He calls him "a really nice bloke" which makes my nickname of Nice Guy Brian in charge of the Leeds United Reservoir Dogs pretty much spot on!
Can nice guys be winners? Well in this division perhaps. NGB did turn Reading around, then led them to one play off final and then to the title the following season. Adkins guided Southampton to promotion too. And Zola is doing well at Watford. All three have been found wanting in the Prem, of course, but first things first!
The Warnock has also said that the new owners may give McDermott money to buy "two or three players" but how much money is unclear. I suppose if Byram is sold for £10m, McDermott may be given six.
McDermott certainly seems unclear on how much investment is coming his way. He has been "promised" he will be "supported" and he has had "a good conversation with the owners" but the key phrase, "We will be looking to invest in the squad to build a team to challenge for promotion next season" was conspicuous by its absence, as was the phrase, "I have been assured that none of our key players will be sold". You can bet your life that an Allardyce or an O'Neill would have secured those assurances before taking the job, and they would have made them public knowledge pretty pronto to cover their own arses.
But Brian is a Nice Guy, a resonable man. Haigh says that McDermott "shares our vision" which could mean anything. That vision may be to do everything within a tight budgetary constraint, which is how McDermott operated at Reading.
The words of the Chairman were also noticably short of blood and thunder. When Allardyce was appointed at West Ham, the Board stressed that he had been recruited to secure an "immediate return to the Premier Division" and made public a £1m bonus if that target was achieved. Haigh's "vision" is for Leeds to "return to the Premier League as soon as possible." Well, I'm sure even Portsmouth have that aim!
So, all in all, it was a low key appointment. But maybe that is precisely what Leeds need, a cooling of the overheated sense of expectation around the club. Perhaps if Leeds United stop acting like Big Time Charlies they may stop looking like Complete Charlies. If Nice Guy Brian can turn the Nasty Club into a decent club, who knows, perhaps the fortunes may change. As a former scout, he has a good eye for a player and those players seem to like playing for him - and crucially, he does get the best out of mediocrity, a key skill given the bunch the Warnock has left behind.
Lol. Big Bad Hammersfan is trying to rile us again. But we are Leeds and we don't care! You make me laarrf.. :-) :-)
ReplyDeleteAs a Leeds fan, can I say that this is a pretty accurate assessment of the man and most of us would agree with you I'd wager. Unlike the previous post! Unnecessary and embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteA fair assessment. All Championship clubs sell players and Leeds are all too used to that. McDermott has proved he can adsorb the selling of players and still make the team even more successful. I hope he succeeds and i suspect you do too Hammers fan. MOT
ReplyDeletePointful, correct and succinct.
ReplyDeleteFor a hammer with a vested interest in our ups and downs, (for whatever reason, i'm not sure) you've caught the mood quite well.
GFH do not have the money to invest in new players. As such unless investment is forthcoming then McDermott will need to do it with the kids and the better players will be sold in the summer. In view of this how can anyone possibly give assurances that promotion is an immediate target and players like Byram won't be sold?
ReplyDeleteJust tell it like it is and don't spend hours pointlessly reading into what people say. Then when the bleeding obvious happens you won't have to tell us that this was one of your expert predictions all along and we never saw it coming.
HF DADDY DIED OF CANCER....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA .LUFC.x
ReplyDeleteAll of these articles seem to be about YOU ! and not Leeds
ReplyDeleteego trip or what?
Did you listen to the full interview with BM live on Yorkshire Radio yesterday.....I think not.......so its the usual, speculation, secondary evidence and conjecture, wrapped in your famous bullshit bubblewrap
I did listen to the interview and think HF has made an accurate assessment
ReplyDeleteIt would appear cockney boy,that nice guy brian,has been given the same promises as warnock was given.utter bollocks.gfh,u have a summer to sort out this mess.keep hold of our best player,and spend some cash on quality,or just fuck off back to the middle east.
ReplyDeleteWho even gives a toss what Warnock thinks, or says ... he had his big opportunity and he blew it big time ... hot air, he's good at that.
ReplyDeleteThroughout his press conference and interviews yesterday, Brian McDermott behaved and conducted himself in a way that, I suspect Mr Warnock would fail to understand or would be capable of ... the difference was Warnock always had himself centre stage ... Brian McDermott was more interested in "the we".
My name is JONTY and I'm a legend.
ReplyDeletespunk dumpster
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, you are so sweet, you even think the same way as you Idol Warnock, you are so proud of it, that you even have to tell the world how much you think the same way as him...... By the way, whats the score today....ooopppss, unlucky for you, and whats the score at the basement battle of the premier league, ohhh, you are losing, don't worry, Warnock is heading down to the land of porno mags to lead your team for you..
ReplyDelete