Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United: Warnock longs for a Whites cutting edge
YEP 23/2/13
LEEDS United manager Neil Warnock felt a lack of cutting edge undermined an impressive effort from his players in the goalless npower Championship draw at Blackburn.
United enjoyed the better of the chances but could not make it back-to-back wins following their 2-0 triumph over Blackpool on Wednesday night.
Warnock felt the tangible sense of disappointment in the visiting dressing room afterwards was indicative of a fine performance.
“You don’t tend to come away to Blackburn, end up 0-0 and be as disappointed as we are,” he said.
“I don’t know how we’ve not won the game really. I never thought they were going to score, even at the death when they had a couple of corners.
“I thought we were super at the back, did well in midfield - you’ve just got to take your chances.
“When I’ve looked at the chances - Lee (Peltier) should have scored when he mishit it into the goalie, Ross McCormack should have scored, Luke Varney should have scored.
“It’s a start because we asked them to give a performance like they did on Wednesday night against Blackpool - they were super against Blackpool.
“Away from home, in a couple of games we’ve been diabolical but this side’s only played together two games on the trot and if I’d had this side from the start of the season we’d be a lot higher.”
Warnock remains on the lookout for attacking reinforcements in the loan market but no deals are close to being completed.
He then went on to praise the efforts of forward trio Varney, McCormack and Steve Morison.
“We probably need another striker/winger type to give us that little bit but I don’t think I can fault anything,” said Warnock.
“Away from home you’ve got to start with the front lads and we’ve not had front lads who’ve worked like that this season.
“Varney’s come back and hit a good vein, Morison works his socks off and Ross is doing the best he can.
“He’s working harder than he’s ever done. He’s disappointed he didn’t score that opportunity that Morison set up for him.”
Warnock had to endure calls for his head from Leeds’ travelling supporters during last weekend’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City and he refused to take his immediate future for granted.
“I just take one game at a time,” he added. “If we’d lost on Wednesday and lost today I’d have been in Cornwall on Monday.”
Blackburn manager Michael Appleton revealed afterwards that midfielder Dickson Etuhu is set to miss the rest of the season due to a recurrence of his medial knee ligament injury this week and full-back Martin Olsson will be sidelined for a month after a ball struck him in training yesterday and caused internal bleeding in his eye.
Colin Kazim-Richards added his name to the casualty list, limping off with an ankle problem early in the second half to deal a further blow to Rovers’ play-off hopes.
Blackburn sit seven points behind sixth-placed Brighton in 10th, a point and a position shy of Leeds, but Appleton believes they could mount a late charge following a fifth clean sheet in his ninth game at the helm.
“When I walked into the football club nobody had any thoughts whatsoever about getting into the play-offs,” he said.
“I think a lot of the damage was done before I arrived but, saying that, there’s 13 games to go.
“The message to the players after the game was you just need to keep knocking on the door.
“If you keep knocking on the door and asking questions hopefully someone will slip up, and generally someone does.
“There’s still a lot of games to go and if we’re still in and around it with six or seven games to go, that’s the time to really start putting the pressure on.”
LEEDS United manager Neil Warnock felt a lack of cutting edge undermined an impressive effort from his players in the goalless npower Championship draw at Blackburn.
United enjoyed the better of the chances but could not make it back-to-back wins following their 2-0 triumph over Blackpool on Wednesday night.
Warnock felt the tangible sense of disappointment in the visiting dressing room afterwards was indicative of a fine performance.
“You don’t tend to come away to Blackburn, end up 0-0 and be as disappointed as we are,” he said.
“I don’t know how we’ve not won the game really. I never thought they were going to score, even at the death when they had a couple of corners.
“I thought we were super at the back, did well in midfield - you’ve just got to take your chances.
“When I’ve looked at the chances - Lee (Peltier) should have scored when he mishit it into the goalie, Ross McCormack should have scored, Luke Varney should have scored.
“It’s a start because we asked them to give a performance like they did on Wednesday night against Blackpool - they were super against Blackpool.
“Away from home, in a couple of games we’ve been diabolical but this side’s only played together two games on the trot and if I’d had this side from the start of the season we’d be a lot higher.”
Warnock remains on the lookout for attacking reinforcements in the loan market but no deals are close to being completed.
He then went on to praise the efforts of forward trio Varney, McCormack and Steve Morison.
“We probably need another striker/winger type to give us that little bit but I don’t think I can fault anything,” said Warnock.
“Away from home you’ve got to start with the front lads and we’ve not had front lads who’ve worked like that this season.
“Varney’s come back and hit a good vein, Morison works his socks off and Ross is doing the best he can.
“He’s working harder than he’s ever done. He’s disappointed he didn’t score that opportunity that Morison set up for him.”
Warnock had to endure calls for his head from Leeds’ travelling supporters during last weekend’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City and he refused to take his immediate future for granted.
“I just take one game at a time,” he added. “If we’d lost on Wednesday and lost today I’d have been in Cornwall on Monday.”
Blackburn manager Michael Appleton revealed afterwards that midfielder Dickson Etuhu is set to miss the rest of the season due to a recurrence of his medial knee ligament injury this week and full-back Martin Olsson will be sidelined for a month after a ball struck him in training yesterday and caused internal bleeding in his eye.
Colin Kazim-Richards added his name to the casualty list, limping off with an ankle problem early in the second half to deal a further blow to Rovers’ play-off hopes.
Blackburn sit seven points behind sixth-placed Brighton in 10th, a point and a position shy of Leeds, but Appleton believes they could mount a late charge following a fifth clean sheet in his ninth game at the helm.
“When I walked into the football club nobody had any thoughts whatsoever about getting into the play-offs,” he said.
“I think a lot of the damage was done before I arrived but, saying that, there’s 13 games to go.
“The message to the players after the game was you just need to keep knocking on the door.
“If you keep knocking on the door and asking questions hopefully someone will slip up, and generally someone does.
“There’s still a lot of games to go and if we’re still in and around it with six or seven games to go, that’s the time to really start putting the pressure on.”