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Blame the players, not the boss – McCormack
Ross McCormack
ROSS McCormack has urged Leeds United supporters not to lay the blame for the club’s indifferent recent results at the door of Neil Warnock – and says the players are culpable.
United got their act together in highly-impressive fashion in Wednesday’s 2-0 home win over Blackpool which ended a four-match winless streak and kept their play-off hopes alive.
While it was a key win in the context of United’s season, it was also for their under-fire manager, berated by fans in the recent defeats to Manchester City and Middlesbrough – which striker McCormack feels was unfair.
He said: “We wanted to win for the supporters and for the gaffer too.
“The stick he has been getting has not been nice and (the blame) it is really down to the players. The gaffer puts us on the pitch to go and deliver a performance.
“Unfortunately, managers always get the blame. But it is really the players.”
The much-needed home triumph moved United up four places to ninth and within six points of sixth-placed Boro with a game in hand ahead of tomorrow’s big Roses clash at top-six rivals Blackburn Rovers.
And while you would still get healthy odds on United gatecrashing the top six by season’s end, McCormack wants everyone to keep believing.
He said: “Anything is possible. I have been at the other end of it and in the play-offs all season with Cardiff and fallen out on the last day. The day you stop believing is the day you should not be a footballer.
“We have a good group of lads who want to work hard and do well and we believe we can do it.”
Meanwhile, Whites chief Warnock has revealed that while he may be destined for managerial retirement if United do not clinch promotion this term, staying in the game as an adviser to young bosses in future years would seriously appeal to him.
The 64-year-old said: “I do fancy helping a younger manager out or something like that. An in-between.
“I do not think there is much liaison between a board of directors and managers. I think it is them and us, but there is an opportunity for me to use experience, without me screaming at referees and linesmen.
“I will still keep my hand out and come out every January until May to keep a team up.
“I will be a Red Adair of football. I won’t be able to leave it. I’ve got quite a bit of media stuff to do, but I do enjoy the cut and thrust.”
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 18 May 2013
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