McDermott looking to strike a balance
YEP 28/9/13
by Phil Hay
The Leeds boss says he needs to keep the fans happy with results now, but not neglect his long-term aims. Phil Hay reports.
When Brian McDermott talked on Wednesday about giving Leeds United’s supporters “something this season”, it was not a change of policy on his part but an admission that long-term planning in West Yorkshire cannot neglect the here and now.
These past 10 days have been hard for McDermott, rounded off by a walk through the fire of Millwall, but enlightening in their own way too. He has argued from the afternoon of his appointment as Leeds manager that he is in no position to bring quick fixes to Elland Road but he wishes more than ever that he could find a way to flick a switch and grant the crowd their wish.
At present McDermott is witnessing the biggest attendances away from home since the peak of Simon Grayson’s tenure, a time when tickets sold in a flash. Grayson had almost 7,000 with him on a Tuesday night in Barnsley in 2010 and some 6,000 at Coventry a month-and-a-half later. The numbers ran close to five figures during an FA Cup tie against Arsenal in 2011.
McDermott gave a little shake of his head as he walked onto the touchline before United’s League Cup match against Newcastle on Wednesday and saw 5,971 fans in the Gods at St James’ Park. By the time he left with Leeds out of he competition after a 2-0 defeat, he was fixed on the importance of bringing his plans together sooner rather than later.
The past couple of weeks, in spite of results, have set McDermott “on a mission”. The odds against his squad this season are not exactly short in a league where Queens Park Rangers with 20 points have almost twice as many as Leeds but he is well aware that his attempt to lay deep roots and contribute to the creation of stability at United - “the process” as he calls it - needs be coupled with a more immediate push.
“We’ve got a process taking place here at the moment,” he said.
“I don’t want to tell people to be patient because the supporters pay their money and they want to see us be the best we can be but there’s definitely a process we have to go through to get to where we need to be.
“The fans were amazing on Wednesday and I’m on a mission here, I really am. These people deserve something.
“In the last few games we haven’t had the results we wanted but that’s when you have to make something happen. Scoring goals is something we want to address and we have to defend set-plays better. But we’re working on those things and that’s the process I’m talking about.”
McDermott made the effort to take Wednesday’s atmosphere in, despite the intensity of the football in front of him and the state of a tie in which Leeds had a shout until Newcastle struck for the second time with 23 minutes left to play.
He and Alan Pardew, Newcastle’s manager, were caught unaware by the revival of phenomenon among United’s support which first showed itself during a brutal FA Cup defeat at Manchester City last season. Chants of ‘let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal’ dominated the closing stages of Wednesday’s match, followed by intense cheering which neither coach understood.
“You’re aware of what’s going on around you at these games and you get a sense of things happening,” McDermott said.
“But something happened with about 10 minutes to go, like the fans were celebrating a phantom goal. I didn’t know what was going on and Alan next to me looked up too. I was thinking ‘what happened there?’ and he wasn’t sure either. Our supporters are incredible people, they really are.”
McDermott is finding, as some of his predecessors did, that the defence of long-term aims becomes more difficult when results disappoint. Leeds were in good shape after a win at Bolton Wanderers on September 14 but lost in quick succession to Reading and Burnley, sinking into the middle of a table which is gradually taking shape.
The Championship season is only eight games old but the top six positions hold some significant names – QPR, Leicester City, Watford and Nottingham Forest. All four were heavily favoured by the bookmakers before the season began. The division is setting a fast pace and Forest lay sixth last weekend with 15 points. The gap between first place and the bottom three is already half as wide as it was at the end of last term.
The statistics show that the problem with Leeds lies up front. United have the tightest defence in the league bar the top two clubs but scored twice in four league games prior to today’s match at Millwall.
“We’re creating a few chances,” McDermott said, “and against Newcastle we hit the bar and played really well. Matt Smith had a chance as well, just before they went up the other end and scored with their first real attack.
“You know what it’s like in football, the first goal’s really important. But we’re in a period at the moment - and I had it before at Reading - where we’ve started what we’re doing and we’re trying to find a way. We will find it. They’re terrific lads here and a nice bunch with it.
“It’s funny because in a lot of ways we’ve been our own undoing. At Reading, in the 97th minute, we conceded from a free-kick given away when the game was done and whatever happened we should have come out of that with at least a 0-0 draw.
“QPR did us with a set-play late on so we’re taking inches. That’s what the Championship’s all about. There’s nothing in it at all. You’ve just got to stay in games and that’s what we’re trying to do at the moment.
