Warnock demands investment after home loss
Yorkshire Evening Post 31/3/12
Leeds United manager Neil Warnock tore into his players after the 2-0 home
defeat to Watford and admitted major surgery is needed to turn the club’s
fortunes around.
Chris Iwelumo’s brace took Watford’s impressive recent points tally to 17 out of a possible 21 and left both clubs six points off the npower Championship play-offs.
Warnock believes that is a bridge too far and fumed: “I think we are miles away from where we should be.
“I couldn’t see us scoring in a brothel today. Watford are a streetwise team and we have been mugged in every department. We were so naive.
“It showed why I got the job. A major overhaul is needed and I don’t think the 7-3 defeat against Forest was as bad as this performance.
“We will have to invest. The chairman (Ken Bates) knows what I think and I will talk to him when he comes over at Easter. It needs major surgery. This is as big a job and challenge as I have ever had.
“I learned more about some players today than I did against Forest. A few of them went missing. It hurts me that over 20,000 people have paid good money to see that.”
Watford manager Sean Dyche hailed Iwelumo’s contribution, adding: “Big Chris has been excellent all season.
“He has been questioned all his career so it is not a problem to him. When he is ready to deliver he is a real handful.
“I am more than happy with winning 2-0 at Leeds. It was a very good, thorough performance.
“I knew we were coming to a club who have just got a manager who is very successful, so we knew he would have them up for it. We had to come here ready to battle, fight and of course play. I thought we did that very well.”
Asked if Watford’s excellent run could carry them into the play-offs, Dyche said: “There are some big clubs fighting for play-off places but we will see what comes.”
To complete Leeds’ misery, right-back Paul Connolly was sent off in injury-time for a second bookable offence when he hacked down substitute Craig Forsyth.
With the game just six minutes old, Michael Brown lost possession and Troy Deeney escaped the attention of Paul Robinson.
Deeney’s pass enabled veteran Scotland international Iwelumo to atone for an earlier miss with a clinical finish from just outside the six-yard box.
Leeds squandered their best opportunity to equalise in the 57th minute when Alex Bruce’s header was turned aside by Tomasz Kuszczak and Robert Snodgrass shot tamely at the goalkeeper from the rebound.
Substitute Ramon Nunez was inches away from scoring a minute after coming off the bench, but when goalkeeper Andy Lonergan beat out Deeney’s 89th-minute shot, Iwelumo was there to grab his second goal.
Chris Iwelumo’s brace took Watford’s impressive recent points tally to 17 out of a possible 21 and left both clubs six points off the npower Championship play-offs.
Warnock believes that is a bridge too far and fumed: “I think we are miles away from where we should be.
“I couldn’t see us scoring in a brothel today. Watford are a streetwise team and we have been mugged in every department. We were so naive.
“It showed why I got the job. A major overhaul is needed and I don’t think the 7-3 defeat against Forest was as bad as this performance.
“We will have to invest. The chairman (Ken Bates) knows what I think and I will talk to him when he comes over at Easter. It needs major surgery. This is as big a job and challenge as I have ever had.
“I learned more about some players today than I did against Forest. A few of them went missing. It hurts me that over 20,000 people have paid good money to see that.”
Watford manager Sean Dyche hailed Iwelumo’s contribution, adding: “Big Chris has been excellent all season.
“He has been questioned all his career so it is not a problem to him. When he is ready to deliver he is a real handful.
“I am more than happy with winning 2-0 at Leeds. It was a very good, thorough performance.
“I knew we were coming to a club who have just got a manager who is very successful, so we knew he would have them up for it. We had to come here ready to battle, fight and of course play. I thought we did that very well.”
Asked if Watford’s excellent run could carry them into the play-offs, Dyche said: “There are some big clubs fighting for play-off places but we will see what comes.”
To complete Leeds’ misery, right-back Paul Connolly was sent off in injury-time for a second bookable offence when he hacked down substitute Craig Forsyth.
With the game just six minutes old, Michael Brown lost possession and Troy Deeney escaped the attention of Paul Robinson.
Deeney’s pass enabled veteran Scotland international Iwelumo to atone for an earlier miss with a clinical finish from just outside the six-yard box.
Leeds squandered their best opportunity to equalise in the 57th minute when Alex Bruce’s header was turned aside by Tomasz Kuszczak and Robert Snodgrass shot tamely at the goalkeeper from the rebound.
Substitute Ramon Nunez was inches away from scoring a minute after coming off the bench, but when goalkeeper Andy Lonergan beat out Deeney’s 89th-minute shot, Iwelumo was there to grab his second goal.