Yorkshire Evening Post 2/2/08
United lose Mac's opener
By Phil Hay
The result that Gary McAllister had desperately wanted to avoid came to bear at Elland Road yesterday, as the Whites lost 2-0 to Tranmere on an afternoon which laid out the pressure that comes with his desk at Leeds United.
McAllister would have wished for a special start to a reign which began officially on Wednesday and in earnest this weekend, but a 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers represented the worst possible beginning for United's new boss.Tranmere scored twice in the second half to take three points from a match which Leeds were never in control of, and when McAllister looked at the League One table last night, he saw United outside the play-off positions for the first time since November.
The club's loss of form is slowing having a tangible and negative effect.Leeds have taken a solitary point from their last four games, and yesterday's defeat was the continuation of a decline which appears to have started on Boxing Day. McAllister is only three days into his job and cannot carry the can for anything that has gone before, but his expectation of realistic patience will be tempered by the reality of United's league position.
Leeds have 16 matches remaining this season, and the evidence of the past month has indicated that their plan to finish inside the top six may come down to extremely fine margins.
The club were well beaten by Doncaster Rovers a fortnight ago, and did not perform effectively against either Luton Town or Southend United. Yesterday, there was no way of denying that Tranmere had deserved their win. The majority of teams inside the top six appear to have the beating of Leeds, and McAllister's first challenge is to prevent United's competitors from leaving them behind.
Chairman Ken Bates will expect the Scot to be his own man at Elland Road, and yesterday's line-up showed how single-minded he is likely to be.
United's starting team displayed five changes from that which was beaten 1-0 by Southend on Tuesday night, a cull enforced in part by injuries to Frazer Richardson and Neil Kilkenny and Tresor Kandol's sudden illness, but also delivered as a result of a meek performance at Roots Hall.
All three of the new signings made by McAllister on the last day of the transfer window – Lubomir Michalik, Anthony Elding and Alan Sheehan – were included immediately, and the fresh appearance of United's side added to the feeling of transition before kick-off.
McAllister was welcomed out of the tunnel by a passionate reception from the Leeds fans and then welcomed immediately into the lacklustre period that United's players have found themselves in.Tranmere were disconcertingly confident and hit the crossbar after making the better of McAllister's first few minutes in the deep end.
David Lucas was wrong-footed by a sublime free-kick from Paul McLaren, conceded by Matt Heath's foul on Ian Moore a yard outside the box.
McLaren's set-piece bounced against the underside of the crossbar, sparing McAllister from an early headache, but his team were unable to muster a reply until the 23rd minute. The opportunity was a half-chance, and Elding's shot from 20 yards was collected safely by Danny Coyne, Tranmere's goalkeeper.
United had struggled to settle before then, and it did not help their display to see Andrew Hughes taken from the field with his face smeared with blood after a collision with Antony Kay. Hughes returned five minutes later with his head heavily bandaged, but the visitors were largely responsible for pushing the pace of a tepid contest before half-time.
McLaren slashed a shot two yards wide of Lucas' goal after a purposeful passage of passing left him unmarked in front of goal, while Howson's strike at the other end flew into the midriff of Coyne, but Tranmere's keeper rode his luck in the final minute of the half after misjudging the flight of a free-kick from David Prutton.
The midfielder was attempting to guide a cross towards Coyne's back post, but the overweighted delivery crashed off the top of the bar before bouncing out of the box. It at least left McAllister with a touch of impetus to dwell on at the interval.
Coyne was involved against five minutes after the break, diving to his left to claim Beckford's glancing header from another Prutton cross, and United's manager took the positive step of replacing right-back Kenton with Sebastien Carole on 54 minutes, before the half had taken off.
But the game took an unpalatable twist on the hour when Tranmere produced their first goal out of nothing.
Winger Jennison Myrie-Williams flicked a bouncing ball over the head of Matt Heath and ran into United's box before cutting inside two defenders and curling a sublime finish into the top corner of Lucas' net.
United's confidence faded immediately despite their encouraging start to the half, and two headers from their former player Shane Sherriff, one of which brought an excellent save from Lucas, gave a warning of what was to come in the 70th minute.
McLaren opened up McAllister's defence with a swinging free-kick, and Moore - another of United's ex-employees – leapt to aim a header beyond Lucas' reach, leaving Leeds with the impossible task of rescuing the game. McAllister will hope that promotion is altogether more achievable.
