Ferencvaros 1 Leeds United 0: McDermott satisfied despite narrow loss
YEP 17/7/13
by Phil Hay
Ferencvaros, like certain other clubs, don’t do friendlies. Or not their supporters anyway. Riot police drew batons last night to keep the lid on the final match of Leeds United’s tour to Slovenia, fighting the Hungarians back as the stadium looked on in bewilderment.
The most serious trouble died down before a ball was kicked but seats were thrown throughout the first half and the friendly in Murska Sobota had an edge like nothing Leeds have seen in this pre-season or most others. In Ferencvaros’ players they found equally willing competitors and a 1-0 defeat brought the club’s time on the continent to a close.
The match was 1968 revisited, a repeat of the line-up in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final which Leeds won by a goal to nil. The enthusiasm of Ferencvaros’ following for violence with anyone in uniform was also a throwback to times gone by, in England at any rate. United’s small crowd behaved impeccably and stood safely at the other end of the field.
The small invasion from Budapest was not unforeseen but neither was it the backdrop which Brian McDermott is used to in Slovenia. Three times United’s manager has toured this country and last night’s friendly will rank as the most unforgettable. Monkey chants were aimed at Rodolph Austin after one Leeds attack in the second half.
As a game of football, however, it was right up McDermott’s street: demanding, physical and keenly contested. His players had the better of it and paid for wasted chances when Daniel Bode scored earlier in the second half. Two harshly rejected penalty appeals did not help either, overlooked by a referee who declined to upset the riotous half of the crowd.
Ferencvaros were as capable as Domzale on Saturday and like the Slovenian Premier League side, they took advantage when weakness showed itself. United might have been two goals up by the time Bode was given space to turn and smash the ball past Paddy Kenny.
The defeat was Leeds’ second of the tour and their second of the summer but a cut above their display in Domzale.
“No-one could accuse us of picking easy games,” McDermott said. “There wasn’t a lot in the game and they scored from the chance they had.
“We had a couple of penalty appeals and I hope the referee doesn’t referee again with what he’s given tonight. They looked like nailed-on penalties to me.
“But I was really, really pleased. We’ve had nine days of tough training and games and this is the reason why we came here. The boys couldn’t be accused of not getting the details right.”
United’s players were flying home to London today none the wiser about how McDermott’s thoughts and plans are falling into place. Kenny started and finished last night’s game, one of only three players do so in Slovenia, but even McDermott would not waste time pretending that Kenny’s selection is debatable with Jamie Ashdown half-fit and Alex Cairns in reserve. Darjan Curanovic, the Slovenian goalkeeper who has trained with Leeds last night, attended with their squad last night but will not be offered a contract.
Otherwise, the outfield players who completed half-an-hour against Domzale played for an hour last night, as McDermott promised they would. The exceptions were Zac Thompson and Luke Varney who saw out the entire match with Sam Byram and Noel Hunt short of fitness and Lee Peltier playing in the centre of defence. McDermott’s cards are pressed to his chest with three friendlies remaining and Leeds’ August 3 game against Brighton on the horizon.
Luke Murphy, who appeared from the outset against Ferencvaros, said: “It would be great to start against Brighton. I’m new to the club and you want to make an impact straight away.
“It’s a home game as well and playing in front of the crowd at Elland Road – playing in front of it regularly – will be new for me but absolutely brilliant at the same time. I’m really looking forward to it.
“Everyone is at this club to play football so the answer you get from me is the answer you’ll get from anyone else – we all want to start against Brighton. But we can’t all start.
“There’s competition and that’s healthy but from what I’ve seen of this group of lads they’ll work very well as a squad.
“I don’t think you’ll get any divide between the 11 who go out against Brighton and the players who are on the bench or not involved. There’s no issue there at all. You can’t be bitter about it, you’ve just got to be determined to first of all support the team and second to fight your way in.
“I certainly don’t think I’ll definitely be starting. Who can say apart from the manager?”
Controlling the midfield against Ferencvaros was a challenge for Murphy and the midfielders around him. The Hungarian side held a compact formation in the centre of the pitch and a high defensive line, limiting the space around them. Matt Smith might still have scored after eight minutes when he met Luke Varney’s header with an overhit lob which sailed over the crossbar.
