Warnock calls a halt to his loan search
YEP 28/2/13
By Phil Hay
Neil Warnock admitted today that he was increasingly reluctant to make further additions to Leeds United’s squad, claiming the arrival of a new winger would put him under pressure to change an in-form team.
Warnock appears to have suspended his search for a loan signing after United’s performances against Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers persuaded him to keep faith with the current squad during the week ahead.
The United manager is likely to name an unchanged line-up for the third match running at home to Millwall on Saturday and he will consider throwing the same side in key games at Leicester City and Crystal Palace if their fitness takes the strain of three fixtures in eight days.
Warnock failed to sign a winger on the final day of the January transfer window and has continued to look for available players in the emergency loan market, claiming recently that Leeds were continuing to suffer from the loss of former club captain Robert Snodgrass. The Scotland international was sold to Norwich City for £3m last July.
Warnock said: “If the right option had come up then we’d have signed someone by now but I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m not sure this would be the right time. I won’t be doing anything for the next week at least.
“The level of player we’re looking at means they’d come here expecting to play, and rightly so, but I don’t think we need that pressure. I can’t justify changing the team on Saturday and I don’t want someone coming in, sitting on the bench and getting frustrated. I’d be causing a problem for no reason.
“The way we’ve played in the last two games means that, as a manager, you’ve got to keep the faith. The lads don’t deserve to have someone take their place. Whether they’ve got the legs to get through three games in eight days I’ll have to see but I’m very happy with how things are at the moment – the attitude, the energy, the mood. I’m having to hold everyone back on the training ground.”
Warnock’s refusal to commit himself to starting on-loan players as a matter of course was behind the decision which sent Everton’s Ross Barkley back to Merseyside at the end of his recent spell at Leeds.
Barkley made four appearances for United but rejoined his parent club after Warnock used him as a late substitute in a 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers and left him out of his squad at Middlesbrough four days later.
The Leeds boss admitted that an earlier decision to select Barkley after the 19-year-old midfielder missed an impressive FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur had been made because of an agreement with Everton that Barkley would feature regularly.
Speaking at the time, Warnock said: “I can’t guarantee playing him – and I did say I’d do that when I took him.
“I didn’t really want to change the team after the Tottenham game but I did and I felt a little guilty after that. I shouldn’t have promised to do that.”
In Barkley’s absence, Leeds have shifted gradually towards a midfield and a system which Warnock is ready to commit to. So often reliant on banks of four defenders and four midfielders, the combination of David Norris, Paul Green and Michael Tonge has given rise to a front three of Luke Varney, Ross McCormack and Steve Morison, an attacking line which came up short at Blackburn Rovers but had ample opportunity to win the game.
The goalless draw at Ewood Park did neither club a favour, with both lodged beneath the Championship’s play-off places, but Warnock felt he had more to be pleased about than his counterpart, Michael Appleton.
“I thought we were the stronger team, the more dominant in midfield and the more likely to win the game,” Warnock said. “We need luck with injuries now but we’ve come into form. We’re looking stronger at the back than we have done at any stage and the only thing we lacked on Saturday was goals. We just need the likes of Luke and Ross to go on a scoring run but you can feel a spark amongst the players again.
“As a group, they were so annoyed to be in a position where it looked like the season was done. We had three games – Cardiff, Wolves, Middlesbrough – where everything that could go wrong did go wrong and it felt like a huge kick in the teeth.
“But rather than give up, it was as if the players wanted to make a point. We all did. I’m not going to start saying ‘we’re going to do this or we’re going to do that’ but we’re not out of the race. No manager in the league would say we’re out of it. It’s very open still.”
Most managers in United’s division have found this season to be a struggle. Blackburn lost heavily at Leicester City on Tuesday, shortening their own chances of reaching the play-offs, and Middlesbrough were inconvenienced by an FA Cup tie against Chelsea last night.
There are certain teams in a run of good form – Brighton and Bolton Wanderers significantly, the latter coming good after dipping towards relegation – but the past week has maintained Leeds’s chance of a top-six finish and prevented Warnock’s position as manager from becoming untenable.
The United boss, who is out of contract in June, seemed resigned to a disappointing finale after a heavy FA Cup loss at Manchester City followed a costly league defeat to Middlesbrough on February 12 but the 64-year-old said: “We’ve stuck at it and I see a chance for us. I’m actually looking forward to going to Leicester and Palace because I feel like we’ll have a great chance of beating them. That’s the difference.”
Rodolph Austin has missed United’s last two games but the Jamaican midfielder should be available for the clash with Millwall after resuming full training on Tuesday.
