Big week produces positive outlook for Leeds - Yorkshire Post 5/7/13
by Richard Sutcliffe
SO much has changed at Leeds United inside the past week.
A boardroom shake-up, a first £1m signing in seven years and a notable sense of optimism having returned to a supporter base who, in the dying days of June, seemed as downbeat as is possible with a new season still five weeks away.
For all this, perhaps the biggest indicator of the difference a week can make at a football club has come via the demeanour of Brian McDermott.
Just eight days ago, the United manager cut a disconsolate figure with the frustrations of being unable to kick-start his planned recruitment drive clearly evident as he outlined the situation to the local press on the opening day of pre-season.
Fast forward a little over a week, however, and McDermott’s demeanour has been transformed. The smile that as recently as mid-April betrayed his pride and delight at being named as Neil Warnock’s successor is back and life is good again.
“It wasn’t so much that I was frustrated,” replied the Elland Road chief when the Yorkshire Post remarks on how chipper he looks compared to a week ago. “More that I just wanted to get things done and dusted.
“Sometimes, things are a little bit slow. I had long conversations last week with the owners, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So, you have to give credit to the owners for what has happened in the last few days.
“Obviously, the structure of the club is different now so we have to say that the owners are making statements. What they have also said is that we have to try as best we can to balance the books as well.
“I understand that. This is a business. Three players came in and I have to try and do everything I can to do right by the club, to make sure it is in a safe and sound place.”
Luke Murphy’s arrival from Crewe Alexandra as United’s first seven-figure signing since Richard Cresswell back in the summer of 2006 may have been the main reason for the upturn in mood among the Elland Road faithful.
But McDermott seems just as pleased with the free transfer capture of Noel Hunt, who along with fellow summer signing Matt Smith is expected to bolster a goal tally that, at just 57 last term, was lower than all but seven of their rivals in the Championship. He is also well aware of the impact his new signings have made in the wider world.
“I’ve a funny story from last Monday after news about Murphy had come out,” he said. “I went into a place in Harrogate and needed a bottle opener.
“I asked in this particular shop if they had a bottle opener and was told no, they didn’t. So I walked out the door, crossed the road to my car and a bloke knocked on my window.
“He said, ‘I’ve got two bottle openers and I want to give you one’. I said, ‘You don’t have to do that’. But he said, ‘You’ve just made my day with what you’ve done’. So, he ran up to his flat to get his bottle opener. I was trying to give him £20 but he wasn’t having it.
“It shows what a signing can do. I’ve said that to the owners, ‘What you have done is cause and effect’. It is incredible and I knew that would be the case.”
Leeds kick off their pre-season programme at Farsley tomorrow before heading off on a 10-day training camp to Slovenia that will include three games.
McDermott is hoping to have further positive news in the transfer market before then with talks ongoing over two targets. As is to be expected, he is closely guarding the identity of both players and will only reveal that any deal will be in the best interests of the club.
“I will never do a deal that is going to be absolutely stupid or crazy and put the club in jeopardy,” he said.
“We had a situation this week where I was going for a player and the player was offered an astronomical amount of money (by another club). Our owner spoke to me about it and asked my opinion. I said, ‘Let him sign for the other club’. It was just ridiculous.
“We are not going to be held to ransom by anyone and that is really important. The deals have got to be right for us and this one wasn’t. It was just astronomical. Good luck to him, but it wasn’t going to happen here.”
McDermott’s rebuilding has not been confined to the squad this summer with work also ordered at Thorp Arch, including the changing of the dimensions of the new main training pitch to match those of Elland Road. As part of that work, new drains and an irrigation system have had to be installed, while the physio’s room has been moved and extended.
“Everyone kept telling me it (Thorp Arch) was great but I just felt that we needed to change things,” he explains when standing next to the new main pitch that is expected to be ready for use when the squad return from Slovenia. “As a club, we are getting there and I am happy. One of the best things is that we are working in the same direction – myself, the owners, the players, the staff and fans. I keep saying the same thing but that is how you get success, isn’t it?”
