Former United hero says Leeds will struggle
Brendan Ormsby grew accustomed to the chase of promotion during four full seasons at Elland Road, and he has warned Leeds United that a play-off position will soon slip out of reach if their current crash is allowed to continue.
Ormsby's career with Leeds coincided with a Division Two play-off final appearance in 1987 and promotion to the first division three years later, and the retired defender fears United are showing the effects of the strain created by their dramatic season.
The club's rise to the top of League One on Boxing Day left Ormsby in agreement with the large number of supporters who believed United would win the division's title, and their loss of form over Christmas did not dissuade him from thinking that a top-six finish was a minimal target.
But the 47-year-old watched Saturday's 1-1 draw against Crewe at Elland Road with trepidation, and the sight of Leeds five points behind the play-off positions is giving him grave cause of concern.
Ormsby remembers the rate at which games flew by towards the end of every season, and he believes United will be out of touch if they fail to immediately improve their results.
"They're in a dangerous position at the moment because the games are starting to run out quickly," Ormsby said.
"It was always the same when I was a player – one minute you're starting the season in August, and the next you're heading into your last 10 games.
"Before Christmas a lot of us felt that Leeds would go up as champions, and even when the results first turned I still thought the play-offs were a certainty.
"But the season can run away at this stage, and they're obviously struggling.
"When you're inside the top six, you can afford to drop points, but when you're on the outside, every draw and every defeat becomes more and more expensive.
"We've seen that with Leeds. They've been out-of-form for a while and they're five points adrift.
"If they're not careful, the play-offs will be out of reach soon."
Gary McAllister's introduction to the demands of managing Leeds has been unforgiving and he will attempt to produce his first victory at the fifth attempt against Swindon Town on Saturday, but Ormsby concurred with the general opinion that United's boss has inherited the decline at Elland Road rather than instigated it.
Eight players were signed during January but the majority were identified by Dennis Wise and his backroom team, and McAllister has had four short weeks in which to implement his style of management.
The result has been 1-1 draws with Crewe, Northampton Town and Nottingham Forest, and a 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers in his first match at Elland Road.
Ormsby, who works as a postman in Leeds and attends every home fixture, has seen early evidence of the passing strategy that McAllister promised to adopt during his tenure.
But he admitted the Scot was being hampered by the demand for results and also questioned how well the players were coping with the pressure created by their worsening league position.
"I'd say it's getting to the players at bit," said Ormsby.
"They're obviously under a lot of pressure, and especially at home. People talk about the 12th man at Elland Road and it's not a cliche, but I know how difficult it can be when the crowd turn.
"If you take a contract with Leeds United, that is what you have to deal with.
"There are great training facilities for the players here and it's a big thing to say that you're signing for this club, but it's all very well saying that.
"You have to accept the pressure that comes with it. It's not a one-way street.
"There's high expectation at Leeds United. That's the way it's always been.
"You can't blame Gary for the league position because he inherited a team that was already starting to struggle, but he would be the first to say that he doesn't have time to ask for patience.
"When he took the job, he made it clear that he was here to win promotion. "But he really needs to get that first win under his belt because I look at what's happening to Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, and I'd hate to imagine the same happening here.
"Keegan was seen as a saviour by Newcastle's fans, but some of them are beginning to hammer him already.
"I think it goes to prove that the idea that supporters will accept defeat after defeat simply because a team are playing sexy football is nonsense.
"Fans always want better, but if you send them home with a 1-0 victory and a goal that's gone in off someone's arse, they're going to be fairly happy.
"Because results like that mean promotion or a play-off place at the end of the season."
United's visit to Swindon, who drew 2-2 with Oldham Athletic last night, is followed by three consecutive matches against teams involved in League One's relegation fight, and the effect of that run of fixtures on United's final league position will be vast.
Carlisle's victory at Crewe yesterday increased the gap between Leeds and automatic promotion to 11 points – a deficit which now appears beyond United – but Ormsby is still confident that the final 13 games will yield enough points to force Leeds into the top six.
"I still think they'll do it," said Ormsby.
"It might sound arrogant but we're Leeds United, and I think that will tell.
"If the players can start the season as strongly as they did then they're good enough to finish it well, and that's what it comes down to.
"This is where you earn your money as a player, and my gut feeling is that they've got enough in their squad to make it happen.
"But this needs to be the end of their slump, here and now."
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