“You’ve got to pick up as many points as you can and the most important thing at this stage is to stay in there. Being in amongst it around Christmas and then kick on.”
by Phil Hay
The Leeds boss says he needs to keep the fans happy with results now, but not neglect his long-term aims. Phil Hay reports.
When Brian McDermott talked on Wednesday about giving Leeds United’s supporters “something this season”, it was not a change of policy on his part but an admission that long-term planning in West Yorkshire cannot neglect the here and now.
These past 10 days have been hard for McDermott, rounded off by a walk through the fire of Millwall, but enlightening in their own way too. He has argued from the afternoon of his appointment as Leeds manager that he is in no position to bring quick fixes to Elland Road but he wishes more than ever that he could find a way to flick a switch and grant the crowd their wish.
At present McDermott is witnessing the biggest attendances away from home since the peak of Simon Grayson’s tenure, a time when tickets sold in a flash. Grayson had almost 7,000 with him on a Tuesday night in Barnsley in 2010 and some 6,000 at Coventry a month-and-a-half later. The numbers ran close to five figures during an FA Cup tie against Arsenal in 2011.
McDermott gave a little shake of his head as he walked onto the touchline before United’s League Cup match against Newcastle on Wednesday and saw 5,971 fans in the Gods at St James’ Park. By the time he left with Leeds out of he competition after a 2-0 defeat, he was fixed on the importance of bringing his plans together sooner rather than later.
The past couple of weeks, in spite of results, have set McDermott “on a mission”. The odds against his squad this season are not exactly short in a league where Queens Park Rangers with 20 points have almost twice as many as Leeds but he is well aware that his attempt to lay deep roots and contribute to the creation of stability at United - “the process” as he calls it - needs be coupled with a more immediate push.
“We’ve got a process taking place here at the moment,” he said.
“I don’t want to tell people to be patient because the supporters pay their money and they want to see us be the best we can be but there’s definitely a process we have to go through to get to where we need to be.
“The fans were amazing on Wednesday and I’m on a mission here, I really am. These people deserve something.
“In the last few games we haven’t had the results we wanted but that’s when you have to make something happen. Scoring goals is something we want to address and we have to defend set-plays better. But we’re working on those things and that’s the process I’m talking about.”
McDermott made the effort to take Wednesday’s atmosphere in, despite the intensity of the football in front of him and the state of a tie in which Leeds had a shout until Newcastle struck for the second time with 23 minutes left to play.
He and Alan Pardew, Newcastle’s manager, were caught unaware by the revival of phenomenon among United’s support which first showed itself during a brutal FA Cup defeat at Manchester City last season. Chants of ‘let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal’ dominated the closing stages of Wednesday’s match, followed by intense cheering which neither coach understood.
“You’re aware of what’s going on around you at these games and you get a sense of things happening,” McDermott said.
“But something happened with about 10 minutes to go, like the fans were celebrating a phantom goal. I didn’t know what was going on and Alan next to me looked up too. I was thinking ‘what happened there?’ and he wasn’t sure either. Our supporters are incredible people, they really are.”
McDermott is finding, as some of his predecessors did, that the defence of long-term aims becomes more difficult when results disappoint. Leeds were in good shape after a win at Bolton Wanderers on September 14 but lost in quick succession to Reading and Burnley, sinking into the middle of a table which is gradually taking shape.
The Championship season is only eight games old but the top six positions hold some significant names – QPR, Leicester City, Watford and Nottingham Forest. All four were heavily favoured by the bookmakers before the season began. The division is setting a fast pace and Forest lay sixth last weekend with 15 points. The gap between first place and the bottom three is already half as wide as it was at the end of last term.
The statistics show that the problem with Leeds lies up front. United have the tightest defence in the league bar the top two clubs but scored twice in four league games prior to today’s match at Millwall.
“We’re creating a few chances,” McDermott said, “and against Newcastle we hit the bar and played really well. Matt Smith had a chance as well, just before they went up the other end and scored with their first real attack.
“You know what it’s like in football, the first goal’s really important. But we’re in a period at the moment - and I had it before at Reading - where we’ve started what we’re doing and we’re trying to find a way. We will find it. They’re terrific lads here and a nice bunch with it.
“It’s funny because in a lot of ways we’ve been our own undoing. At Reading, in the 97th minute, we conceded from a free-kick given away when the game was done and whatever happened we should have come out of that with at least a 0-0 draw.
“QPR did us with a set-play late on so we’re taking inches. That’s what the Championship’s all about. There’s nothing in it at all. You’ve just got to stay in games and that’s what we’re trying to do at the moment.
“You’ve got to pick up as many points as you can and the most important thing at this stage is to stay in there. Being in amongst it around Christmas and then kick on.”