Leeds United 1 Burnley 2: McDermott rues lack of cutting edge
YEP 21/9/13by Phil Hay
Sean Dyche wants his Burnley players to keep giving their all after they reached the lofty heights of second in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-1 win at Leeds.
The Clarets continue to defy those who said they would achieve nothing without Charlie Austin, with this success further evidence of the product Dyche has created.
The former Chesterfield defender is as no-nonsense a talker as he was a player, but his side are certainly not just one-dimensional, as they displayed at Elland Road.
They were outstanding in the first half and got goals through Scott Arfield and Sam Vokes, before they muscled up in the second to restrict Leeds to a deserved Matt Smith consolation.
As someone who tells it like it is, Dyche can be believed when he says he is not looking at the league table, but he added: “I consider us a team that is growing and improving and I want a team who can look down the tunnel and know they’re going to go hard, no matter who’s got the shirt on.
“I made it clear that was a requirement as soon as I came into the football club and that hasn’t changed. The journey can take you anywhere in this division.”
Burnley’s current trajectory will be taking them up - especially if they continue to show the required qualities at both ends of the pitch.
“In the first half we were very good, we kept the ball well. It’s a tough place to come and we dealt with the feel and emotion of the place,” Dyche said.
“We scored two good, effective goals and in the second half we expected a reaction. We had a brilliant chance, Paddy Kenny made a terrific save which revived them, and in the last 20, 25 minutes they got it forward and it was hard to play against.
“I thought our lads stood strong and when needed, Tom Heaton made a truly awesome save.”
One of Leeds’ biggest problems this season has been their lack of goals. They have scored just seven in the league this term and are still searching for an adequate replacement for Luciano Becchio who went to Norwich in January.
Smith at least gave them some punch when he got off the bench to nod in an 80th-minute consolation, but around that Rodolph Austin, Ross McCormack, Dominic Poleon and Luke Varney all floundered in the box.
“We need someone to grasp the nettle and take up the responsibility of scoring,” manager Brian McDermott said.
“We haven’t scored enough goals, especially at Elland Road. It’s a worry because someone has to try and take that responsibility. I said to the players, the worst thing that can happen has happened. They lost. That’s it. I give them the license to make things happen.”
McDermott has had to face few on-field challenges since taking the Leeds job in September, but three defeats out of four could be viewed as one.
He conceded Burnley had presented him with problems he had not faced to date, and wants his players to start showing more creativity in a bid to prevent it happening again.
“We were 2-0 down and we can’t play like that. Burnley were good, credit to them, but they were soft goals for us and good ones for them. We got beat up by their strikers and that’s the first time it’s happened since I’ve been here.
“The midfielders need to get on the ball more. I give them the license. We need to keep working them and drilling them.”