Saturday 10 November 2012

Unlucky Leeds Suffer Cruel Reverse At Home To Watford



Well when your luck is out...

Poor Neil Warnock and Leeds United. Why, oh why, are manager and club suffering such cruel luck this season? Warnock couldn't understand how Leeds lost at Burnley and he is sure to be scratching his head tonight, utterly perplexed at how his team lost this one. True Watford scored six and might have had ten, but on another day, Warnock's Gung Ho tactics would surely have brought more fitting rewards. If only Reg Varney had not missed that sitter, if only Pearce hadn't been shown a red, if only Neil had not made three changes at half time, if only Austin hadn't promptly suffered an injury...

People are sure to over react by calling for Warnock's head just because Leeds were in eighth when he took over and are now in seventeenth, whilst unfairly bringing attention to a return of just three points from the last eighteen and highlighting that this 1-6 home reverse follows on the 3-7 home defeat against Nottingham Forest last season. Rubbish!

As Leeds fans have been telling me all season - and since mid July in fact - Warnock has a master plan. Just because he has recruited journeymen from teams relegated from the Championship last season, that doesn't mean this Leeds team will struggle. Far from it. Warnock knows what he is doing. He has cherry picked. He has astutely assembled a squad good enough to challenge for promotion, based on a watertight defence and a midfield and attack bristling with attacking intent and goal scoring potential. All Neil needs is time. And a little luck. And some money in January to freshen up the squad...

Leeds were down to nine men today for pity's sake! True Warnock didn't have to make three substitutions at half time, when his team had already been reduced to ten men, but you can't blame a manager for having a go. Why accept defeat when you can go for victory? Warnock told everyone - including opposition manager Zola - that he was going to adopt a Gung Ho attitude in this game and so nobody should complain because he did precisely that. Indeed it was thoroughly unsporting of Zola to pick a team designed to hit Leeds on the break, exploiting the high line and lack of pace in the Leeds defence.

Warnock's not to blame. True he assembled this squad but Bates is the real villain because, like so many other chairmen in the division, he required Warnock to pick from the flotsam and jetsam of free transfers and cheap cast offs. Warnock did his best in the circumstances, investing a fair chunk of the funds entrusted to him in Pearce and Kenny - and where would Leeds have been today without those two?

So where do Leeds and Warnock go from here? Some managers in Warnock's shoes would resign tonight, embarrassed by a second humiliating home thumping at the hands of mediocre opposition. But Warnock isn't a quitter. He hung on at Sheffield United to see them through to relegation and was determined to see the job through at QPR too until Fernandes inexplicably sacked him.

All Warnock needs is time. Time for his team to gel. Time to freshen up the squad. Time to get everybody fit and firing.

And Leeds fans need to hold their nerve and remember what Reading did last season. Warnock's team are only thirteen points behind leaders Palace, twelve points behind second place Middlesborough, and seven points behind near neighbours Huddersfield who occupy sixth spot. When the takeover happens, when the oil money funds the signing of new players, when Warnock has the pick of the transfer market, God help the other teams in this division.

Look on the bright side, it can't get much worse from here.

Can it?

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

a reverse implies that Leeds were in front and we came back to win it.
they weren't.

Anonymous said...

It's not looking good and the season is over already. About staying up now and positioning for next year! Hard to be positive about anything...and this takeover if it ever happens looks a diaster in the making!!

Anonymous said...

that "mediocre" opposition will win the league btw .... mark my words

Anonymous said...

You are an absolute cretin. Is your pitiful website's soul purpose just to try and wind up Watford fans?

Anonymous said...

Could only get worse if we were inbred cockneys like you

Anonymous said...

nice facts arse wad, austin was the player injured

Anonymous said...

"If only Varney hadn't promptly suffered an injury..."

you are wrong as usual, it was Austin with a suspected double leg break.

A very even game until sending off and then injury/9 men

Anonymous said...

There is surely no other club who suffers like Leeds

Anonymous said...

The game's gone crazy,and so have you!

Anonymous said...

Everyone loves to talk about Leeds.......always so much going on..

Anonymous said...

Leeds are cursed, plenty of evidence to support that theory

Anonymous said...

"A very even game until sending off"

Lol except Leeds were losing AND leaving wide open spaces behind. The red card was deserved so even with 10 a Leeds loss was still the most likely outcome, obviously with fewer goals against but not many IMO.
Shocking Rudy Austin injury, I wish him a speedy recovery.

Anonymous said...

best one of yours i have read in a while,this whole takeover thing is having an effect on the whole club.the fans are impatient and rightly so,it gets to the players especially at home,today we were unlucky but i think we would have struggled to win the game even if it had been 11 v 11.january will improve us im sure,but this season is a write off HF.next season-CHAMPS!

Anonymous said...

No pal his aim is to wind up Leeds fans he does it daily well done watford . Things went tits up for Leeds today again no real depth in the Leeds squad take over has cost us promotion . Warnock is still the man for Leeds you don't turn in to a bad manager your hands being tied makes you a bad manager!! Grayson is doing ok !! F-ck off bates & give Leeds a chance

RMGFC said...

