Talking points of Leeds United’s response
Leeds United’s Jimmy Kebe and Sam Byram double up on Leicester City’s David Nugent
1) The response from United
The fans saw a vast improvement this afternoon against league leaders Leicester City as we made it incredibly difficult for them to play their game. From kick off our players showed the hurt and determination suffered from the Sheffield Wednesday defeat by getting in the face of Leicester and making it tough for them to find any sort of room on the Elland Road turf. I think this disappointment amongst Leeds fans is because the side failed to collect one or even three points. If David Nugent didn’t get the rub of the green which he very much got as he pounced on a loose ball in the box would we be so disappointed? There were times in the game where we outplayed Leicester today and with both sides lining up in a 442 formation there were plenty of personal battles amongst the players which we certainly won. The difference today compared to previous games for Leeds is that we managed to create opportunities which led to 14 shot and four of them hitting the target which will loom over Brian Mcdermott as we failed to convert our chances.
2) Relaxed Rudolph Austin
Midweek we saw the change of captaincy move from the Rudolph Austin to Ross McCormack and it seemed to give Rudolph Austin a new lease of life in midfield. It’s as though this allowed him to focus solidly on his own work rather than feeling the pressure of being club captain. We saw glimpses of the old Austin return with his physicality, athleticism and box-to-box runs, which featured in moments of today’s game. Michael Brown who started alongside the Jamaican saw the pair break up the midfield and win their individual battles. They didn’t allow Leicester to feel comfortable and this was great to see as far too many times this season we’ve seen our midfield being overrun by the opposition.
3) Superb Byram
It was great to see Sam Byram return to the side as he has recently been in and out of the side due injury and also good form from Lee Peltier. But today he was fantastic putting in arguably his best performance of the season. The 20-year-old fullback made one of the league’s best wingers in Lloyd Dyer seem non-existent. The Leicester Winger who has scored eight goals could not escape Byram whilst to add to his difficulty Kebe would also assist Byram in stopping the quick winger.
4) Varney pestering the back four
Luke Varney put in a magnificent shift today as he showed great tenacity and was disrupting the back of four Leicester all game and he forced them into numerous errors as he chased the ball down giving nobody a moments rest. He was a suitable partner for McCormack in the 442 system as Varney did all the chasing down which allowed the Scotsman to put himself in areas where the back four couldn’t pick him up due to Varney’s constant running. As well as Varney being a nuisance for any defence to handle he also is a massive aerial threat! He can out jump most players in the league and although he does not have as much of a physical presence as Matt Smith he is still able to unsettle defenders.
5) How the January Arrivals did on their home debuts
Cameron Stuart and Jimmy Kebe both made their home debuts at Elland Road today and there was certainly a big difference in how the two performed. Cameron Stuart was by no means outstanding today but it was a promising performance as he was not afraid to shoot or run at the opposition. Although at times he was a little selfish it was a breath of fresh air to see someone not being afraid of having a shot from range and taking some sort of responsibility. Whilst on the other hand Kebe’s home debut was not so promising. It is clear the 29-year-old is not at all match fit and this showed as he looked sluggish, unconfident and at times he was struggling to retain possession and hold off opponents. This now leaves McDermott with a dilemma as Byram showed he was capable to play right midfield when Kebe was substituted and Peltier slotted into right back. This would be a big risk for McDermott because not playing his new signing wouldn’t do the winger any favours. As this would result in him still lacking match fitness and his confidence would only decrease.
Will we ever see Somma time again?
Super sub Davide Somma hopes to earn a second chance at Leeds, with the possibility of being offered a new contract.
His career at The Whites was very much stop and start but the 28 year old really had a strong season in the 2010/11 campaign when he netted 12 times as he managed to stay clear from the treatment table at Thorpe Arch.
Somma has been allowed to use Leeds’ training facilities to help him work his way back from his third operation. I think you can look at the potential return of the South African as nothing but a positive move for the club. Plenty of fans are reflecting on his very disappointing return from injury under Neil Warnock, but a lot of people forget that he had just come back from a reoccurring knee injury and had not played competitively for a year, so he was never going to hit the ground running straight away.
So I don’t see his possible return anything more than comeback from another injury, rather than a second chance with the club, as it basically him being out of contract as he’s recovering. He won’t be firing on all cylinders on his return, it will take him time to get back in the swing of things. Also with the loss of Luciano Becchio has seen us lose that nuisance in and around the box which can be enough to frighten defenders in the championship. Don’t get me wrong, Luke Varney and Noel Hunt are more than a handful and their work rates are second to none, whilst on the other hand the hight has been replaced with Matt Smith. But what is missing is technicality, reasonable pace and power and somebody who knows where the back of the net is and is not afraid to shoot.
