Independent 10/3/12
Neil Warnock: I never realised how big a club Leeds was until I found myself on the inside
What I Learnt This Week
Neil Warnock
There are never enough hours in the day when you join a football club in mid-season, especially in the situation I find myself in at Leeds, where we've one eye on reaching the play-offs this season, the other on building a promotion-winning squad next season, and half-an-eye on what we will need if we do go up this season. Then there's the off-field aspect to sort out as well, like finding somewhere to live.
As I mentioned last week, I've moved into a nice little cottage, and after three weeks at Elland Road there's also been good progress on the football front. Defensively we've been good, only conceding once, to the league leaders, in three games. The problem is we've not scored at the other end. I'm hoping that will change in our televised match at Middlesbrough tomorrow lunchtime.
We certainly won't come closer without scoring than we did against Southampton last week, when we hit the woodwork more than once and their keeper was superb. We were outstanding and that is all I can ask. The atmosphere really whetted the appetite for our next home match, against West Ham, when we won't be far off having 30,000 in the ground.
When you arrive at a club the first thing you need to do is assess what you've inherited – not just the players, the whole set-up. Everyone is important at a football club; you need a united sense of purpose, from the gateman to the centre-forward. So I've got to know Claire, the cleaning lady, who's been here at least since David O'Leary was manager. I said to her: "You've seen a few managers off, and I expect you'll outlast me too."
Every match, every training session, I am learning something about the players. All that information is vital, because as well as trying to pick teams to win matches I need to make a decision on players whose contracts are winding down. I've already started speaking to a couple of them as I plan my squad.
Like every manager, I'm always looking to strengthen and I brought in Paul Robinson on loan from Bolton this week. He'll add experience and leadership to our defence. I'm still looking for other players before the loan deadline.
What has surprised me is just what a big club this is. You don't appreciate it until you are on the inside. We've supporters' clubs all over, from Ireland to Dubai. Every night there is a function to do with supporters. You want to go to them all so you can get to know people and get a feel of the club, but that's impossible.
I've really enjoyed it, though it's in at the deep end. On the way to Hull someone said to me: "This is Hull's biggest game of the season, a Yorkshire derby, and it'll be Middlesbrough's biggest on Sunday." Then they added: "And we still have to go to Millwall and Cardiff." I'll have to get my crash helmet out again.
I've been enjoying being back in the Yorkshire weather. Last weekend Sharon and the kids came up and I took them to the training ground on Sunday morning. What a good welcome. It was snowing, sleeting and minus two degrees. There were under-nine, under-11 and under-13s scheduled and all had to be cancelled. It was so cold some of the under-nines were crying as they went through a warm-up!
We then went in to Wetherby, which is a lovely town, and did some shopping. Guess what Amy bought amid the snow and freezing weather. A pair of shorts and a bikini.
Neil Warnock: I never realised how big a club Leeds was until I found myself on the inside
What I Learnt This Week
Neil Warnock
There are never enough hours in the day when you join a football club in mid-season, especially in the situation I find myself in at Leeds, where we've one eye on reaching the play-offs this season, the other on building a promotion-winning squad next season, and half-an-eye on what we will need if we do go up this season. Then there's the off-field aspect to sort out as well, like finding somewhere to live.
As I mentioned last week, I've moved into a nice little cottage, and after three weeks at Elland Road there's also been good progress on the football front. Defensively we've been good, only conceding once, to the league leaders, in three games. The problem is we've not scored at the other end. I'm hoping that will change in our televised match at Middlesbrough tomorrow lunchtime.
We certainly won't come closer without scoring than we did against Southampton last week, when we hit the woodwork more than once and their keeper was superb. We were outstanding and that is all I can ask. The atmosphere really whetted the appetite for our next home match, against West Ham, when we won't be far off having 30,000 in the ground.
When you arrive at a club the first thing you need to do is assess what you've inherited – not just the players, the whole set-up. Everyone is important at a football club; you need a united sense of purpose, from the gateman to the centre-forward. So I've got to know Claire, the cleaning lady, who's been here at least since David O'Leary was manager. I said to her: "You've seen a few managers off, and I expect you'll outlast me too."
Every match, every training session, I am learning something about the players. All that information is vital, because as well as trying to pick teams to win matches I need to make a decision on players whose contracts are winding down. I've already started speaking to a couple of them as I plan my squad.
Like every manager, I'm always looking to strengthen and I brought in Paul Robinson on loan from Bolton this week. He'll add experience and leadership to our defence. I'm still looking for other players before the loan deadline.
What has surprised me is just what a big club this is. You don't appreciate it until you are on the inside. We've supporters' clubs all over, from Ireland to Dubai. Every night there is a function to do with supporters. You want to go to them all so you can get to know people and get a feel of the club, but that's impossible.
I've really enjoyed it, though it's in at the deep end. On the way to Hull someone said to me: "This is Hull's biggest game of the season, a Yorkshire derby, and it'll be Middlesbrough's biggest on Sunday." Then they added: "And we still have to go to Millwall and Cardiff." I'll have to get my crash helmet out again.
I've been enjoying being back in the Yorkshire weather. Last weekend Sharon and the kids came up and I took them to the training ground on Sunday morning. What a good welcome. It was snowing, sleeting and minus two degrees. There were under-nine, under-11 and under-13s scheduled and all had to be cancelled. It was so cold some of the under-nines were crying as they went through a warm-up!
We then went in to Wetherby, which is a lovely town, and did some shopping. Guess what Amy bought amid the snow and freezing weather. A pair of shorts and a bikini.