract ends at the end of this season.
As for the shopping, how many loo rolls did I leave the shop with? I took a pack of two!
2. On William watch
I had a chat with Paul Ince before and after we played Blackpool on Wednesday. I admire Paul for going to Macclesfield when he started as a manager. I thought it was a no-win situation and I admired him for doing it.
He's had ups and downs in his managerial career, but you get that. I think Blackburn Rovers was too early for him. There was too much politics behind the scenes there.
Sometimes, as a manager, when you go to a club you don't really have a chance from the start. I think that's how it was for Paul at Blackburn.
He told me he'd enjoyed his time out watching his son play. I said to him, "I've got to be honest, I'm looking forward to doing that."
I'm looking forward to watching William play. He's in the academy at Plymouth Argyle. As he gets older I'm hopeful I can have a good few years watching him play.
I must admit when he was in the under-10s I went to watch him play and it was so simple what they had to do to win the game. I'm shouting on and he's telling me to be quiet. It was only five-a-side and they lost. He said to me after the game: "I don't want you to come any more!"
So for William's sake I have to get Leeds promoted!
3. Jose loves the Blues
There's only one club for Jose Mourinho and I think it's Chelsea. I think they'll get back together, them two!
I think the love affair is ready to start again. They drifted, but they can get back together.
He's the type of bloke that could soon make up with them. It's sometimes better the devil you know and he will be supported.
I hope Roberto Mancini keeps his job at Manchester City. I think he's done a great job. He's transformed that club.
4. I'm The Gaffer
I've had meetings with my publisher, Headline Publishing, this week about my new book, The Gaffer.
I've been a bit unlucky in that the last two clubs I've been at have had takeovers, first at QPR and then Leeds. That creates a lot of problems and issues for you to deal with. It's interesting to talk about them, and some of it is surprising. Anyway, it's out in June.
Neil Warnock
I went shopping on Thursday. When I picked up some toilet roll it was a packet of six. Sharon said: ‘Don’t you think you should just get two!’...
...we both started laughing. Two blokes alongside us started laughing.
I said: "We've got Blackburn, Leicester and Palace coming up away from home so you're right, we'd better make it a two."
Don't get me wrong, I want to stay at Leeds as long as I can. We have 15 games left and 15 games is a lot of points to play for. I think the play-offs are still a possibility. I'd like any manager to get more out of the group of players than I did against Blackpool; they gave me everything.
One report said: "The contest opened up in front of a sparse Elland Road crowd..." – 25,500 on a Wednesday, on a freezing cold night! It was a fabulous crowd. The new owners put the prices down and it was fabulous to get that many there.
After Sunday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City, it was good to get back to winning ways. I thought it was a fabulous result and the performance was as well. We have to get wins to get back into it. Anything but a win would have been a disaster. We got the win and I think the fans appreciated that.
The away fans were right behind the dugout. I could hear them singing: "Neil Warnock is a so and so". I turned around to where our fans were sitting and I said: "Is that the Blackpool fans or our fans?" They all laughed.
I have got to take it. Yes, I want to win. I do feel we've been unlucky. I don't feel I warrant such criticism. At the Etihad I didn't warrant the fans' abuse. They were a team that cost £250m and ours cost £1.2m.
I decided after Man City that not only was I going to try and win the next game, against Blackpool, but that I was going to try and enjoy it as much as I could.
I didn't let my family go to the Blackpool game. The manager's job is difficult enough and if the fans do turn on you, you don't want your family listening to it all. They wanted to come, but I said: "I'd rather you stop away tonight."
Management is a lonely job sometimes. I can't complain, though. I've had a good career. I've not been out of work long!
I think I started to develop a thick skin early doors. Managers don't like to hear it when they get stick, I don't care what anyone says, but you have to get used to it. At some stage you will get the sack or you will leave a club. I think you have to have a thick skin and a sense of humour.
I've already said if we don't get promotion I'm going to leave. I won't change that. At a time when a lot of managers are on a long contract and they cost clubs a lot of money, Leeds have got a good deal with me – my contract ends at the end of this season.
As for the shopping, how many loo rolls did I leave the shop with? I took a pack of two!
2. On William watch
I had a chat with Paul Ince before and after we played Blackpool on Wednesday. I admire Paul for going to Macclesfield when he started as a manager. I thought it was a no-win situation and I admired him for doing it.
He's had ups and downs in his managerial career, but you get that. I think Blackburn Rovers was too early for him. There was too much politics behind the scenes there.
Sometimes, as a manager, when you go to a club you don't really have a chance from the start. I think that's how it was for Paul at Blackburn.
He told me he'd enjoyed his time out watching his son play. I said to him, "I've got to be honest, I'm looking forward to doing that."
I'm looking forward to watching William play. He's in the academy at Plymouth Argyle. As he gets older I'm hopeful I can have a good few years watching him play.
I must admit when he was in the under-10s I went to watch him play and it was so simple what they had to do to win the game. I'm shouting on and he's telling me to be quiet. It was only five-a-side and they lost. He said to me after the game: "I don't want you to come any more!"
So for William's sake I have to get Leeds promoted!
3. Jose loves the Blues
There's only one club for Jose Mourinho and I think it's Chelsea. I think they'll get back together, them two!
I think the love affair is ready to start again. They drifted, but they can get back together.
He's the type of bloke that could soon make up with them. It's sometimes better the devil you know and he will be supported.
I hope Roberto Mancini keeps his job at Manchester City. I think he's done a great job. He's transformed that club.
4. I'm The Gaffer
I've had meetings with my publisher, Headline Publishing, this week about my new book, The Gaffer.
I've been a bit unlucky in that the last two clubs I've been at have had takeovers, first at QPR and then Leeds. That creates a lot of problems and issues for you to deal with. It's interesting to talk about them, and some of it is surprising. Anyway, it's out in June.
