I deserved the chop admits honest Hunt
YEP 23/10/13
Dropped for the Birmingham City game, striker Noel Hunt responded with a hat-trick for Leeds’ Under-21 side. Phil Hay reports.
Noel Hunt admitted last night that Brian McDermott was right to leave him out of Leeds United’s win over Birmingham City, saying: “I’d have done the same in his position.”
The out-of-form striker, who raised his spirits with a hat-trick for Leeds’ Under-21s yesterday, said his omission from McDermott’s squad on Sunday had been a “fair decision” in response to his performances since a free transfer from Reading in July.
Hunt was notable by his absence from United’s teamsheet at the weekend, left out along with midfielder Paul Green as McDermott implemented sweeping changes to his formation and line-up in the aftermath of a chronic spell of results.
The 30-year-old was one of McDermott’s most high-profile transfers in the summer, brought to Elland Road after Leeds sent Steve Morison on loan to Millwall, but the United manager revealed that Hunt and Green had been dropped for the defeat of Birmingham, rather than injured.
Michael Brown and Danny Pugh were preferred as substitutes – the latter involved in a senior fixture for the first time in almost a year – and Matt Smith justified his inclusion up front with two goals in a rousing 4-0 win.
Hunt, who has failed to score in eight first-team appearances for Leeds, told the YEP: “It was tough to be left out and I don’t like being in that position but I’ve got the utmost respect for the manager and, to be honest, I agreed with his decision. I’d have done the same.
“I haven’t been great and if I haven’t been great then how can he justify putting me in? It’s not the first time he’s dropped me in his career or mine and I’ve never once felt that he was treating me unfairly.
“I don’t know if he was nervous about telling me but he was superb in the way he handled it and it left me thinking ‘yeah, fair enough.’ Managers don’t pick players who aren’t playing well, or good managers don’t.
“He (McDermott’s) the sort of guy who would leave his son out if he had to. He’d leave out anyone who didn’t deserve a place. I don’t expect any special treatment just because I’ve played under him before or because we know each other well. I won’t get special treatment and no player should.”
Sunday’s emphatic result – United’s biggest Championship victory for the best part of two years – justified McDermott’s approach to a game which was crucial in reasserting his control of a darkening atmosphere at Elland Road.
Leeds had been backed into a corner by five defeats from seven league games ahead of the international break but his revised team – fielded in an uncharacteristic 3-5-2 formation – picked apart a woeful Birmingham defence, putting the game beyond City’s reach inside 45 minutes.
Smith’s two goals came on his full league debut and McDermott said later that the inclusion of Brown and Pugh among his substitutes reflected their “professional” attitude in the face of few opportunities for either player this season.
“The team were superb on Sunday,” Hunt said.
“The manager changed the shape and it did us the world of good.
“We put endless balls into the box and if we’re laying on balls like that, we’ve got players here who will attack them and score.
“All the strikers here are well capable of chipping in and Sunday made that clear.
“Credit to big Matty Smith – he took his chances superbly and his finishing was top draw. I’m genuinely delighted for him and he deserves his place now. He deserves it big time.
“We’ve got a good squad here and certainly not as bad a squad as people have been making out. It’s maybe boring to talk about attitude and so on but that’s what makes you bounce back when you’re under pressure. We played great against Birmingham, definitely, but the attitude through the international break and leading up to the game was right on the money. You can’t discount that.”
McDermott offered more words of support for Hunt attitude after his three goals earned United’s development squad a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Thorp Arch yesterday afternoon.
Hunt converted a penalty and a header in the first half and completed a hat-trick by nipping in behind Wednesday’s defence midway through the second.
Having led 3-1, Leeds contrived to throw away two points with late concessions.
“It’ll be good for him to get a few goal and I’m pleased,” McDermott said.
“It’s fair to say that it hasn’t really worked for him yet but he’s got a great attitude. You can’t fault that.”
Hunt said: “Every player goes through patches where their form dips and I’m not going to shy away from the fact that it has for me. I’d rather put it right.
“So I work hard and I try to score goals for the reserves or whoever I’m play for.
“I’m not the kind of guy who sulks and I’ve nothing to sulk about, other than my own form.
“I’ll defend myself in as much as I’m genuinely working myself into the ground but things haven’t been coming off for me so this is a time to take stock and get back in there.