Many people used to argue that Becchio and Somma never worked out as a striking partnership because they are too similar. But although they may be similar height and build, Becchio was a target man and a nuisance for defenders to deal with. Whilst, Somma thrived off the ball at his feet and had the power to ease past defenders as go past a player using skill. As most of his goals came from the ball at his feet rather than his head.
Somma declared his passion for the club and showed willingness for a new contract as he told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “I definitely feel like I’ve got unfinished business at Leeds.
“It’s hard to know what’s going to happen and the gaffer’s going to make his own decisions, but when he spoke to me in the summer he said I could come back, get myself fit and then let the club take a look at me.
“He wasn’t in a position to offer me a contract there and then, which I understood. He wasn’t going to give me a contract when I wasn’t fit. But I’m a month away from being fit enough to train properly and if I’m able to do a bit of training with the first team, then I’ll do my best to impress.
“It’s been tough but I always wanted to get back playing and I always hoped to make more of an impact at Leeds.
“If there was a chance for me, then I’d take it with both hands.”
Wednesday night Barclays Premier League round up!
West Ham 2 – Man Utd 2, Man City 1 – Wigan 0, Fulham 0 – Chelsea 3.
West Ham 2 – Man Utd 2
Referee: L. Probert
Attendance: 34692
Mohamed Diame celebrates stunning goal with teammates.
Firstly for Manchester United, another game ticked off as they continued to edge closer to the title. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men twice had to come from behind but ultimately this is the kind of resilience that is taking them to their 20th league championship. With that in mind, they will probably not be too concerned despite the fact there was only flashes of when they played to the best of their ability.
Ricardo Vaz Te gave West Ham an early lead in the 16th minute as The Hammers are still looking to make survival mathematically certain but this was soon cancelled out as Shinji Kagawa’s superb run produced a leveller for Antonio Valencia before half-time in the 31st minute. It was ten minutes into the second half when Mohamed Diame’s stunning strike then restored West Ham’s lead. before Van Persie turned in United’s second in the 77th minute as he looks to end his season on a high, after Kagawa’s deflected shot rebounded off both posts, although replays showed the Dutchman was in an offside position.
Attendance: 25002
David Luiz spectacular and John Terry double, strengthens Chelsea’s Champions League qualifying hopes.
Man City 1 – Wigan 0
Referee: A. Taylor
Attendance: 47106
Carlos Tévez celebrates after scoring the only goal of the game at the Etihad Stadium
Then current champions welcomed relegation candidates Wigan to the Etihad stadium. With the visitors needing a victory to move out of the relegation places, Wigan conjured up numerous chances against the lethargic champions. But Wigan just couldn’t make their chances count as a mix of poor finishing and the reflexes of City goalkeeper Joe Hart denying Wigan the goal they deserved. Tévez displayed sheer class as he wriggled between two Wigan defenders on the edge of the penalty area and he then curled a right-footed shot into the corner of the goal. Leaving Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles helpless as he expected the ball to arrive to his left rather than whip devilishly past him high to his right.
Austin ensures Leeds get 3 points. Leeds United 1 – Burnley FC 0.
Brian McDermott must wish this season had more than three games remaining as his side sit 6 points off of the playoff places and just only 7 off of the drop, which just shows how closely contested this league is! The win came as Rudy Austin struck his first goal since September as Leeds United secured a second league win under new boss McDermott. The Jamaican international burst from midfield to get on the end of a magnificent through ball from El-Hadji Diouf just after the hour-mark and swept the ball home in front of The Kop.
Burnley were without their top goalscorer Charlie Austin due to emergency surgery to remove his appendix, the Clarets throughout the game as they struggled to create chances on goal. Leeds twice went close to taking the lead when defender Jason Pearce’s header from Stephen Warnock’s cross was blocked by Burnley captain Jason Shackell on the line and Luke Varney reacted quickest to head the loose ball but could only head it on to the bar. Despite Leeds piling on the pressure the away side created opportunities for themselves aswell as Martin Paterson smashed an effort inches wide after Ross Wallace had drilled a trademark effort from outside the penalty area into the arms of Paddy Kenny. Although, Varney was then denied by Lee Grant, who tipped his far post header from Ross McCormack’s free-kick over the crossbar. This was before Diouf showed incredible technique after controlling pass to then clip the ball through expertly for Austin who side footed the ball home.