Ferencvaros attacked the wings and relied on their pace, particularly that shown by Brazilian forward Somalia. His strike on 12 minutes brought a save from Kenny at his near post after United’s defence struggled to read the winger’s run.
Sandor Hidvegi tested United’s keeper at the other post, drawing a low parry after running in unmarked, but chances in general were few initially. The game grew attritional and Ross McCormack’s curling free-kick – tipped around a post by Levente Jova on 38 minutes – was the only other chance of note before half-time, coming in United’s best spell of pressure. Leeds were worth a penalty in injury-time when Vladan Cukic tripped Austin but the referee pointed meekly for a goal-kick.
McCormack should have found the net two minutes into the second half, slicing the ball wide, the examination of Ferencvaros’ defence began to create gaps. Murphy’s volley on 50 minutes was spilled by Jova and then gathered at the second attempt.
Bode was given time to bring a high ball down inside the box and score on the turn in the 53rd minute, rifling the ball across Kenny and finding the far corner of his net. United’s keeper was excellent throughout, flicking another goalbound strike from Somalia away from goal.
McDermott’s raft of changes came in the 63rd minute and David Norris and Aidan White had opportunities to equalise, the former volleying the ball towards the stands and White’s shot hitting a Ferencvaros’ player as their defence split apart.
The referee played his part again in the last quarter-of-an-hour by laughably ignoring a bodycheck on Stephen Warnock inside Ferencvaros’ box.
McDermott, whose side took one win from three games in Slovenia, said: “I can see things panning out and this has been a great tour for us. We couldn’t have wished for better and it was exactly what I hoped for.”
Ferencvaros: Jova, Hidvegi, Besic, Jozsi, Gyomber, Cukic, Alempijevic, Tuyp, Bode, Jovanovic, Somalia.
Leeds United: Kenny, Thompson, Peltier (Lees 63), Pearce (Pugh 63), Drury (Warnock 63), Austin (Green 63), Tonge (Norris 63), Murphy (Brown 63), McCormack (White 63), Varney, Smith (Poleon 63).
by Phil Hay
Ferencvaros, like certain other clubs, don’t do friendlies. Or not their supporters anyway. Riot police drew batons last night to keep the lid on the final match of Leeds United’s tour to Slovenia, fighting the Hungarians back as the stadium looked on in bewilderment.
The most serious trouble died down before a ball was kicked but seats were thrown throughout the first half and the friendly in Murska Sobota had an edge like nothing Leeds have seen in this pre-season or most others. In Ferencvaros’ players they found equally willing competitors and a 1-0 defeat brought the club’s time on the continent to a close.
The match was 1968 revisited, a repeat of the line-up in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final which Leeds won by a goal to nil. The enthusiasm of Ferencvaros’ following for violence with anyone in uniform was also a throwback to times gone by, in England at any rate. United’s small crowd behaved impeccably and stood safely at the other end of the field.
The small invasion from Budapest was not unforeseen but neither was it the backdrop which Brian McDermott is used to in Slovenia. Three times United’s manager has toured this country and last night’s friendly will rank as the most unforgettable. Monkey chants were aimed at Rodolph Austin after one Leeds attack in the second half.
As a game of football, however, it was right up McDermott’s street: demanding, physical and keenly contested. His players had the better of it and paid for wasted chances when Daniel Bode scored earlier in the second half. Two harshly rejected penalty appeals did not help either, overlooked by a referee who declined to upset the riotous half of the crowd.
Ferencvaros were as capable as Domzale on Saturday and like the Slovenian Premier League side, they took advantage when weakness showed itself. United might have been two goals up by the time Bode was given space to turn and smash the ball past Paddy Kenny.
The defeat was Leeds’ second of the tour and their second of the summer but a cut above their display in Domzale.
“No-one could accuse us of picking easy games,” McDermott said. “There wasn’t a lot in the game and they scored from the chance they had.
“We had a couple of penalty appeals and I hope the referee doesn’t referee again with what he’s given tonight. They looked like nailed-on penalties to me.
