No-one guaranteed to start against Brighton - McDermott
YEP 23/7/13
by Phil Hay
First-team places remain very much up for grabs ahead of Leeds United’s Championship opener in 11 days’ time.
That’s the emphatic message from Whites boss Brian McDermott, who is challenging all members of his squad to do their level best to nail down a starting spot in the side’s last two pre-season friendlies at Stevenage tonight (July 23) and at home to FC Nurnberg on Saturday afternoon.
McDermott will make a raft of changes from the side who lined up in Saturday’s lacklustre defeat at Walsall and will again tinker with his line-up for the Elland Road clash on Saturday, with all members of his first-team squad to be handed the chance to impress him this week.
He said: “It’s up for grabs (for the Brighton game) and we need to nail that down and take it for the first game of the season.
“There will be different players playing on Tuesday. I think what we have got now is that every player has played a certain amount of game time, but obviously come the Nurnberg game things will change again.
“And then we’ll try and settle the team down and get a team that is going to play for a certain amount of time and everyone is fighting for places.”
McDermott was critical of his players’ collective efforts at Walsall at the weekend, with the lack of energy shown by his side and principally their work-rate when not in possession of the ball something that was particularly alarming to him.
And it goes without saying that it’s an area in which he is demanding improvement in the next two matches before their Championship opener against Brighton.
He said: “The thing for me is that we have to be much, much better without the ball. We have to make sure that when the opposition has the ball, we get in their faces and we have to close down and that’s what we worked on in training on Monday.
“I know these guys can pass it and are good players ,but without the ball we have to be much better.
“When the ball goes dead we have to remain switched on and everything about that and the details will be nailed down in the next 10 days or so.
“We had a reaction in training on Monday which was good and the atmosphere was good as well. We are looking forward to the game on Tuesday night now.”
In that respect, tonight’s opponents Stevenage, well known for their robust, high-octane style, should a perfect test for United, with McDermott looking forward to renewing acquaintances with a familiar face at Broadhall Way in the shape of home manager Graham Westley.
McDermott added: “Graham is a good friend of mine. I spent a bit of time with him (earlier) in the summer and I like him a lot.
“He has been a very successful manager at Stevenage and he is a good man and he works very hard.
“He spent a bit of time with me at Reading and I did the Pro License with him as well and I’ve got a lot of time for him.”
Ross McCormack has missed out on a place in Scotland’s squad for the glamour friendly against England at Wembley on August 14.
Tartan Army boss and former Whites captain Gordon Strachan has named a 29-man squad, which includes ex-United winger Robert Snodgrass.
by Phil Hay
First-team places remain very much up for grabs ahead of Leeds United’s Championship opener in 11 days’ time.
That’s the emphatic message from Whites boss Brian McDermott, who is challenging all members of his squad to do their level best to nail down a starting spot in the side’s last two pre-season friendlies at Stevenage tonight (July 23) and at home to FC Nurnberg on Saturday afternoon.
McDermott will make a raft of changes from the side who lined up in Saturday’s lacklustre defeat at Walsall and will again tinker with his line-up for the Elland Road clash on Saturday, with all members of his first-team squad to be handed the chance to impress him this week.
He said: “It’s up for grabs (for the Brighton game) and we need to nail that down and take it for the first game of the season.
“There will be different players playing on Tuesday. I think what we have got now is that every player has played a certain amount of game time, but obviously come the Nurnberg game things will change again.
“And then we’ll try and settle the team down and get a team that is going to play for a certain amount of time and everyone is fighting for places.”
McDermott was critical of his players’ collective efforts at Walsall at the weekend, with the lack of energy shown by his side and principally their work-rate when not in possession of the ball something that was particularly alarming to him.
And it goes without saying that it’s an area in which he is demanding improvement in the next two matches before their Championship opener against Brighton.
He said: “The thing for me is that we have to be much, much better without the ball. We have to make sure that when the opposition has the ball, we get in their faces and we have to close down and that’s what we worked on in training on Monday.
“I know these guys can pass it and are good players ,but without the ball we have to be much better.
“When the ball goes dead we have to remain switched on and everything about that and the details will be nailed down in the next 10 days or so.
“We had a reaction in training on Monday which was good and the atmosphere was good as well. We are looking forward to the game on Tuesday night now.”
In that respect, tonight’s opponents Stevenage, well known for their robust, high-octane style, should a perfect test for United, with McDermott looking forward to renewing acquaintances with a familiar face at Broadhall Way in the shape of home manager Graham Westley.
McDermott added: “Graham is a good friend of mine. I spent a bit of time with him (earlier) in the summer and I like him a lot.
“He has been a very successful manager at Stevenage and he is a good man and he works very hard.
“He spent a bit of time with me at Reading and I did the Pro License with him as well and I’ve got a lot of time for him.”
Ross McCormack has missed out on a place in Scotland’s squad for the glamour friendly against England at Wembley on August 14.
Tartan Army boss and former Whites captain Gordon Strachan has named a 29-man squad, which includes ex-United winger Robert Snodgrass.
