Yorkshire Evening Post 19/2/09
I understand fans' reaction
By Phil Hay
Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has sympathised with the supporters who berated his players at Hereford United on Tuesday night, admitting they were justified in voicing their frustrations during and after the club's 2-0 defeat.
Grayson was left mystified by a performance which inflicted fresh damage on United's league position and brought chants of protest from the travelling fans in Hereford, and he urged his team to take heed to the vociferous complaints aired at Edgar Street.
Tuesday's loss was the fourth of Grayson's short reign as Leeds boss but by far the most damaging, coming against a team who have struggled throughout this season and lie third from bottom in the League One table.
The 39-year-old echoed the thoughts of United's 1,903 supporters at Edgar Street by declaring the club's display "unacceptable", and he insisted he would not take issue with any of the fans who criticised his side before and after the final whistle.
Opinions
Grayson said: "They travelled a long way, they paid their money and they're entitled to their opinions.
"Obviously the players have got to accept that, and I accept it as well. That performance is unacceptable for fans who have travelled a long way.
"We're paid to put out a team who'll produce and work hard for each other, and the players haven't done that.
"I'm sure they'll be hurt by the reaction of the fans but they've got to draw from that and make sure they give them something back."
United's first opportunity to redeem themselves after Tuesday night's defeat will come during the visit of Cheltenham Town to Elland Road this weekend, another match that Grayson would realistically expect to win should his players find their most impressive form.
Cheltenham are ranked 24th in League One and were beaten for the fourth game running at Stockport County on Tuesday evening, and United's players resumed training this morning with Grayson weighing up possible changes to his starting line-up.
Jonathan Douglas' return from a one-match suspension will provide him with a welcome option with which to strengthen the team's midfield, and the Leeds manager admitted that several of his players should be worried about their places after failing to prise a positive result from their trip to Hereford.
Grayson said: "One or two players will be looking over their shoulders for the starting line-up at the weekend.
"They're going to be down but when we get back into training I expect them all to be lively and looking over their shoulders to see if they'll be in the team.
"I'm looking for a response because that's what they have to do.
"You don't put your head in the sand or bury yourself away.
"You've got to be men and come out fighting like we have done after certain other results since I've been here.
"We've got to get back to basics and make sure we galvanise ourselves by getting a result and a performance at the weekend."
The greater bulk of the points accrued by Leeds this season have materialised at home – 29 gained at Elland Road compared to 19 won on the road – but Tuesday's loss was United's ninth of the season away from home and Grayson has again reiterated the importance of his squad's reaction to the atmospheres they typically encounter in opposition stadiums.
Attendance
Swelled by almost 2,000 Leeds fans, Edgar Street held its biggest crowd of the campaign during United's visit, almost doubling the average attendance at Hereford's ground.
Grayson said: "The players have got to realise – and they should be used to it by now – that every time we play at away grounds, people want to beat us.
"That comes naturally and if the players can't handle that situation then they'll probably end up playing somewhere else in the future. We've been very good at home and we've won our last three games there.
"We've looked very bright and breezy. We also looked very good at Huddersfield on Saturday but we just didn't look bright or hard to beat against Hereford.
"We were too open and we looked like we could concede. "We've got to go back to the basics of trying to defend properly and win matches the proper way.
"But the players will stick together and the fans will all stick together as well. We are all in this together and I expect Elland Road to have a good atmosphere at the weekend – and to see a positive result."
Grayson refused to accept the suggestion that the loss to Hereford, coming four days after United's West Yorkshire derby defeat to Huddersfield Town, was an indication that Leeds lacked the mettle or the quality of squad to qualify for the play-offs in May.
The former Blackpool boss remains confident of his side's credentials but admitted that the club were under increasing pressure to deliver more than promises about where their League One campaign would end.
"Every manager in the country will have had an experience like this," he said.
"At Blackpool we lost 2-0 to Rotherham after a very similar performance and then went on a run of winning our next 10 games. There's still a lot of football to be played.
"The players have got to accept what could happen and to be man enough to put it right because people can talk good games in dressing rooms and before games, but when you get onto the pitch, that's when the talking really matters. I expect a response this weekend."
Yorkshire Evening Post 18/2/09
Grayson fires warning to players
By Phil Hay
Leeds United crashed to their 13th defeat of the League One season on a humiliating night at Hereford United – provoking an angry Simon Grayson to warn his squad that they are playing for their futures at Elland Road.
United's manager delivered a damning verdict on the performance of his team after goals in either half from Jennison Myrie-Williams and Febian Brandy earned Hereford a 2-0 win.Leeds were beaten in front of almost 2,000 of their own supporters at Edgar Street, and their players were subjected to taunts and abuse from the visiting fans after Brandy's 63rd-minute effort put the game beyond them.