How shit are Leeds united! What an absolute embaressment hahaha! On a positive note, at least next year they will be a huge club again... They will be the envy of all the other league 1 clubs. Meanwhile, west ham sit pretty in the top half of englands elite league... Beautiful west ham COYI!!

Anonymous said...

agree-it doesnt matter who is in charge right now-NO-ONE could get us up like this we need a good SQUAD of players,we need another cb,an attacking midfielder,and another striker and im sure we could make the playoffs,as u keep saying hf,the championship is an average league

Anonymous said...

20.52- yeh we are shit right now,but one day we will be be heading back to the top and west ham will STILL be doing F**K all as usual.pahaha

Anonymous said...

Your a dickhead !!

RMGFC said...

Hahaha if you delusional Leeds fans arent still living in the past, your living in the future! Well its all about the present for me, and look at the state of your ridiculous club! Absolutely pathetic

Anonymous said...

I am a Leeds fan and actually find your blogs really funny....Keep them coming!!

RMGFC said...

Ahh textbook Leeds fan response, Good on ya pal!

Anonymous said...

RMGFC -yeah,its true,lufc go backwards and forwards a lot of the time,but west ham go f***ing sideways.existing,being....doing nothing! LOL

RMGFC said...

Ahh textbook Leeds fan response, Good on ya pal!

Anonymous said...

HIGH AN MIGHTY COMMENTING ON A SO CALLED WEST HAM BLOG THAT COMMENTS ON LEEDS MOST OF THE TIME,GET A LIFE THE LOT OF YA!

RMGFC said...

Yea I see your point, 3 years ago we were on the brink of financial meltdown, resulting in us being relegated and nearly ceasing to exist, now were paying £10 million for top drawer players, have an England international up front and are a win away from a european spot in the league. Always going sideways....

Anonymous said...

rmgfc-when you word it like that it sounds amazing but when you word it like this-matt jarvis and andy carroll it sounds stupid :) i hope you stay up for a few years if ya can manage it,just so when leeds start their rise again they can fukcin smash ya home and away!

Rod Greeny said...

Another bang on observation of both teams. Us WFC fans are still split to what lies ahead and despite what our new adopted family are saying the jury is still out!
This result today was as a result of 'Colin' falling on his sword and players who are not good enough. I have seen most of our games this season home and away, this result was always likely to happen especially, if the opposition does hari kari with sending off's etc.

Anonymous said...

you may be right but at least we wont shit are pants next week.

Hammersfan said...

Shit OUR pants moron. We, of course, will not play Millwall in the league this season. Nor Bristol City nor Huddersfield nor Barnsley nor...

Anonymous said...

god is just.

Anonymous said...

oh,so you do print,ah ah.

Anonymous said...

very selective again,what a joke,a door works both ways.

Anonymous said...

select your own flattery.sad.

Anonymous said...

rar rar

Anonymous said...

rar rar

Anonymous said...

Hammersfan - you need to stop posting comments under aliases on your own blog!

As ever - FAILBLOG.

Anonymous said...

bubbles bubbles rar rar,go on open your mind,goooooooooooooooooooooooooo bubbles.

Anonymous said...

pants

Anonymous said...

Hammersfan, do you get sexually aroused in discrediting Leeds and Warnock on a regular basis,moron?

Anonymous said...

night night.p w your w.

Anonymous said...

have some bottle with that water you drink next time.

Anonymous said...

yes i am that good.

Anonymous said...

Where's the pompous prick who likes to call you Doctor Weevil? Ha Ha.

Anonymous said...

Hopeless. This lot are not fit to wear the white shirt. I would change the shirts to yellow and pink to reflect the sort of players we have at Leeds. Or maybe brown, the colour reminds me of the standard of Leeds at the moment. There are a few players at Leeds who are better than the majority, I feel sorry for them as well. Warnock is an absolute disgrace. Where is the apology to the poor old Leeds fans, paying top money for this rubbish every game. Resign, Warnock please.

They way its going Father Christmas will have to pay someone to take the club.

KevinCebu said...

Keep Wanking you little man. MOT

Anonymous said...

"Shit OUR pants moron. We, of course, will not play Millwall in the league this season. Nor Bristol City nor Huddersfield nor Barnsley nor... "

Yeah, shite division isn't it? Yet still you seem compelled to devote a blog to it.

FAILBLOG.

Anonymous said...

"You're" as in you are a retard

Anonymous said...

I am a Leeds fan, and I enjoy your blog. Very witty, keep them coming!

RMGFC said...

Now I'm a retard and a dick head, and I'm getting pulled on my grammar as you have no counter argument. Good work

Anonymous said...

Funny blog. Like it. Keep 'em coming.

geitungur akureyrar said...

You should give Watford some credit. They have to get into positions to make shots and to score them. Easier with eight on field opponents and the goalkeeper, but they have to get the chances. No one fussed when Cardiff City beat Watford the last week with two extra players and with a penalty kick as well.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see Leeds are still the main talking point in English football, apart from hammers fans nobody talks or cares about the hammers.