Leeds United 2 Crystal Palace 1: Thomas is bubbling over fresh start with Warnock

ON Wednesday evening, the heating at Neil Warnock’s property near Leeds packed up.

Rest assured, he was afforded the warmest of glows three days on at the sight of his energised United side achieving a rousing victory against the division’s leaders and form side – as were 20,000 others for that matter.

Those included David Haigh and Salem Patel, GFH Capital’s representatives perched in their now almost customary position in a corporate box in the East Stand. The day could not have panned out any better for United’s new owners.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Warnock’s managerial fires seem to have been well and truly reignited in the space of seven days.

This is thanks in no small part to him receiving the green light to bring in two much-needed new loan signings in Jerome Thomas and Alan Tate from West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City, respectively, both made possible by an injection of funds from the GFH board.

Thomas left Elland Road clutching the man-of-the-match champagne ahead of a two-hour drive back to the Midlands, though Tate had not been far behind him in the voting.

Warnock’s pre-match message was all about the season starting now for Leeds, and it certainly proved the case for Baggies winger Thomas.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As starts go, it went as well as he could have possibly envisaged, especially given that it was his first competitive outing since the end of April.

The 29-year-old, whom Warnock had previously tried to sign on several occasions only for his advances to be rebuffed until Thursday, said: “We played some great football and started off well and outplayed Palace, who came here as the side at the top of the league, in every department.

“Hopefully, as the gaffer said, me and Tate coming in are the missing pieces of the puzzle and we can start pushing on now and getting Leeds to where they need to be.

Neil Warnock is one of the main reasons I decided to come here. I was adamant I did not want to come out on loan and that I wanted to stay and fight for my place at West Brom. But once I spoke to the gaffer, I decided to come.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I cannot emphasise how important it is to play for a manager like Neil Warnock. He is the type of manager whom, if I could pick, I would play for throughout my whole career.

“He encourages me to play my game, which is attacking football and not put too much emphasis on defending, and that’s rare for a manager in England.

“I am really happy with the win and coming off the pitch injury-free. It was my first game of the season and my calves completly ‘went’ and I cramped up in the second half.

“Once I get my fitness up, I feel I can give more than I did on Saturday and it is looking like exciting times ahead.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thomas and Tate may have been worthy of special mentions in dispatches, but it was United’s collective team effort which won the day as they inflicted a first defeat in 15 matches upon Ian Holloway’s soaring Eagles.

After second-half goals from 
Luciano Becchio and a first of his Elland Road career from Paul Green had given United a precious 2-0 advantage in front of the Kop as the rain belted down, the hosts then dug in to claim a notable victory.

They repelled everything Palace could throw at them as they laid siege in five minutes of stoppage time after Peter Ramage’s late strike reduced the arrears.

It was a re-wind to much better times at Elland Road with the fans’ joyous reaction at the final whistle the polar opposite to the deep-seated dismay following the hugely embarrassing 6-1 loss to Walford exactly a fortnight earlier. How football can change.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With Thomas prominent early on, United went close twice in the opening 20 minutes with Becchio heading straight at Speroni from Sam Byram’s centre, and David Norris’s low shot was parried by the Palace custodian.

The stunning ascent of Byram has been a rare positive for Leeds so far this season, with his duel with the Championship’s hottest property in new England international Wilfried Zaha representing a further barometer of his progress and it proved an intriguing battle.

Overall, it was Byram who won on points, not that the Eagles’ dangerman and Football League player of the month did not have his moments, especially in the first period.

Zaha’s ingenuity set up a decent chance for Owen Garvan, whose shot brought out a decent reaction save from Kenny ahead of the United goalkeeper showing his mettle to make a double save to deny Jonathan Parr and then Murray.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A minor contretemps arrived moments before the interval after Zaha went down in the penalty area under pressure from Norris, but referee David Coote was unmoved.

Palace felt even more vexed seven minutes after the interval when United struck the first blow.

Ramage headed Norris’s cross against the body of team-mate Damien Delaney and the ball ricocheted invitingly to Becchio, who instinctively fired home from close range for his first goal from open play since September 22 to record his 11th of the campaign.

Try as they might, Palace, seeking a sixth successive league win, could not unlock the defence and a milestone strike from Green on the volley in the 76th minute doubled United’s tally after he latched onto Mile Jedinak’s weak clearing header.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ramage’s powerful header past Kenny from Kagischo Dikgacoi’s cross four minutes from time sent palpitations among the home support and Palace almost levelled at the climax, with Michael Tonge clearing Murray’s effort off the line. But it was United’s day. Remember, remember the month of November.