Leeds are handed a harsh lesson by Warnock

WHEN it comes to Neil Warnock's genuinely good days as Leeds United manager at Elland Road, you could probably count them comfortably enough on the fingers of one hand.
Leeds striker Chris Wood is challenged by former United defender Sol Bamba, now with Cardiff City (Picture: Simon Hulme).Leeds striker Chris Wood is challenged by former United defender Sol Bamba, now with Cardiff City (Picture: Simon Hulme).
Leeds striker Chris Wood is challenged by former United defender Sol Bamba, now with Cardiff City (Picture: Simon Hulme).

Raucous occasions in front of packed audiences and sending the masses home happy were what the veteran will have envisaged when he spied the United brochure while lunching with Ken Bates in the late winter of 2012.

Unfortunately, they were not forthcoming. Far from it.

That would not have stopped the Yorkshireman from deriving a certain amount of pleasure from surveying a deserted former kingdom towards the final whistle on Saturday, save for a small enclave of Cardiff City supporters who broke into an impromptu chorus of Land of My Fathers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The county’s managerial ‘Marmite man’, not for the first time, had enjoyed the decisive word.

The seasoned manager’s plan was well choreographed: quieten an expectant home crowd and take the sting out of proceedings before biding your time to strike.

It proved a masterful one on the day.

Over 30 years younger than his counterpart in the Cardiff dug-out he may be, but Leeds head coach Garry Monk will be wise enough to know that future visitors will endeavour to follow the Welsh side’s template.

In that respect, Saturday’s episode will have served as a lesson and one Leeds must heed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The tone for a rank-bad write-off of an afternoon was perhaps set when news filtered through that illness precluded Pontus Jansson from taking his place in the heart of the hosts’ defence.

A ponderous, low-gear first half soon ensued before the action degenerated further on the restart against a Cardiff side whose propensity to bring out the worst in a United side again came to the fore.

After losing their way in the first period, Leeds palpably failed to pilot a course on the restart despite plenty of possession.

With top scorer Chris Wood well shackled by Sean Morrison and Sol Bamba, the latter on his first return to Elland Road, and Pablo Hernandez failing to conjure a spell, Leeds lacked wit, identity and conviction with the magic of last month’s magisterial victory over Derby seeming a world away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A routine free-kick from Wood was the best that they could muster in a tentative first half and, despite a good early chance on the restart arriving for Jansson’s replacement, Liam Cooper, whose firm header flew straight into the arms of Allan McGregor, it was not the precursor to an improvement.

Quite the reverse, in fact.

Warnock will have sensed blood and it was let when Morrison headed in from Craig Noone’s excellent free-kick as Leeds switched off.

The big defender became the first player to breach United’s rearguard and score at Elland Road since Dwight Gayle netted in Newcastle United’s 2-0 win on November 20 – six and a -half games and 10 and a half playing hours earlier.

A tough afternoon got a whole lot worse on 71 minutes when Ronaldo Vieira, rightly feted for his breakthrough season, had the sort of moment that all young players suffer from time to time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The teenager’s pocket was picked by Arron Gunnarsson, who surged into the area before squaring to the lurking Kenneth Zohore and with Leeds’s defence totally at sea, the Dane coolly slotted the ball home.

The visitors played out the rest of the game in relative comfort, with Leeds going closest to clawing a way back when substitute Kemar Roofe was denied by McGregor.

But, in truth, it was uncharacteristically ragged stuff from Leeds en route to enduring back-to-back league losses for the first time since September 10.

Not that they could have any complaints, whatsoever, with the tin lid put in place when captain Liam Bridcutt was dismissed late on after picking up his second yellow card after fouling Matthew Connolly, having been booked for dissent shortly before the break.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If there is perhaps one saving grace to proceedings, it is that Leeds have an immediate chance to atone tomorrow night against a Bristol City side who have not won away from home since September 24. Must-win is the adjective.

Summing up a bad day at the office, and a bit of a learning curve, too, in his own development, young midfielder Vieira said: “It is a different test for us.

“We have been doing so well at Elland Road and teams are now going to come here and try and play for a set-piece, because we are strong at home.

“We got caught up with a few mistakes. The second goal was just a lack of communication, really. I could have just left the ball for someone else to clear it out, but I didn’t and I tried to get a touch and got caught.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is football, it happens and it could have happened to anyone and it happened to me. I have got to learn and get on with it and the team have to get on with it and try and put it right on Tuesday.

“The manager said it is just a learning curve and we have to learn. Teams are going to come here and try and slow things down, but we have got to try and speed it up as we are playing at home and try and get a result.

“We have got a chance to put it right on Tuesday and, hopefully, we will do because we can’t lose three games in a row.

“We said at the start that we can’t lose too many games in a row and we are going to try and put it right.”