By Phil Hay
Neil Warnock admitted today that he was increasingly reluctant to make further additions to Leeds United’s squad, claiming the arrival of a new winger would put him under pressure to change an in-form team.
Warnock appears to have suspended his search for a loan signing after United’s performances against Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers persuaded him to keep faith with the current squad during the week ahead.
The United manager is likely to name an unchanged line-up for the third match running at home to Millwall on Saturday and he will consider throwing the same side in key games at Leicester City and Crystal Palace if their fitness takes the strain of three fixtures in eight days.
Warnock failed to sign a winger on the final day of the January transfer window and has continued to look for available players in the emergency loan market, claiming recently that Leeds were continuing to suffer from the loss of former club captain Robert Snodgrass. The Scotland international was sold to Norwich City for £3m last July.
Warnock said: “If the right option had come up then we’d have signed someone by now but I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m not sure this would be the right time. I won’t be doing anything for the next week at least.
“The level of player we’re looking at means they’d come here expecting to play, and rightly so, but I don’t think we need that pressure. I can’t justify changing the team on Saturday and I don’t want someone coming in, sitting on the bench and getting frustrated. I’d be causing a problem for no reason.
“The way we’ve played in the last two games means that, as a manager, you’ve got to keep the faith. The lads don’t deserve to have someone take their place. Whether they’ve got the legs to get through three games in eight days I’ll have to see but I’m very happy with how things are at the moment – the attitude, the energy, the mood. I’m having to hold everyone back on the training ground.”
Warnock’s refusal to commit himself to starting on-loan players as a matter of course was behind the decision which sent Everton’s Ross Barkley back to Merseyside at the end of his recent spell at Leeds.
Barkley made four appearances for United but rejoined his parent club after Warnock used him as a late substitute in a 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers and left him out of his squad at Middlesbrough four days later.
The Leeds boss admitted that an earlier decision to select Barkley after the 19-year-old midfielder missed an impressive FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur had been made because of an agreement with Everton that Barkley would feature regularly.
Speaking at the time, Warnock said: “I can’t guarantee playing him – and I did say I’d do that when I took him.
“I didn’t really want to change the team after the Tottenham game but I did and I felt a little guilty after that. I shouldn’t have promised to do that.”
In Barkley’s absence, Leeds have shifted gradually towards a midfield and a system which Warnock is ready to commit to. So often reliant on banks of four defenders and four midfielders, the combination of David Norris, Paul Green and Michael Tonge has given rise to a front three of Luke Varney, Ross McCormack and Steve Morison, an attacking line which came up short at Blackburn Rovers but had ample opportunity to win the game.
The goalless draw at Ewood Park did neither club a favour, with both lodged beneath the Championship’s play-off places, but Warnock felt he had more to be pleased about than his counterpart, Michael Appleton.
“I thought we were the stronger team, the more dominant in midfield and the more likely to win the game,” Warnock said. “We need luck with injuries now but we’ve come into form. We’re looking stronger at the back than we have done at any stage and the only thing we lacked on Saturday was goals. We just need the likes of Luke and Ross to go on a scoring run but you can feel a spark amongst the players again.
“As a group, they were so annoyed to be in a position where it looked like the season was done. We had three games – Cardiff, Wolves, Middlesbrough – where everything that could go wrong did go wrong and it felt like a huge kick in the teeth.
“But rather than give up, it was as if the players wanted to make a point. We all did. I’m not going to start saying ‘we’re going to do this or we’re going to do that’ but we’re not out of the race. No manager in the league would say we’re out of it. It’s very open still.”
Most managers in United’s division have found this season to be a struggle. Blackburn lost heavily at Leicester City on Tuesday, shortening their own chances of reaching the play-offs, and Middlesbrough were inconvenienced by an FA Cup tie against Chelsea last night.
There are certain teams in a run of good form – Brighton and Bolton Wanderers significantly, the latter coming good after dipping towards relegation – but the past week has maintained Leeds’s chance of a top-six finish and prevented Warnock’s position as manager from becoming untenable.
The United boss, who is out of contract in June, seemed resigned to a disappointing finale after a heavy FA Cup loss at Manchester City followed a costly league defeat to Middlesbrough on February 12 but the 64-year-old said: “We’ve stuck at it and I see a chance for us. I’m actually looking forward to going to Leicester and Palace because I feel like we’ll have a great chance of beating them. That’s the difference.”
Rodolph Austin has missed United’s last two games but the Jamaican midfielder should be available for the clash with Millwall after resuming full training on Tuesday.