Grayson was full of praise for his squad after their 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town on Saturday – a display he described as one of the best of his tenure – but he refused to defend them last night, condemning the performance in Hereford as "unacceptable" and insisting that their failure to respond positively to a ninth away defeat could signal the end of certain players' involvement with Leeds.
The 39-year-old remained in the dressing room with his team for more than half-an-hour after the final whistle, and he admitted: "I'm very disappointed, not just with the result but with the performance.
"When you hear your own fans singing things like that at the end of the game then the players should be hurting. It was a poor performance. Sometimes you can't put your finger on why it's happened but we've had a discussion and we're trying to get to the bottom of it.
"We've got to use this result as an example or an inspiration between now and the end of the season – to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"Performances like that are unacceptable. We didn't play with any quality and our decision-making was poor, and that's from a team who played very well at the weekend and been on a decent run.
"I'm not going to criticise individual players because that's not my style but we've had words in there.
"Hopefully they'll use it as inspiration because if they don't, one or two might not play for the club again."
Myrie-Williams opened the scoring in the 39th minute and Brandy's close-range header in the second half gave Hereford a two-goal lead to defend, but Leeds were badly punished for Lee Trundle's failure to convert a penalty with the game goalless on 37 minutes.
Grayson said: "Penalty decisions and missed chances are big moments in football matches, and we've got to be more ruthless in both boxes.
"We were put on the back foot when they scored and from then on we never really looked like we were going to create any chances.
"We also can't afford to miss the chances we're missing. That's not a criticism of individual players but it's there and it's a fact.
"I thought we'd turn the corner with performances like this.
"I could accept the players lacking confidence when I first came here after losing five games, but they've won a lot of matches recently and put in a good shift against Huddersfield.
"Tonight it didn't look like the players wanted the ball. They didn't take responsibility to get on it or to do the right things in both boxes.
"When all that comes together, you get a bad night. I'm angry and frustrated by the result because we've had a fantastic following again.
"There's a few knocks in the dressing room but there's more broken pride than anything else. "Performances and results like that are hard to take, especially when your own fans are giving the players some stick. They've got to be big enough to accept that."
With Carl Dickinson returning to Stoke today, United's boss revealed that a number of bids to sign a new right-back on loan had failed before the Hereford game.
Grayson said: "Dickinson's done well for us and if there's any chance of bringing him back in the future then I'd be desperate to do that."
I understand fans' reaction
By Phil Hay
Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has sympathised with the supporters who berated his players at Hereford United on Tuesday night, admitting they were justified in voicing their frustrations during and after the club's 2-0 defeat.
Grayson was left mystified by a performance which inflicted fresh damage on United's league position and brought chants of protest from the travelling fans in Hereford, and he urged his team to take heed to the vociferous complaints aired at Edgar Street.
Tuesday's loss was the fourth of Grayson's short reign as Leeds boss but by far the most damaging, coming against a team who have struggled throughout this season and lie third from bottom in the League One table.
The 39-year-old echoed the thoughts of United's 1,903 supporters at Edgar Street by declaring the club's display "unacceptable", and he insisted he would not take issue with any of the fans who criticised his side before and after the final whistle.
Opinions
Grayson said: "They travelled a long way, they paid their money and they're entitled to their opinions.
"Obviously the players have got to accept that, and I accept it as well. That performance is unacceptable for fans who have travelled a long way.
"We're paid to put out a team who'll produce and work hard for each other, and the players haven't done that.
"I'm sure they'll be hurt by the reaction of the fans but they've got to draw from that and make sure they give them something back."
United's first opportunity to redeem themselves after Tuesday night's defeat will come during the visit of Cheltenham Town to Elland Road this weekend, another match that Grayson would realistically expect to win should his players find their most impressive form.
Cheltenham are ranked 24th in League One and were beaten for the fourth game running at Stockport County on Tuesday evening, and United's players resumed training this morning with Grayson weighing up possible changes to his starting line-up.
Jonathan Douglas' return from a one-match suspension will provide him with a welcome option with which to strengthen the team's midfield, and the Leeds manager admitted that several of his players should be worried about their places after failing to prise a positive result from their trip to Hereford.
Grayson said: "One or two players will be looking over their shoulders for the starting line-up at the weekend.
"They're going to be down but when we get back into training I expect them all to be lively and looking over their shoulders to see if they'll be in the team.
"I'm looking for a response because that's what they have to do.
"You don't put your head in the sand or bury yourself away.
"You've got to be men and come out fighting like we have done after certain other results since I've been here.
"We've got to get back to basics and make sure we galvanise ourselves by getting a result and a performance at the weekend."
