Good Morning Everyone, Brighton got their first points on the board following an absolute shocking performance from the men in White. Not only did the Seagulls dominate, from start to finish, but Leeds never looked likely to score, and certainly never troubled Stockdale. Only poor finishing from Brighton spared Leeds blushes any further. I cannot remember too many times that Leeds have been booed off this early in a campaign. Hockaday claimed at half time that the one thing the team was missing was pace, hence he took Smithy off, and replaced him with Ajose. I've not nothing against the ex Peterborough lad, but he isn't a game changing player. There are a few other quotes from Hockaday please log in to view this image Phil Hay @PhilHayYEP · 9h Hockaday: "For me, it's not a physical thing. It's a mental and emotional thing. We didn't seem focused on the game." please log in to view this image Phil Hay @PhilHayYEP · 9h Hockaday: "Brighton didn't have wingers but they had width. The days when someone stood on the wing waiting for the ball have gone." please log in to view this image Phil Hay @PhilHayYEP · 9h Hockaday at a loss to explain that, especially the first half. Says Leeds were mentally weak and couldn't keep the ball. [FONT=Gotham Narrow SSm, sans-serif]Doukara has been sidelined for at least four weeks, after he [/FONT][FONT=Gotham Narrow SSm, sans-serif]ruptured[/FONT][FONT=Gotham Narrow SSm, sans-serif] ankle ligaments. He looked like he was walking gingerly following a challenge against Boro at the weekend. [/FONT]Mirco Antenucci is flying into Leeds today, and will hopefully put pen to paper. Its distribution to him that worries me!!! [FONT=Gotham Narrow SSm, sans-serif][/FONT]
Morning all 1) are the quality of the signings really that good? Just posing a question here so no shooting me. 2) I still wonder why Cellino invests in the team and yet puts Hockaday in charge. 3) does Cellino instruct on formation or the coach? What must Doukara, Berardi, Bellusci and Ben Z think when watching that performance and those tactics?? Even the most optimistic among us must have been brought down to earth yesterday
Yesterday I was gushing in my optimism for the first time in years. I thought our troubles were almost behind us, although still having issues with Hock. Last night did bring me down with a crash and now my ire is firmly aimed at Hock, who obviously doesn't have a scoobie how to deal with better players, give them decent tactics, change a game plan, stop/nullify the opposition. Leeds 60 bets that Hock will be gone by the end of September, well I say he'll be gone sooner because MC will not want to waste his money. He has invested a lot of cash and his own credibility and if Hock can't get results with this group, then he'll look elsewhere.
Morning all. Thank god I'll be busy most of the day on ladders so won't have time to worry about last night or next Saturday. I don't know what's wrong but one thing is for sure, another heavy inept defeat at the weekend, and Cellino will be forced to take action. Too early in the season to get stuck near the bottom of the table with a squad and coach that will have no idea how to get themselves out of it. This needs turning around pretty sharpish. Have fun lads
Well I've never been overly optimistic about the season! I am actually more confident now that it appears cellino is prepared to stump up for players and I'm not getting knee jerk about last night. Hock can only pick what's available. Only time will tell whether the gamble of integrating predominantly serie b players into the championship will work. According to our ITK Italian journalist friend bianchi is the pick of our Italian signings and a) bianchi says the championship is a higher std than serie b, and b) bianchi himself doesn't look good enough to play in it at the moment. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Italian conquest of leeds was never going to be either. People want a quick fix but it rarely happens in football. And football fans flit from wild optimists to suicidal pessimists at the flick of a bad result. We need quality signings especially to midfield and whether they like his formation or not, the players need time to get an understanding of it and interplay with their teammates. I always felt we could only really judge progress by Christmas... The question is whether the hock would still be there then and whether we're cut adrift at the bottom of the division.
Good morning Matt and co from a very sunny but frosty Bardsey.Yes we have had frost over night probably caused by Hock forgetting to put the heating on! Lets face it we were lucky on Sat against Boro I for one would have taken the draw last night was a shambles.The vehicle had only one wheel on, so it was going nowhere and this was against a Brighton team who had been beaten by Brum the second worst team in the league with a useless manager.We only had 4 shots all night and Stockdale had no saves to make yet the Hock made excuse after excuse he has got the squad he should know by now surely his best 11 or does he ? I was pleased to see someone read my piece today its about what we need and how long I think will happen to Hock at least he lasted longer than Stein and Clough, it was always a gamble, the poor chap was really on a hiding to nothing but his days in charge of the floundering vessel Leeds United are numbered I'm afraid as they say in Italy CIO
Some excellent points milkyboy, if we take our Leeds hats off and look at who we have signed we can say yes they are of the right age, yes they look promising but really they are unproven apart from Sharp at this level. How excited were we over the kid from Milan, Ben Z.... He was going to be the game changer for many of us yet by all accounts he is awful in training. Maybe the signings do have more talent than we are seeing but Hockaday isn't the man to bring it out if they do.
I think apart from being cheap, one of the reasons hock got the job was he had a similar footballing philosophy to cellino. Cellino buys players to play a certain way, which means there is some continuity when he sacks the coach. There's a big love in with cellino so its easy to blame the coach. He may not be much of a tactician or motivator. I don't know. Last night was shocking but so was millwall and we weren't that great against Boro either. People are angry and disappointed because hopes were getting built up, talk of promotion etc. This team needs to learn to walk first, and the likelihood is the hock won't get the time to prove whether he's capable to do it or not. I certainly have my doubts about it, but its cellino's brand of football and cellino's players coming in.
Exactly and if it is Cellino demanding the formation the next coach comes in with the same players and he inherits the same problem. For all his good Cellino needs to step back and allow the coach more freedom otherwise he might as well go into the dressing room and manage the team himself and turn up on training days with a set of coaches. Cellino is a great owner in many respects but he needs to stop being a wannabe manager and give the next coach more freedom and not be so rigid and stuck on a formation he insists on.
Morning ristac think its too early to tell whether the signings are good enough. We need to remember Cellino is our Manager and Hockaday is the coach On formation, don't think even the players know the answers to that.
Morning Doc, it doesn't take much for our expectations to sway one way or another. You have to feel for the poor 22,000 that had to endure that for 90 mins
Morning Matt... Well until the formation changes or until we get better quality players in things aren't going to get better as it has to be at least one of those two things that are wrong. If it is both then I dread to think where we will be come Christmas
Agree ristac, fans love signing young prospects, me too, but they're always a gamble. To be fair bianchi's not a kid, neither is sharp nor the Kung fu fullback or bellusci and neither is antenucci if he signs. These are guys who should hit the ground running if they're good enough. Adryan is really exciting if he comes, but he's yet to make his mark as a pro... Agard looked good in league 1... So did murphy. Most of the successful teams in the championship have a core of players with a track record at that level or above. We have billy sharp, warnock and 1 good season from Byram. Are the guys coming in going to be game changers for us?
Morning Mike, Damn frost in August. Its Summer!!!! Last nights home performance was inexcusable. I also think the players need a questions and answers session with a large room full of Leeds fans, so they can tell the players what it is like being a Leeds fan!!!
You're off to the horses. If you come across a headless horse, you can bet Hockaday wopke up next to it.
The diamond does not work. Boro should have got more out of the game on Saturday. Reach was terrorising Byram down the wing.
