If only the players put 10% of the passion into their game as you do your reports, Dave. Massively appreciated.
Nigel. On 4 May 2014 11:20, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > Well we finished on a high - with an excellent second half performance but > whether that is enough for McD or the out of contract players to keep their > jobs, who knows > > We began this game as we have so many this season, with no passion, no > commitment and no idea and could easily have been 3 down in the first half > hour. Within the first minutes Austin (playing right wing !) let his man > run past him without tracking back and a ball which split the rest of our > 'defence' found him inside the box and only a top class save from Butland > stopped it being 1 -0. However the Derby fans did not have long to wait for > their opener, this time Murphy decided to stand with his arm in the air in > a failed plea for offside as the Derby striker went past him and got onto a > lovely chipped ball, again Butland saved well at the blokes feet but it > fell to the striker to have another go , which Butland blocked again and > whilst our defence looked on helpless and hapless, 2 Derby strikers decided > to help their man and one bundled it over the line. Butland was not a happy > man. Later on another move split us wide open and we were saved only > because the lad chose to shoot from a bad angle rather than pull it > across to his unmarked colleague who would have had an open goal. Our best > player first half was Micheal Brown and that sums it all up - he even came > closest to scoring with a rasping long range drive. The only bright point > was the fact that as in the last couple of games Smith and McCormack have > started to look like a partnership rather than 2 players who had never met. > Smith was looking to direct his flick-ons and lay-offs to Ross, and Ross > was looking to get on the end of Smiths headers. Smith did come close with > a couple of headers, one of which was turned over the bar as we came into > the game in the last 15mins. We also had a penalty shout turned down for a > possible handball > Second half Murphy went off and White (his last game in a Leeds shirt?) > came on as a right winger in a bit of a re-shuffle and he made an impact. > Looking Huckerby-esque as he ran around quickly with his head down, things > did happen around him. His extra energy also seemed to lift the rest of the > team and the majority of the 29+thousand crowd. We roared them on and they > responded in a performance which if replicted the rest of the season, would > have us in the play offs at a minimum! This new attitude soon paid off as > Ross flicked the ball and himself over the lunging Derby player on the > ground and he put a lovely ball through the Derby defence, Smith read it > well and made a good run, he controlled the ball and as we all expected him > to blast it wide or mess it up it some other way he lifted a sublime little > chip over the keeper, a great finish from someone who gets a lot of stick > for his work on the floor. After that it was all Leeds, although they had > us worried with every sporadic attack they made. Smith headed wide, Ross > had 2 free kicks well saved as he tried his best to get his 30th. We should > definitely had at least one penalty as Tonge was shoved as he prepared to > get on the end of a ball into the 6 yard box. Smith also got a nudge in the > back when well placed. Lees showed how long his thinking time is as a ball > beat everyone and came to him at the far post - a striker would have > scored. Pugh (in his last appearance for us) could have left a hero but his > header went wide when he should have scored > So a very disappointing season came to an end. I said at the start that I > did not expect promotion or even a play off place but I did want us to > spend the whole season thinking that the play-offs were a possibilty but > this was only the case up to the New Year.Even when results were going well > early on we never looked a good team. > So out with the old and in with the new - the team (and management) that > starts next season is likely to have little in common with the one who > started this season. I cannot be bothered doing an end of season report but > a quick summation would be: Ross , a great season , can he be this prolific > again ? Pearce, tried his best every game, limited as a player but largely > free from criticism: Smith - a real find and will be even more effective > next year hopefully with better service but will he affect the way we play > too much and make us predictable . The rest - hang your heads in shame, for > every game you did well , there were 3 or 4 when you were awful - don't > care if you leave ! > > Forza Leeds - let's hope Massimo is as good in reality as he is in his own > mind !! > > Here's to next season > > Dave > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > John 'Grampa' Sykes > Rest In Peace old lad > 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 > MARCHING ON TOGETHER > -- vectoria.co.uk concentrichron.com -- Mindbrix -- Dream it, draw it, build it, love it 69 Derby Street Beeston Nottingham NG9 2LG +44 7905 311 352 [email protected] www.mindbrix.co.uk Skype: ntbarber twitter.com/mindbrix _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