The greater bulk of the points accrued by Leeds this season have materialised at home – 29 gained at Elland Road compared to 19 won on the road – but Tuesday's loss was United's ninth of the season away from home and Grayson has again reiterated the importance of his squad's reaction to the atmospheres they typically encounter in opposition stadiums.
Attendance
Swelled by almost 2,000 Leeds fans, Edgar Street held its biggest crowd of the campaign during United's visit, almost doubling the average attendance at Hereford's ground.
Grayson said: "The players have got to realise – and they should be used to it by now – that every time we play at away grounds, people want to beat us.
"That comes naturally and if the players can't handle that situation then they'll probably end up playing somewhere else in the future. We've been very good at home and we've won our last three games there.
"We've looked very bright and breezy. We also looked very good at Huddersfield on Saturday but we just didn't look bright or hard to beat against Hereford.
"We were too open and we looked like we could concede. "We've got to go back to the basics of trying to defend properly and win matches the proper way.
"But the players will stick together and the fans will all stick together as well. We are all in this together and I expect Elland Road to have a good atmosphere at the weekend – and to see a positive result."
Grayson refused to accept the suggestion that the loss to Hereford, coming four days after United's West Yorkshire derby defeat to Huddersfield Town, was an indication that Leeds lacked the mettle or the quality of squad to qualify for the play-offs in May.
The former Blackpool boss remains confident of his side's credentials but admitted that the club were under increasing pressure to deliver more than promises about where their League One campaign would end.
"Every manager in the country will have had an experience like this," he said.
"At Blackpool we lost 2-0 to Rotherham after a very similar performance and then went on a run of winning our next 10 games. There's still a lot of football to be played.
"The players have got to accept what could happen and to be man enough to put it right because people can talk good games in dressing rooms and before games, but when you get onto the pitch, that's when the talking really matters. I expect a response this weekend."
Yorkshire Evening Post 18/2/09
Grayson fires warning to players
By Phil Hay
Leeds United crashed to their 13th defeat of the League One season on a humiliating night at Hereford United – provoking an angry Simon Grayson to warn his squad that they are playing for their futures at Elland Road.
United's manager delivered a damning verdict on the performance of his team after goals in either half from Jennison Myrie-Williams and Febian Brandy earned Hereford a 2-0 win.Leeds were beaten in front of almost 2,000 of their own supporters at Edgar Street, and their players were subjected to taunts and abuse from the visiting fans after Brandy's 63rd-minute effort put the game beyond them.
Grayson was full of praise for his squad after their 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town on Saturday – a display he described as one of the best of his tenure – but he refused to defend them last night, condemning the performance in Hereford as "unacceptable" and insisting that their failure to respond positively to a ninth away defeat could signal the end of certain players' involvement with Leeds.
The 39-year-old remained in the dressing room with his team for more than half-an-hour after the final whistle, and he admitted: "I'm very disappointed, not just with the result but with the performance.
"When you hear your own fans singing things like that at the end of the game then the players should be hurting. It was a poor performance. Sometimes you can't put your finger on why it's happened but we've had a discussion and we're trying to get to the bottom of it.
"We've got to use this result as an example or an inspiration between now and the end of the season – to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"Performances like that are unacceptable. We didn't play with any quality and our decision-making was poor, and that's from a team who played very well at the weekend and been on a decent run.
"I'm not going to criticise individual players because that's not my style but we've had words in there.
"Hopefully they'll use it as inspiration because if they don't, one or two might not play for the club again."
Myrie-Williams opened the scoring in the 39th minute and Brandy's close-range header in the second half gave Hereford a two-goal lead to defend, but Leeds were badly punished for Lee Trundle's failure to convert a penalty with the game goalless on 37 minutes.
Grayson said: "Penalty decisions and missed chances are big moments in football matches, and we've got to be more ruthless in both boxes.
"We were put on the back foot when they scored and from then on we never really looked like we were going to create any chances.
"We also can't afford to miss the chances we're missing. That's not a criticism of individual players but it's there and it's a fact.
"I thought we'd turn the corner with performances like this.
"I could accept the players lacking confidence when I first came here after losing five games, but they've won a lot of matches recently and put in a good shift against Huddersfield.
"Tonight it didn't look like the players wanted the ball. They didn't take responsibility to get on it or to do the right things in both boxes.
"When all that comes together, you get a bad night. I'm angry and frustrated by the result because we've had a fantastic following again.
"There's a few knocks in the dressing room but there's more broken pride than anything else. "Performances and results like that are hard to take, especially when your own fans are giving the players some stick. They've got to be big enough to accept that."
With Carl Dickinson returning to Stoke today, United's boss revealed that a number of bids to sign a new right-back on loan had failed before the Hereford game.
Grayson said: "Dickinson's done well for us and if there's any chance of bringing him back in the future then I'd be desperate to do that."
