THE QUICK FIX LEEDS UNITED were looking for was not forthcoming yesterday, but Peter Reid has wasted little time in identifying the symptoms of their malaise. “Too many people sitting around and feeling sorry for themselves,” the new manager said, strongly hinting that the remedy was more likely to involve teacups than sympathy. Having been told that his appointment is strictly short-term, Reid is not interested in massaging bruised egos or making himself popular in the dressing-room. Avoiding relegation is all that matters.
It did not take a traumatic first half away to Liverpool yesterday for the size of that task to become clear. Leeds were 2-0 down within 20 minutes, to goals from Michael Owen and Danny Murphy, but Reid was not surprised by what he was seeing. No sooner had he been appointed on Friday morning, in succession to Terry Venables, than he caught the first whiff of the malodorous team spirit that dates back to David O’Leary’s reign. What happened on the pitch at Anfield merely confirmed what he had already suspected.
“A lot has been talked and written about Leeds United’s plight this season, with losing players and how difficult it is and so on,” Reid said. “But I don’t know about that. They’re paid to play football. What goes on in the boardroom and on the financial side of the club isn’t important to players. I think they’re feeling sorry for themselves. That might sound harsh, but that’s what I believe and that’s what I’ve told them.”
Such fighting talk will be music to the ears of Peter Ridsdale, whose position as chairman will finally become untenable if his gamble to replace Venables with Reid does not pay off, but the new manager is not one to base his agenda on political correctness. Indeed, the derision aimed at Ridsdale by the supporters yesterday — the highlight of which was a chant of “Are you happy now?” — may have convinced Reid to avoid being associated with the chairman if he does not want to be seen as the “patsy” that Venables voiced his reluctance to become.
Reid, eager to rebuild a reputation that was tarnished by his final months in charge of Sunderland, was greeted unenthusiastically yesterday by the visiting supporters, who seemed inspired only by his decision to promote David Batty to the substitutes’ bench for the first time this season. It was no more than a token gesture, given that the 34-year-old former England international is severely short of fitness, but surely even a half-fit Batty would add more to the Leeds midfield than the dreadfully limited Paul Okon.
Reid had little alternative to Okon yesterday, but it was his decision to field Raul Bravo at left back that will give him most cause for regret. Bravo’s curriculum vitae includes a handful of caps for Spain and a lengthy spell as understudy to Roberto Carlos at Real Madrid, from whom he arrived on loan in January, but he appears to have been more immune than most to the crisis of confidence at Elland Road. For the first half yesterday, until his inevitable replacement by Ian Harte, he was torn to shreds by El-Hadji Diouf in particular.
Liverpool were determined to step up their pursuit of a Champions League place after their Uefa Cup elimination by Celtic on Thursday, but they could not have expected such largesse from the visiting team. Bravo had been humiliated three times by Diouf when he deserted his post in the twelfth minute. Diouf was given space from which to cross from the right wing, Bravo, out of position, miscued his clearance and Owen’s left foot dispatched the loose ball for his fifth goal in eight matches.
The second goal caused Reid further anxiety, stemming as it did from a total lapse in concentration, but it was a minor classic from Murphy, whose form on the left-hand side of midfield could be of assistance to England in the coming weeks. Danny Mills, out of habit, expected to be penalised for clattering John Arne Riise near the corner flag, but he and all his team-mates should have known better than to stop and wait as the ball fell to Murphy, who curled a wonderful shot beyond Paul Robinson and into the top corner.
The first half-hour saw Liverpool perform as well as they have done on this ground for six months, but they inexplicably let Leeds back into the game ten minutes before half-time. Riise’s poor clearance found its way to Jason Wilcox, whose cross-shot eventually resulted in a goal for Mark Viduka, who forced the ball home after his initial effort was well saved by Jerzy Dudek.
That gave Reid hope, he said, but, although a double substitution at the interval brought an improvement, the industry of Viduka and Alan Smith in attack was to prove fruitless. Liverpool rediscovered their poise in the closing stages and claimed the victory they deserved when the impressive Owen beat two defenders and crossed to Steven Gerrard, who displayed impeccable technique to steer his volley past Robinson. Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, suggested that Leeds were “easily” too good to go down, but Reid is all too aware that they are not.
Liverpool (4-4-2): J Dudek 5 — J Carragher 6, D Traoré 6, S Hyypia 5, J A Riise 5 — E-H Diouf 7, S Gerrard 7, D Hamann 6 (sub: S Diao, 79min), D Murphy 8 — E Heskey 6 (sub: M Baros, 79), M Owen 8. Substitutes not used: I Biscan, V Smicer, P Arphexad.
NEXT: Manchester United (a). FORM: WWWLDW
Leeds United (4-4-2): P Robinson 6 — D Mills 5, L Radebe 4, T Lucic 4, R Bravo 1 (sub: I Harte, 46 4) — N Barmby 2 (sub: J Milner, 46 5), E Bakke 4, P Okon 2 (sub: J McMaster, 78), J Wilcox 3 — A Smith 6, M Viduka 6. Substitutes not used: D Batty, N Martyn. Booked: Bakke.
NEXT: Charlton Athletic (a). FORM: LLLLWL
Shots on target: (h) 14 (a) 7. Fouls: (h) 12 (a) 17. Offsides: (h) 3 (a) 9
Referee: A D’Urso 6. Attendance: 43,021