It is under no doubt that Leeds under the new manager the football at Elland Road has improved dramatically, as The Whites were urged to pass the ball by McDermott, the side were rewarded by home fans when they chanted “We’re Leeds United… We’re passing the ball!” as the fans where delighted to see free flowing attacking football which is something they didn’t necessarily feel was played often under Warnock’s time at the club. McDermott reiterated his positivity from the game and happiness at joining the club by saying “I’ve come here to enjoy myself, the staff want to enjoy themselves and I want the players and the fans to enjoy themselves, that’s what life’s about”. He then went on to say “I’m just a bit upset there’s only three games left, it’s a shame there’s not six”.
Can McDermott continue his triumph?
Brian McDermott’s next game is at Elland Road and he will no doubt want to continue his winning ways as they welcome Burnley. The Whites lost to Burnley last year on 6th November as Charlie Austin’s 20th goal of the season helped the Clarets overcome Leeds at Turf Moor. It was another reasonably late goal which sank Leeds in the 83rd minute which came from an inviting cross which Austin Coolly met.
Although Turf Moor has been a happy hunting ground for Leeds in previous years, as most recently one of Robert Snodgrass’s many heroic performance in a Leeds shirt. As the Clarets struggled to kill off the game, United just grew in confidence and their inability to kill off Leeds cost them, as Snodgrass pounced twice in the last 14 minutes.
But obviously this time there is no Snodgrass. Although, inevitably spirits will be high with the influence of a new manager and a key result which just oozed relief around Elland Road. Ross McCormack and El Hadji Diouf were instrumental in Saturday’s triumph and they will no doubt be McDermott’s main men. Also Steve Morison is also a man that the new boss has to consider as he could persist starting the Welsh international which is a similar approach Simon Grayson took with McCormack and Billy Paynter. It did eventually pay off for Grayson and it is clear that Morison was initally not match fit,which is not his fault just due to lack of match practise. Also he has proven his finishing class before as he expertly scored two great goals away to Crystal Palace. Or he may choose to shake things up and introduce Davide Somma who is eager to cement himself in to the first team after countless set backs. Although it has been known that McDermott likes to play with pace down the flanks, this may mean we will see Aidy White who was put out to into the cold under Warnock’s reign and Ryan Hall will be ecstatic if he were to be handed a start ,as he has only had 11 starts since joining the club and most of them are from coming off the bench. So I am sure McDermott has a dilemma on his starting 11, but after having longer to review his squad and whilst being aided by Neil Redfearn and Richard Naylor , I am confident that we are in safe hands.
A revived Leeds United. Leeds United 2 – Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Two goals in six second half minutes by Luke Varney against his former club brought Leeds United from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in the big Yorkshire derby at Elland Road. The Whites were trailing to a Jermaine Johnson goal at the break as he put the ball past a helpless Paddy Kenny in goal and which left a defeat looming in Brian McDermott’s first game as manager. However, he turned it round as his side put out a superb display in the second half after the new boss made changes.
McDermott’s decision to take off the unsettled striker Steve Morison after an hour and switch Varney from the flanks to centre-forward proved a masterstroke as within three minutes Varney headed home an equaliser and then imminently after he was on target with another header to clinch a vital victory which should see Leeds head out of a relegation scrap. Leeds had to hang on in the closing stages with Steve Howard hitting the post for the Owls, but saw the game out for a win that can go a long way to ensuring safety from relegation.
Wednesday opened the scoring when goalkeeper Chris Kirkland’s long kick was headed on by Jeremy Helan for Jamaica international Johnson to race through and tuck away his fourth goal in as many games and his seventh of the season. Leeds looked transformed in attack in the second half after El-Hadji Diouf was introduced in the second half. United’s flow seemed to click after Ross McCormack crossed from the right in the 63rd minute and Varney rose to head in via the underside of the bar. McCormack and Varney then instigated their magic once again, this time Varney’s close-range header flying directly into the net! Leeds had to keep concentration in the dying minutes which has been an area of weakness for the Whites during this season. The biggest scare was when Leroy Lita let a chance go begging but Leeds saw through the pressure giving Leeds their first win in eight games, and this gave McDermott the perfect start barely 24 hours after his appointment as Neil Warnock’s successor.
Leeds: Kenny,Byram, Pearce, Warnock (Tonge 85), Drury, Norris (Diouf 45), Green, Austin, McCormack, Morison (White 60), Varney.
Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Gardner, Llera, R Johnson, Holden (Maguire 72), Coke (Lee 45), Prutton, Helan, J Johnson (Howard 52), Lita.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick.
George Boulton 