It seems absurd for Darko to have to field questions about if he's feeling the pressure of trying to secure his first win as the new head coach after only one game, which happened to end in defeat following an abject performance.
What seems equally absurd is the appointment of a new coach on the back of a run of good results, if not completely convincing displays under the caretaker coach. I appreciate that the decision to move for the new coach may have been taken before NR's run developed, but all the same, it's difficult to ignore the feeling that everything seems a little flat following Darko's appointment.
It may just be coincidence - the good run of results, NR coming across as a coach who can get results, and in doing so motivate his players, making substitutions at the right time, expressing himself with authority, calm and no small degree of nous in the media, but the longer the list, the more unlikely the coincidence.
Don't anyone get me wrong, this is not an article to put the boot into the new guy, merely an attempt to weigh everything up.
Defeats are always a disappointment. After the result one tends to look at the stats and the performance for some degree of encouragement. "They played well but were unlucky...If they keep playing like that they'll win more games than they lose" etc.
The reality is that whilst we achieved results under NR, the performances were sporadic in their conviction and, whilst keeping clean sheets in the home games, we had to come from behind in both away games to get any kind of result.
In the final analysis, it's a results business, as they say, and NR delivered albeit in the short term, but then that's all the time he was given. I can't help but look at the Owls and Stuart Gray - that hasn't worked out too bad has it?
In a way I feel sorry for Darko because his job is doubly hard now because of what happened before he was appointed. He hasn't arrived as a knight in shining armour, more as a pretender to the throne who, whilst having a pedigree of success, seems to have a point to prove arising from a situation not of his own making.
It's no wonder then that he's being asked questions about pressure to achieve his first victory. New coach, new ideas, new methods, time for everything to fall into place again, yet another new start with the season only 10 games old.
I hope for everyone's sake that we win tomorrow - I'll take the win even if the performance leaves something to be desired - we all did the same under Redders to the point where many wanted to see him installed as head coach, me included. Performances can improve and as Darko says, he needs time, something which MC seems prepared to give him.
They always say the sign of a good side is getting results even when you're not playing well. In our case that statement needs to be the exception rather than the rule. Only then can we call ourselves a good side. The potential is there, it needs the right man to harness it and bring the best out of the talented resources at his disposal. Let's hope that man is Darko for everyone's benefit. We can't afford too many new starts.
On a final note, I hope that everything is OK with NR and that there's no fall out from him not getting the head coach's role, whatever he may have said to the media. He wasn't in the dugout last Saturday and it was never explained why though I don't know if it needed to be explained.
Having got all that off my chest, I still feel somewhat flat and I'm not sure I'm not trying to talk myself into positivity right now. The point is it shouldn't be like that, should it?
Perhaps a win tomorrow followed with a nice cup of tea and a biscuit will make us all feel better
MOT
Pressure?...,what pressure?
posted on 1/10/14
I'll take that as your way of admitting that you misquoted again Stevie.
Faith, here is what I said about Forest at the time (Nov 2013):
http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/239417
Forest
Were acquired by arabic investors some 5 months before Leeds were. Made a couple of managerial changes in quick succession as they tried to find right manager to help deliver on their stated ambitions (with timescales) and now sit comfortably in play off places.
Faith, Forest board acted quickly to fix managers that weren't working and now have a manager and team that is in a playoff spot having beaten Leicester away, Brighton away, Derby at home, Bolton and Blackburn.
As you can see, I wasn't applauding anything, just stating what they had done and where they were at.
posted on 1/10/14
Jonty,
You know full well you used that as an article to criticise our board at the time which was GFH.
By comparing the work they had done to that of other boards and showing how what they were doing was superior.
I cannot believe you will sit there and deny this.
Now you are using that same example to back up your reasoning behind why our current board is doing a bad job.
I am pretty sure that anyone on here who reads the two examples will see it the same way as I.
But I am certain you will continue to deny this anyway.
posted on 1/10/14
Faith the article was comparing us to other clubs in similar circumstances in terms of investment, that is clear by this piece in the article:
"When one reads about this sort of progress being made at other clubs, one wonders how they are able to bring in the external investment (something our chairman was specifically meant to do for us).
We've been told about investment on the horizon, the need to bring in striker and winger etc but whilst other clubs seem to be backing up words with actions it feel that Leeds are a little bit directionless at the moment."
Now, where on THIS thread have used that example to do this:
"Now you are using that same example to back up your reasoning behind why our current board is doing a bad job."
What I actually said was this:
"Cellino's track record make it odds on that a manager, sorry coach, that he hires will not be here for the long term."
Are you saying you disagree with that statement about Cellino's track record?
posted on 1/10/14
SKB, I'm not sure they were applauding at Forest as they went through managers in short space of time.
Cellino's track record make it odds on that a manager, sorry coach, that he hires will not be here for the long term.
Like I said you are comparing Cellinos track record to the previous situation at Forest, and portraying that previous situation as a negative by stating you are not sure the forest fans were applauding.
If that article was purely to compare our investment in comparison to other clubs, what did Forests tendency to change managers quickly have to do with the article? What was it doing there?
posted on 1/10/14
No Jonty, I'll just accept that you think you're right because you believe you are.
Leeds to win tonight.
posted on 1/10/14
Faith, when I did the comparison (Nov 13), Cellino wasn't at Leeds, so really not sure what your point is.
I talked about investment there (including change of managers) as that was an indicator of the owners desire to make something happen, whilst at Leeds we were continually being told investment was about to happen by GFH yet it never did,
posted on 1/10/14
So you were using the example of Forest changing managers to show how other boards were doing a better job in comparison to ours which was GFH.
You are now using that exact same example as a negative to compare with our current owner Cellino.
Don't you find that strange?
That is my point
posted on 1/10/14
Faith, I think you're missing something here. SKB was talking about the fans react, as was I.
posted on 1/10/14
Jonty, I don't think I am missing anything here.
posted on 2/10/14
I cannot believe you will sit there and deny this.
I can.
But I am certain you will continue to deny this anyway.
He will
Jonty, I don't think I am missing anything here.
You're not
Comedy gold this...!