Marching on Together: Leeds v Cheltenham Town match preview

By: j | February 20th, 2009

Following successive losses to Huddersfield Town and Hereford United, Leeds is eighth in the table, four points behind Millwall, who also have two additional matches to play. With playoff hopes growing dim, Leeds manager Simon Grayson is still confident though as he noted to the BBC:

“We’ve lost the last two which is disappointing but there’s still a lot of matches to be played.

“There’s no reason we can’t go on a run and make sure we get into the play-offs because there’s plenty of games and I expect a response at the weekend.”

Misdirecting blame away from the sad tactical plan he said:

“We didn’t play with any quality and decision making was poor, and that’s from a team that played very well at the weekend and been on a decent run.

“I’m not going to criticise individuals or the players because that’s not my style but we’ve had words and the players accepted what’s happened today.

“Hopefully now they’ll use that as inspiration from now until the end of the season because if they don’t then one or two might not play for the club again.”

Whilst the manager has chosen to cast blame to his players, the first mark of questionable leadership, the problem with Leeds has started with the players being trapped in poor system that doesn’t maximize their abilities and is in-fact the preferred style only of the manager. To choose an approach, regardless of your squads ability is not simply foolhardy but gives your team for ego. However to trump that, hands down is to cast blame where a leader first accepts it. Leeds has failed because of poor tactical planning first and foremost and to cast blame is not appropriate.

For the match Leeds is without Luciano Becchio and Jermaine Beckford who are both in the sin-bin. Right-back Carl Dickinson has returned to Stoke City and either Frazer Richardson is most likely to get the nod.

Enjoy the match and as always I will report on it as it concludes. Until then we’re Marching on Together.