Mac's Back (pt II)

Saturday 2nd February: Work shifts, family and finances meant the I was an absent member of the Friday Night Music Club this weekend - a review of the York music scene can be found here.

So, for the second time this week, I'm going to write about Leeds United. As anybody who read my last entry (or the newspapers, or just follows football in general) knows, this was Gary McAllister's first game in charge - a home match against Tranmere Rovers.

Added to the players previously signed by Dennis Wise before his move to Newcastle were Bolton defender Lubo Michalik (why he dropped two divisions and was able to be bought for just £200k, we don't know), and prolific Stockport striker Anthony Elding. Darren Kenton, previously a loanee, signed for us full-time and defender Alan Sheehan was brought in on loan. Of those four, all but Sheehan started the game, as did a returning Johnny Howson. Missing were defenders Fraser Richardson and Paul Huntingdon, midfielder Neil Kilkenny and 'keeper Casper Ankergren.

Any new manager must be looking at the pros and cons of his side and, I have to admit, there were few cons. In fact, there was an almost total lack of confidence, conviction and (in some cases) control. As to the pros, there were few of them as well. Howson did well in midfield - he always seems to have more time than anybody else and manages to pick out his passes most of the time, unlike David Prutton who just seems to lump the ball forward without looking.

New striker Elding got a reasonably good first-half shot away, which seemed to calm his nerves. As much as commentators point out that, to a lot of First Division players, the large Elland Road crowds can be intimidating, I would have thought that the same would be true for a player like Elding who, not that long ago, was a part-time player with a proper job.

However, we lacked invention and goal-scoring opportunities, whilst Tranmere seemed to have both and, after a goal-less first half, they dominated and scored the only two goals of the game. Leeds slipped out of the play-off spots for the first time since they got into them, eventually ending the day in eight place. It's now five games since our last win.

At the moment, it's hard to see where any wins are going to come from. Opposing teams seem to have worked us out now and we are less of a "scary" opposition then we were at the start of the season. McAllister had only had three days with the players and you can't expect things to change overnight but you also can't help feeling that there is a lot of work to do. Hopefully he will think that he can change our fortunes with the players we have as I, for one, don't want to see another raft of loanees coming in. After all, the players that Wise signed in January were brought in with a view to playing in the Championship next season, so they should be good enough to get us there.

Mac's Back

Tuesday 29th January: So, after a flurry of activity over the last couple of days, Leeds United have seen the departure of a manager and the arrival of yet another.

It was just over a week ago that I first heard rumours that Dennis Wise was being linked with a job at Newcastle United. At first, I laughed them off. After all, despite what he has done for Leeds this season - and, yes, I am one of those that thinks he has done a good job, remembering that we started with -15 points - I didn't think a club the size of Newcastle would be interested in him.

Then, in a few hours yesterday, the speculation turned to fact and Wise, while being allowed to prepare the team for tonight's game away at Southend, would be gone before that game kicked off to take up an executive directorship with the Toon. Today Dave Bassett, his assistant of just two months, also left the club. Some would be breathing a sigh of relief.

So, the hunt was on for a new manager. Apparently, the bookies had a list of favourites including Steve Mclaren, Garry McAllister and Paul Ince. Then, at lunchtime, I was told that McAllister was suddenly the overriding favourite, with at least one bookmaker no longer taking bets on him. Sometime after I left work, it was confirmed that the ex-Leeds midfielder was to return to football as the new manager. One of the quickest managerial turn-arounds I can remember.

As I type this, McAllister could be listening to the team take on Southend. We are approaching half-time and there has been no score yet. It sounds a slightly better game than Saturday's draw at Luton. Whoops! Scratch that - Southend have just taken the lead!!

Me? I wish Dennis good luck - although I think he's in a win-win situation. A job with a Premiership club, with a Premiership salary but pretty much behind the scenes. He's not going to be in the front-line when/if things start going wrong and the fans turn on Keegan.

I also wish McAllister luck (obviously). He's coming in as a relatively new manager - he previously managed Coventry before leaving football for personal reasons - at a time when he has little or no opportunity to bring in his own players, with the transfer window about to close. Still, he is a Leeds hero and will no doubt be welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of fans.