“But I was really, really pleased. We’ve had nine days of tough training and games and this is the reason why we came here. The boys couldn’t be accused of not getting the details right.”
United’s players were flying home to London today none the wiser about how McDermott’s thoughts and plans are falling into place. Kenny started and finished last night’s game, one of only three players do so in Slovenia, but even McDermott would not waste time pretending that Kenny’s selection is debatable with Jamie Ashdown half-fit and Alex Cairns in reserve. Darjan Curanovic, the Slovenian goalkeeper who has trained with Leeds last night, attended with their squad last night but will not be offered a contract.
Otherwise, the outfield players who completed half-an-hour against Domzale played for an hour last night, as McDermott promised they would. The exceptions were Zac Thompson and Luke Varney who saw out the entire match with Sam Byram and Noel Hunt short of fitness and Lee Peltier playing in the centre of defence. McDermott’s cards are pressed to his chest with three friendlies remaining and Leeds’ August 3 game against Brighton on the horizon.
Luke Murphy, who appeared from the outset against Ferencvaros, said: “It would be great to start against Brighton. I’m new to the club and you want to make an impact straight away.
“It’s a home game as well and playing in front of the crowd at Elland Road – playing in front of it regularly – will be new for me but absolutely brilliant at the same time. I’m really looking forward to it.
“Everyone is at this club to play football so the answer you get from me is the answer you’ll get from anyone else – we all want to start against Brighton. But we can’t all start.
“There’s competition and that’s healthy but from what I’ve seen of this group of lads they’ll work very well as a squad.
“I don’t think you’ll get any divide between the 11 who go out against Brighton and the players who are on the bench or not involved. There’s no issue there at all. You can’t be bitter about it, you’ve just got to be determined to first of all support the team and second to fight your way in.
“I certainly don’t think I’ll definitely be starting. Who can say apart from the manager?”
Controlling the midfield against Ferencvaros was a challenge for Murphy and the midfielders around him. The Hungarian side held a compact formation in the centre of the pitch and a high defensive line, limiting the space around them. Matt Smith might still have scored after eight minutes when he met Luke Varney’s header with an overhit lob which sailed over the crossbar.
Ferencvaros attacked the wings and relied on their pace, particularly that shown by Brazilian forward Somalia. His strike on 12 minutes brought a save from Kenny at his near post after United’s defence struggled to read the winger’s run.
Sandor Hidvegi tested United’s keeper at the other post, drawing a low parry after running in unmarked, but chances in general were few initially. The game grew attritional and Ross McCormack’s curling free-kick – tipped around a post by Levente Jova on 38 minutes – was the only other chance of note before half-time, coming in United’s best spell of pressure. Leeds were worth a penalty in injury-time when Vladan Cukic tripped Austin but the referee pointed meekly for a goal-kick.
McCormack should have found the net two minutes into the second half, slicing the ball wide, the examination of Ferencvaros’ defence began to create gaps. Murphy’s volley on 50 minutes was spilled by Jova and then gathered at the second attempt.
Bode was given time to bring a high ball down inside the box and score on the turn in the 53rd minute, rifling the ball across Kenny and finding the far corner of his net. United’s keeper was excellent throughout, flicking another goalbound strike from Somalia away from goal.
McDermott’s raft of changes came in the 63rd minute and David Norris and Aidan White had opportunities to equalise, the former volleying the ball towards the stands and White’s shot hitting a Ferencvaros’ player as their defence split apart.
The referee played his part again in the last quarter-of-an-hour by laughably ignoring a bodycheck on Stephen Warnock inside Ferencvaros’ box.
McDermott, whose side took one win from three games in Slovenia, said: “I can see things panning out and this has been a great tour for us. We couldn’t have wished for better and it was exactly what I hoped for.”
Ferencvaros: Jova, Hidvegi, Besic, Jozsi, Gyomber, Cukic, Alempijevic, Tuyp, Bode, Jovanovic, Somalia.
Leeds United: Kenny, Thompson, Peltier (Lees 63), Pearce (Pugh 63), Drury (Warnock 63), Austin (Green 63), Tonge (Norris 63), Murphy (Brown 63), McCormack (White 63), Varney, Smith (Poleon 63).