United lose Mac's opener
By Phil Hay
The result that Gary McAllister had desperately wanted to avoid came to bear at Elland Road yesterday, as the Whites lost 2-0 to Tranmere on an afternoon which laid out the pressure that comes with his desk at Leeds United.
McAllister would have wished for a special start to a reign which began officially on Wednesday and in earnest this weekend, but a 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers represented the worst possible beginning for United's new boss.Tranmere scored twice in the second half to take three points from a match which Leeds were never in control of, and when McAllister looked at the League One table last night, he saw United outside the play-off positions for the first time since November.
The club's loss of form is slowing having a tangible and negative effect.Leeds have taken a solitary point from their last four games, and yesterday's defeat was the continuation of a decline which appears to have started on Boxing Day. McAllister is only three days into his job and cannot carry the can for anything that has gone before, but his expectation of realistic patience will be tempered by the reality of United's league position.
Leeds have 16 matches remaining this season, and the evidence of the past month has indicated that their plan to finish inside the top six may come down to extremely fine margins.
The club were well beaten by Doncaster Rovers a fortnight ago, and did not perform effectively against either Luton Town or Southend United. Yesterday, there was no way of denying that Tranmere had deserved their win. The majority of teams inside the top six appear to have the beating of Leeds, and McAllister's first challenge is to prevent United's competitors from leaving them behind.
Chairman Ken Bates will expect the Scot to be his own man at Elland Road, and yesterday's line-up showed how single-minded he is likely to be.
United's starting team displayed five changes from that which was beaten 1-0 by Southend on Tuesday night, a cull enforced in part by injuries to Frazer Richardson and Neil Kilkenny and Tresor Kandol's sudden illness, but also delivered as a result of a meek performance at Roots Hall.
All three of the new signings made by McAllister on the last day of the transfer window – Lubomir Michalik, Anthony Elding and Alan Sheehan – were included immediately, and the fresh appearance of United's side added to the feeling of transition before kick-off.
McAllister was welcomed out of the tunnel by a passionate reception from the Leeds fans and then welcomed immediately into the lacklustre period that United's players have found themselves in.Tranmere were disconcertingly confident and hit the crossbar after making the better of McAllister's first few minutes in the deep end.
David Lucas was wrong-footed by a sublime free-kick from Paul McLaren, conceded by Matt Heath's foul on Ian Moore a yard outside the box.
McLaren's set-piece bounced against the underside of the crossbar, sparing McAllister from an early headache, but his team were unable to muster a reply until the 23rd minute. The opportunity was a half-chance, and Elding's shot from 20 yards was collected safely by Danny Coyne, Tranmere's goalkeeper.
United had struggled to settle before then, and it did not help their display to see Andrew Hughes taken from the field with his face smeared with blood after a collision with Antony Kay. Hughes returned five minutes later with his head heavily bandaged, but the visitors were largely responsible for pushing the pace of a tepid contest before half-time.
McLaren slashed a shot two yards wide of Lucas' goal after a purposeful passage of passing left him unmarked in front of goal, while Howson's strike at the other end flew into the midriff of Coyne, but Tranmere's keeper rode his luck in the final minute of the half after misjudging the flight of a free-kick from David Prutton.
The midfielder was attempting to guide a cross towards Coyne's back post, but the overweighted delivery crashed off the top of the bar before bouncing out of the box. It at least left McAllister with a touch of impetus to dwell on at the interval.
Coyne was involved against five minutes after the break, diving to his left to claim Beckford's glancing header from another Prutton cross, and United's manager took the positive step of replacing right-back Kenton with Sebastien Carole on 54 minutes, before the half had taken off.
But the game took an unpalatable twist on the hour when Tranmere produced their first goal out of nothing.
Winger Jennison Myrie-Williams flicked a bouncing ball over the head of Matt Heath and ran into United's box before cutting inside two defenders and curling a sublime finish into the top corner of Lucas' net.
United's confidence faded immediately despite their encouraging start to the half, and two headers from their former player Shane Sherriff, one of which brought an excellent save from Lucas, gave a warning of what was to come in the 70th minute.
McLaren opened up McAllister's defence with a swinging free-kick, and Moore - another of United's ex-employees – leapt to aim a header beyond Lucas' reach, leaving Leeds with the impossible task of rescuing the game. McAllister will hope that promotion is altogether more achievable.