“A hat-trick does me no harm I guess and it’s nice to feel the goals flowing naturally but if the team keep churning out results like we did on Sunday then I’ll be a happy man. I’d be gutted not to be involved and I’m desperate to get going but I’d sacrifice my own ends for results like that all season.
“I really would. No player’s bigger than the club.”
United dropped from sixth in the Championship to 14th place in the space of three weeks last month but their rout of Birmingham pushed the club up to ninth position ahead of an inviting run of games against Huddersfield Town, Yeovil Town and Charlton.
Hunt admitted to being surprised by the severity of the criticism of United’s players before the international break, saying: “People were writing us off. I find that hard to accept.
“We’re only a quarter of the way through the season and we’re ninth in the league, four or five points off the play-offs. It’s not perfect but it’s not a disaster either. It’s really not a disaster.
“We’re going to lose games here and there because every team does but if we play like we did on Sunday then we’ll win more than we lose.
“That’s for sure.”
TREBLE GIVES NOEL SOMETHING TO CHEER
Sheffield Wednesday staged a second-half fightback to deny Leeds United’s development squad a second league win of the season.
Caolan Lavery and substitute Mani Dieseruvwe struck in the closing stages to overhaul a 3-1 deficit and earn Wednesday an unlikely 3-3 draw at Thorp Arch yesterday.
United appeared to be cruising to victory after a hat-trick from Noel Hunt twice gave Neil Redfearn’s side a commanding advantage.
Leeds were two goals to the good at half-time through a seventh-minute penalty and a 40th-minute header from Hunt and they established a 3-1 lead after Lavery pulled a goal back amid suspicions of offside.
After the Owls drew level, Aidan White hit the post in the dying seconds. United’s team featured two trialists, Lithuanian international Marius Zaliukas and 19-year-old Luis Morrison-Derbyshire, a former Arsenal trainee, while Dom Poleon played the full game.
Leeds: Cairns, Killock, Zaliukas, Morrison-Derbyshire, Coyle, Purver, Dawson (Walters 84), Lenighan, White, Poleon, Hunt. Subs (not used): Atkinson, Thompson, Parkin, Philips.
Dropped for the Birmingham City game, striker Noel Hunt responded with a hat-trick for Leeds’ Under-21 side. Phil Hay reports.
Noel Hunt admitted last night that Brian McDermott was right to leave him out of Leeds United’s win over Birmingham City, saying: “I’d have done the same in his position.”
The out-of-form striker, who raised his spirits with a hat-trick for Leeds’ Under-21s yesterday, said his omission from McDermott’s squad on Sunday had been a “fair decision” in response to his performances since a free transfer from Reading in July.
Hunt was notable by his absence from United’s teamsheet at the weekend, left out along with midfielder Paul Green as McDermott implemented sweeping changes to his formation and line-up in the aftermath of a chronic spell of results.
The 30-year-old was one of McDermott’s most high-profile transfers in the summer, brought to Elland Road after Leeds sent Steve Morison on loan to Millwall, but the United manager revealed that Hunt and Green had been dropped for the defeat of Birmingham, rather than injured.
Michael Brown and Danny Pugh were preferred as substitutes – the latter involved in a senior fixture for the first time in almost a year – and Matt Smith justified his inclusion up front with two goals in a rousing 4-0 win.
Hunt, who has failed to score in eight first-team appearances for Leeds, told the YEP: “It was tough to be left out and I don’t like being in that position but I’ve got the utmost respect for the manager and, to be honest, I agreed with his decision. I’d have done the same.
“I haven’t been great and if I haven’t been great then how can he justify putting me in? It’s not the first time he’s dropped me in his career or mine and I’ve never once felt that he was treating me unfairly.
“I don’t know if he was nervous about telling me but he was superb in the way he handled it and it left me thinking ‘yeah, fair enough.’ Managers don’t pick players who aren’t playing well, or good managers don’t.
“He (McDermott’s) the sort of guy who would leave his son out if he had to. He’d leave out anyone who didn’t deserve a place. I don’t expect any special treatment just because I’ve played under him before or because we know each other well. I won’t get special treatment and no player should.”
Sunday’s emphatic result – United’s biggest Championship victory for the best part of two years – justified McDermott’s approach to a game which was crucial in reasserting his control of a darkening atmosphere at Elland Road.
