After Forest rout, McDermott readies summer cull at Leeds
Yorkshire Post 22/4/14BRIAN McDermott admitted last night that a complete overhaul was needed at Leeds United after a trademark defeat to Nottingham Forest.
United’s manager will tell new club owner Massimo Cellino that major changes to his squad are required when the two men meet to discuss their plans for the summer later this week.
Cellino was not at Elland Road yesterday and missed a sorry 2-0 loss which United brought on themselves by conceding twice in the opening 16 minutes.
Two Matt Derbyshire goals in the early stages of the game condemned Leeds to yet another league defeat and prompted McDermott to concede that deep cuts were necessary before the start of next season.
Cellino, who secured control of United from Gulf Finance House earlier this month, is yet to indicate whether McDermott will definitely continue as manager next term but the Leeds boss has already drawn up a list of transfer targets and will present his strategy to Cellino in the coming days.
McDermott said repeated performances as weak and ineffective as yesterday’s meant the loss to Forest was “no accident”, saying: “That sums up the last three months – not the season because we started the season well and we were fifth at Christmas, but that sums up the last three months.
“We gave a couple of goals away early on and were chasing the game. We had a lot of possession but didn’t hurt them and that needs to be addressed in the summer.
“We need to plan for players, the squad and how we’re going to do things. We need to definitely look at players coming in and we’ve got changes to make to the squad, there’s no doubt about that. We need to address things.
“We’ve got a list of targets and we need to do deals.”
McDermott has two years remaining on his contract at Elland Road but no fewer than nine of his players are free agents in July and most look likely to leave after a grim campaign.
United have suffered 21 league defeats and the the club have two matches left, away at Birmingham City on Saturday and at home to Derby County seven days later.
Asked why United were so prone to caving in, McDermott said: “It keeps happening and because it keeps happening, it isn’t right.
“It’s happened too many times and if it keeps happening, you’ve got to change things.”
