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But for all that, any criticism I have of Warnock or the players at Leeds is outweighed by the criticism I have of this takeover. If I hear once more that it’s almost complete then I think I’ll go mad. I’m absolutely sick of the whole thing and I doubt whether I’m alone.http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-hornets-clash-was-a-disaster-matteo-1-5137861By Dominic Matteo
Published on Friday 16 November 2012 13:15I’m struggling to know how to put Leeds United’s defeat to Watford into words.
In every way it was a total disaster – injuries, suspensions, three points dropped, six goals conceded. Dig the positives out of that. It was one of those days when you almost felt like the club were in crisis.
That’s probably going a bit too far but the situation at Elland Road is not at all good. It’s a mystery off the pitch and a worry on the pitch. On one hand this alleged takeover is doing nobody any favours. But I can’t pretend that the team is playing well either.
I was quietly hopeful of a result against Watford but my confidence drained as soon as I saw the team. It didn’t fill me with optimism. That’s partly because of the quality of the players, partly because of the system they were in and partly because of the roles some of them were being asked to play.
I’m not going to be too critical of Neil Warnock because his hands are badly tied but some of what he’s doing strikes me as odd. Fielding Paul Green at centre-back on Saturday made very little sense and proved a mistake.
I also thought it was a gamble to abandon the formation that Leeds are familiar with and go 3-5-2. I’m no expert when it comes to coaching and tactics but I really didn’t expect it to work.
To be fair, injuries and a shortage of players are as much to blame as anything but like a lot of supporters I’d prefer to see players used regularly in their best position – Lee Peltier as an attacking right-back, for instance, or Aidy White on the left side. So often when I pick up the teamsheet before kick-off I can’t really guess how the 11 names are going to shape up. It doesn’t feel like a settled side.
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That’s honestly the last thing I ever expected to say about a Neil Warnock team. One of his many strengths as a manager is organisation. Whenever you see his sides you automatically expect them to be solid and resilient. I’m happy to forget the scoreline against Watford because Leeds had no chance whatsoever in the second half but so far Leeds have kept two clean sheets in league matches this season. Two. A lot was made of how bad the defensive record was under Simon Grayson but bizarrely the same problem is still there.
But for all that, any criticism I have of Warnock or the players at Leeds is outweighed by the criticism I have of this takeover. If I hear once more that it’s almost complete then I think I’ll go mad. I’m absolutely sick of the whole thing and I doubt whether I’m alone.
The irony of the takeover was that it was supposed to help the club and give Leeds the best possible chance of getting out of the Championship. It’s now the middle of November, the club are 18th in the league and the crowds at Elland Road are falling below 20,000 on a Saturday afternoon.
If you’re asking me what this planned takeover has actually done for Leeds United, the answer is not a lot. Yes, it might cross the line in time for millions to be spent in January and if we’re lucky it might open the door to promotion. But none of what’s been promised so far has actually materialised. That’s the bottom line. Ifs, buts and maybes are more and more worthless the longer this goes on.
The more I think about it the more I believe that this process has been allowed to go on far too long already. For the sake of the club and as a duty of care, it needed to end one way or the other weeks ago. It’s unacceptable to let it drag on through a season which is going nowhere at the moment. It’s overshadowing everything and still no-one can tell us exactly when it will all end.
There are worse positions to be in than seven points below the play-offs. But believe me, in this sort of shape and with the current atmosphere hanging around the club, Leeds don’t have a chance of winning promotion. Not a serious one. It pains me to say that because I had such high hopes for this season but massive change is needed. And I still can’t say with any confidence that it’s definitely coming.
Millwall v Leeds United: It’s time to back a draw
This will have been a tough week in training for Leeds United’s players. A defeat like Saturday’s hopefully comes round no more than once a season and it’s crucial to respond to it.
The club had a freak result last year when they lost 7-3 to Nottingham Forest. But in the very next game they secured a solid 1-0 win away to Millwall. Who’d have thought it?
In fact, United did the double over them last season and they’ve won three of their last four games against Millwall. But the players will need to be at their best on Sunday.
Millwall have gone nine games unbeaten and are 19/20 favourites. The draw is 12/5 and United are 11/4 to get the win – right up there with their biggest price of the season.
After the Watford game there’s one of two ways the players can go: heads down and feel sorry for themselves or stick together after the disappointment. Neil Warnock won’t let it be anything other than the latter.
Rodolph Austin’s injury was a major blow but it’s events like those that bring players together and make them fight harder.
Personally, I’ll be backing the draw on Sunday because 12/5 is a good price.
Millwall have drawn five of their last nine games while Leeds have drawn four – and with the TV cameras and a raucous atmosphere it won’t just be Leeds under pressure.
You might even find that United perform better going into the match as underdogs.
There are some big prices available on the correct score and double result markets.
A 2-2 draw goes at 12/1 and stands out for me as, needless to say, I think there’ll be goals again. I also like two double result prices with a draw at half-time and full-time available at 9/2 and a Millwall-draw bet going at 14/1.
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