Don’t panic! How McDermott handled gutted Leeds squad on the M1

The 52-year-old has been here before in management and had it considerably worse.

Both in his days as a non-league manager, with McDermott a former boss of both Slough and Woking, and at former club Reading.

McDermott can recall all those occasions and probably has cause to remember a five-match losing sequence in the early stages of 2011-12 season when in charge at the Madejski Stadium more than most.

That was the season when the Royals ended up lifting the Championship title and McDermott was named as the League Manager’s Association manager-of-the-year in the second tier.

More than anything that provided plenty of proof that statistics can soon turn around and given what he has experienced in football – rewind to last season when he was sacked by Reading on March 11 not so long after being feted after being named as the Premier League manager of the month for January – it’s hardly surprising he remains one of the more grounded managers.

Just as he doesn’t pop the champagne corks when on a winning run, neither does he pop the pills when on a losing sequence, with it all about working hard and keeping focus regardless of results.

Offering a sense of perspective, McDermott said: “I have had a run twice that was worse than this. It was 13 games when I was first a manager (in non-league) – eight draws, five defeats and the secretary of the club at the time came to me after game 13 and said: ‘Do you know that’s a record?’ So that was nice and I said: ‘Thanks for that!’

“I also had five games on the spin for Reading where we got beaten and before that, I was caretaker and had five games without a win. I have also had 15 wins out of 16 games and eight wins out of eight.”

A four-match losing trot may have tarnished what had been a solid and encouraging start to the campaign for United, but McDermott insists that by and large fine margins in games have proved United’s undoing.

Although the second-half display at Millwall on Saturday was something that he simply couldn’t and wouldn’t defend with players who were ‘gutted’ on a sombre journey back up the M1 having a quick chance to make amends tonight against Bournemouth.

For McDermott, it’s all about reactions this evening, with the Whites boss looking for some bravery on the ball and character after an inhibited display at Millwall.

For the time being, the answers must come from the current players at his disposal, with McDermott confirming there will be no loan newcomers before tonight’s game.

He added: “The players were disappointed with the second half at Millwall. Looking back at the games, I’ve involved in; I think it’s 16, we have won eight of the games and we have not had too many performances like we had in the second half.

“The important thing now is to find a way to get a result.

“We need to get the confidence levels up. Two weeks ago, we were fifth or sixth in the league and we’d just won at Bolton. That’s how fast things can change in football. You never get carried away when you have won a game and don’t when you have lost a couple. You can’t afford to do that and must stay on a level. That’s really important.

“You do get reactions from defeats in 2013. Look at Man United at the minute. You get reactions and just have to bounce back.

“We had a half where it didn’t happen for us and have to be better. That’s football. You have to get on with it and move onto the next game. That’s the only thing that matters to me – the next game and trying to beat Bournemouth at Elland Road. You take the criticism that goes and get on with it.

“The players were disappointed and gutted on the bus on the way home on Saturday. Losing four games on the run isn’t nice. There’s been a lot of travelling, but there’s no excuse.”

“We need to get up the pitch and get in behind teams more. That’s one of the fundamentals as we’ve looked pretty solid and are the sixth best defensive record in the league. We need to be solid, but also be brave on the ball more.”

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