Leeds had been backed into a corner by five defeats from seven league games ahead of the international break but his revised team – fielded in an uncharacteristic 3-5-2 formation – picked apart a woeful Birmingham defence, putting the game beyond City’s reach inside 45 minutes.
Smith’s two goals came on his full league debut and McDermott said later that the inclusion of Brown and Pugh among his substitutes reflected their “professional” attitude in the face of few opportunities for either player this season.
“The team were superb on Sunday,” Hunt said.
“The manager changed the shape and it did us the world of good.
“We put endless balls into the box and if we’re laying on balls like that, we’ve got players here who will attack them and score.
“All the strikers here are well capable of chipping in and Sunday made that clear.
“Credit to big Matty Smith – he took his chances superbly and his finishing was top draw. I’m genuinely delighted for him and he deserves his place now. He deserves it big time.
“We’ve got a good squad here and certainly not as bad a squad as people have been making out. It’s maybe boring to talk about attitude and so on but that’s what makes you bounce back when you’re under pressure. We played great against Birmingham, definitely, but the attitude through the international break and leading up to the game was right on the money. You can’t discount that.”
McDermott offered more words of support for Hunt attitude after his three goals earned United’s development squad a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Thorp Arch yesterday afternoon.
Hunt converted a penalty and a header in the first half and completed a hat-trick by nipping in behind Wednesday’s defence midway through the second.
Having led 3-1, Leeds contrived to throw away two points with late concessions.
“It’ll be good for him to get a few goal and I’m pleased,” McDermott said.
“It’s fair to say that it hasn’t really worked for him yet but he’s got a great attitude. You can’t fault that.”
Hunt said: “Every player goes through patches where their form dips and I’m not going to shy away from the fact that it has for me. I’d rather put it right.
“So I work hard and I try to score goals for the reserves or whoever I’m play for.
“I’m not the kind of guy who sulks and I’ve nothing to sulk about, other than my own form.
“I’ll defend myself in as much as I’m genuinely working myself into the ground but things haven’t been coming off for me so this is a time to take stock and get back in there.
“A hat-trick does me no harm I guess and it’s nice to feel the goals flowing naturally but if the team keep churning out results like we did on Sunday then I’ll be a happy man. I’d be gutted not to be involved and I’m desperate to get going but I’d sacrifice my own ends for results like that all season.
“I really would. No player’s bigger than the club.”
United dropped from sixth in the Championship to 14th place in the space of three weeks last month but their rout of Birmingham pushed the club up to ninth position ahead of an inviting run of games against Huddersfield Town, Yeovil Town and Charlton.
Hunt admitted to being surprised by the severity of the criticism of United’s players before the international break, saying: “People were writing us off. I find that hard to accept.
“We’re only a quarter of the way through the season and we’re ninth in the league, four or five points off the play-offs. It’s not perfect but it’s not a disaster either. It’s really not a disaster.
“We’re going to lose games here and there because every team does but if we play like we did on Sunday then we’ll win more than we lose.
“That’s for sure.”
TREBLE GIVES NOEL SOMETHING TO CHEER
Sheffield Wednesday staged a second-half fightback to deny Leeds United’s development squad a second league win of the season.
Caolan Lavery and substitute Mani Dieseruvwe struck in the closing stages to overhaul a 3-1 deficit and earn Wednesday an unlikely 3-3 draw at Thorp Arch yesterday.
United appeared to be cruising to victory after a hat-trick from Noel Hunt twice gave Neil Redfearn’s side a commanding advantage.
Leeds were two goals to the good at half-time through a seventh-minute penalty and a 40th-minute header from Hunt and they established a 3-1 lead after Lavery pulled a goal back amid suspicions of offside.
After the Owls drew level, Aidan White hit the post in the dying seconds. United’s team featured two trialists, Lithuanian international Marius Zaliukas and 19-year-old Luis Morrison-Derbyshire, a former Arsenal trainee, while Dom Poleon played the full game.
Leeds: Cairns, Killock, Zaliukas, Morrison-Derbyshire, Coyle, Purver, Dawson (Walters 84), Lenighan, White, Poleon, Hunt. Subs (not used): Atkinson, Thompson, Parkin, Philips.