SO much has changed at Leeds United inside the past week.
A boardroom shake-up, a first £1m signing in seven years and a notable sense of optimism having returned to a supporter base who, in the dying days of June, seemed as downbeat as is possible with a new season still five weeks away.
For all this, perhaps the biggest indicator of the difference a week can make at a football club has come via the demeanour of Brian McDermott.
Just eight days ago, the United manager cut a disconsolate figure with the frustrations of being unable to kick-start his planned recruitment drive clearly evident as he outlined the situation to the local press on the opening day of pre-season.
Fast forward a little over a week, however, and McDermott’s demeanour has been transformed. The smile that as recently as mid-April betrayed his pride and delight at being named as Neil Warnock’s successor is back and life is good again.
“It wasn’t so much that I was frustrated,” replied the Elland Road chief when the Yorkshire Post remarks on how chipper he looks compared to a week ago. “More that I just wanted to get things done and dusted.
“Sometimes, things are a little bit slow. I had long conversations last week with the owners, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So, you have to give credit to the owners for what has happened in the last few days.
“Obviously, the structure of the club is different now so we have to say that the owners are making statements. What they have also said is that we have to try as best we can to balance the books as well.
“I understand that. This is a business. Three players came in and I have to try and do everything I can to do right by the club, to make sure it is in a safe and sound place.”
Luke Murphy’s arrival from Crewe Alexandra as United’s first seven-figure signing since Richard Cresswell back in the summer of 2006 may have been the main reason for the upturn in mood among the Elland Road faithful.
But McDermott seems just as pleased with the free transfer capture of Noel Hunt, who along with fellow summer signing Matt Smith is expected to bolster a goal tally that, at just 57 last term, was lower than all but seven of their rivals in the Championship. He is also well aware of the impact his new signings have made in the wider world.
“I’ve a funny story from last Monday after news about Murphy had come out,” he said. “I went into a place in Harrogate and needed a bottle opener.
“I asked in this particular shop if they had a bottle opener and was told no, they didn’t. So I walked out the door, crossed the road to my car and a bloke knocked on my window.
“He said, ‘I’ve got two bottle openers and I want to give you one’. I said, ‘You don’t have to do that’. But he said, ‘You’ve just made my day with what you’ve done’. So, he ran up to his flat to get his bottle opener. I was trying to give him £20 but he wasn’t having it.
“It shows what a signing can do. I’ve said that to the owners, ‘What you have done is cause and effect’. It is incredible and I knew that would be the case.”
Leeds kick off their pre-season programme at Farsley tomorrow before heading off on a 10-day training camp to Slovenia that will include three games.
McDermott is hoping to have further positive news in the transfer market before then with talks ongoing over two targets. As is to be expected, he is closely guarding the identity of both players and will only reveal that any deal will be in the best interests of the club.
“I will never do a deal that is going to be absolutely stupid or crazy and put the club in jeopardy,” he said.
“We had a situation this week where I was going for a player and the player was offered an astronomical amount of money (by another club). Our owner spoke to me about it and asked my opinion. I said, ‘Let him sign for the other club’. It was just ridiculous.
“We are not going to be held to ransom by anyone and that is really important. The deals have got to be right for us and this one wasn’t. It was just astronomical. Good luck to him, but it wasn’t going to happen here.”
McDermott’s rebuilding has not been confined to the squad this summer with work also ordered at Thorp Arch, including the changing of the dimensions of the new main training pitch to match those of Elland Road. As part of that work, new drains and an irrigation system have had to be installed, while the physio’s room has been moved and extended.
“Everyone kept telling me it (Thorp Arch) was great but I just felt that we needed to change things,” he explains when standing next to the new main pitch that is expected to be ready for use when the squad return from Slovenia. “As a club, we are getting there and I am happy. One of the best things is that we are working in the same direction – myself, the owners, the players, the staff and fans. I keep saying the same thing but that is how you get success, isn’t it?”
