3 points, a clean sheet and a win against a bogey team, so have to be happy don't I ? Well, yes but in truth we were bloody awful, in fact I'd go as far to say that was the worse Leeds performance I've seen under Warnock, and that's saying something!
There was none of the energy of the Everton game, there appeared to be a lot of heavy legs but the most disappointing for me was our inability to keep possession and play simple balls. Suddenly players like Austin, who some have touted as a player who could play at a higher level , looked pedestrian and severely limited. He just kept giving the ball away in a really poor first half. First of all, I'd lay some blame for the first half performance at the manager's door. First of all, we've got 2 left backs in the squad, yet he plays our right footed captain at left back. He then decides to play a potential left back at right wing. He then tops all those bad decisions by playing our most progressive forward player of recent weeks , young Byram, at right back. Staggering decisions from Warnock and it was no surprise to see Barnsley running us ragged in the first 20 minutes. Barnsley played all the football and looked like a really good team and at times we were so second best it was untrue. We were chasing shadows and our only contribution was to put some bloody awful challenges in an attempt to stop the free flowing football of Barnsley. They seemed to have an extra man and just carved through us at will. Their best chance came when they broke down our right , Byram seemed to go missing , they had an extra man, the ball was crossed to find an unmarked Barnsley player 8 yards out and he side footed it past the post. Bad miss. Warnock at least realised it wasn't working and immediately changed it, however he went to a system which I don't think I've seen us play with 5 at the back. Peltier, Lees and Pearce were the 3 at the back with White moving to left wing back and Byram at right wing back, allowing him to get forward. Things started to improve but not much. Our outlet was down the left with Tonge , who again strangely was being asked to play on the left wing. On the ball he's one of a few players in our team who have time to pick a pass. It's good to see and you have to ask why others can't do the same? Basic footballing skills. Austin was pushing on along with Aidy White and we created one or two chances the best falling for Austin who smacked it over the bar. Up front we had no pace and surely Colin will have to go looking for a striker with pace because Diouf and Becchio gives us none. Then came the goal and you guessed it, we were lucky. Peltier got the ball and it all opened up for him. Credit to him he just went for it and looked like he might run straight through until he was cynically taken out by a Barnsley player. It looked outside the box to me but it stopped Peltier being in on goal so I think a penalty was deserved. Becchio had a long time to think about it as Peltier needed treatment and I feared the worse but Becchio actually treated us to a bit of showboating with one of those pens that if saved you would look a complete c&nt. A little drinker down the middle which the keeper made easy by electing to go really early. Becchio did his stupid dance and we were very undeservedly 1 up. Maybe we found another skill for Becchio to go with the ability to head home unmarked in the 6 yard box. Maybe next week he'll surprise us all by trapping a ball. So did the goal change anything ? No. Same pattern , Barnsley playing all the football and us just struggling to make any impact on the game. It was very, very disappointing. Second half and things did eventually improve. Again it was down our left where we find the most space and opportunity. Aidy White and Diouf were are main options but most runs usually ended up with Aidy getting muscled out of it. He just doesn't have the strength and know how of Diouf at times. We still weren't creating many chances but at least We had managed to knock Barnsley out of their stride and suddenly they started to get a bit scrappy as passes seemed to go astray. Barnsley still continued to create chances though and it was only a point blank save by Kenny that kept us ahead. Barnsley continued to get beyond our midfield and attack something we can never do due to a lack of pace and creativity. I kept asking myself is it inexperience from Lees that makes him easily to roll at times or is he lacking ? Tonge had to go off with what looked like a bad shoulder injury and on came Norris. To his credit he made a massive impact and at least gave some competition to the midfield battle which Barnsley had dominated up to that point. Up front came the substitution that in all honesty had been required from early in the match. Becchio had just lost possession for the umpteenth time ,just a simple ball played to him but he spooned it up as he always does and that was that , a red shirt came away with ball. Warnock went mental on the touch line, waving his arms and shouting abuse at Becchio. 2 minutes later, up went the board and Becchio was hauled off to be replaced by Andy Gray. Gray has always had little pace but he looked positively lively compared to the hapless Becchio. I firmly believe that Becchio has the worse first touch of any player in the championship - tell me who has a worse one ? We then went through the time wasting routine although Norris, Diouf and Gray all had half chances as Barnsley pushed forward. We held on but we didn't deserve this but you don't always get what you deserve in footy and with 10 points out of 12 we're looking like challenges. Continue to play like this though and we've no chance. Scores: Kenny - 7 I worry about him on crosses but he won us this game with a great save. Peltier - 4. Playing out of position. Not sure he is a great defender to be honest. Out of all the new recruits he's the one I would have to say I've been slightly disappointed with. Byram - 5. His worse game for Leeds that I have seen. He looked lost at right back and just didn't figure in a really poor first half. Second half he came into it and showed some good running and defensive play in a more advanced role. Pearce- 6 did ok, battled hard but like everyone he really struggled against a lively Barnsley team. Lees - 5. I thought he really struggled today, seemed to be the wrong side on more than one occasion. Brown- 3. Thought he was just a passenger for large periods of the game. Offered nothing going forward. Looked like the old man he is today. Austin- 5. He got around the pitch as you'd expect but he really looked second best today. He wasn't helped by Brown but I thought he showed some weaknesses in his game today. White - 6. This was no Ryan Giggs performance but to be fair in both halves he showed willing to run with the ball and was our best option throughout. He just seemed to run out of steam at times and just needs a bit more strength. Tonge - 6. He also looked pedestrian and slightly knackered at times but on the ball he used it well. Becchio - 3. I'll give him 3 for a very cheeky pen that won us the game but his all round game was shocking at best. So much so that his number 1 fan lost his rag with him and dragged him off. Hopefully this will be the penny dropping. Penalties are nice but that's 1 goal in 7 starts in open play for him and when he's not knocking them in from 6 yards what is he offering ? Oh yes that's right, pens. It's not enough and Becchio is not good enough to take us forward. Diouf -6. Legs looked heavy, he was not as involved and did not have as big an impact. Having said that he was still our best player. Subs Norris - 7 . I like Norris. Gray - 5 little impact. It I'd give him a few starts alongside Diouf until we get a stimer with pace. Warnock - got it all wrong today but got lucky. Crowd. - cat A game ,what a joke Bates ! > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] PETE CASS (1962 - 2011) Rest In Peace Mate
