Leeds United: Another Day in the Dock for Hock as Bradford Approach

Article by Jeremy Taylor

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Saturday’s shocking result at Watford left emotions running high and social media ablaze with rage against the apparent failures of Dave Hockaday and his tactics. Phrases such as ‘failed experiment’ and ‘out of his depth’ were commonplace amongst fan opinions with everyone fully expecting the axe to fall.

Leaked reports from those close to Cellino claimed that the President was also incandescent with rage as he journeyed back from the game; determined to put his ‘coach’ out of his misery once and for all.

However, like many fans one expects, his emotions died down over the course of the long weekend and logic began to overcome impulse, resulting in a statement declaring Hockaday is to remain in place for the time being.

“A stay of execution” was the official term; so more a case of giving a prisoner an extra week or two rather than actually removing him from death row altogether.

When trying to be balanced, it becomes clear that there are merits to both sides of the argument over what happens next. The fact is that whenever a squad is so flooded with new faces as Leeds United’s has been, there is always a period of ‘gelling’ – as new players get to know their teammates and mistakes will happen.

Arsene’ Wenger has previously said that (on average) a new footballer takes three months to settle into a new team. On that basis, not only are we still some way from having a settled team, one could argue of a cumulative effect that would likely magnify the lack of organization.

In short, is anyone really surprised that there have been errors made at key moments, especially in defence where pressure is at its greatest during a game. After all, defensive stability comes from collective understanding and when a backline doesn’t play in rhythm they will ultimately get exposed. This reality has been clearly evident with teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool this weekend, so we shouldn’t be surprised to see it at Leeds either.

There’s no doubt that Bellusci’s mistake cost us the game. Leeds had equalized and were in the ascendancy; controlling the game from midfield and building momentum. Then it happened, he was off and we were a goal down. The lad has since apologised and that’s the end of it.

Managers are judged on results and that will always be the case, but equally Hockaday was in no way to blame for what happened. In a sense, he deserves credit for persevering with a midfield that has seen significant pressure mounting on the back of its collective performances.

It’s that kind of dogged determination that actually builds team collectiveness and respect amongst the squad, as opposed to a coach that grows afraid of the mob and buckles to its demands easily. Live by the sword as they say…

I’ve already voiced my concern about debating football on the basis of ‘if’, but in this instance I’m going to. If, Bellusci doesn’t kill the game for Leeds in an instant and if we maintain our pressure and dominance over Watford then the likely outcome is that we score again, perhaps even repeatedly.

Those goals would have, by the law of probability, come from one of the strikers; two players that are also brand new to the club and require confidence to perform at their best.

Leeds win the game, everyone is delighted and the confidence gained enables the team to travel back to Leeds as more of a unit that when they set off down the M1.

The point is that the margins are small but the effects can be huge.

Reality of course is that Leeds lost heavily and Dave Hockaday is now very much on death row; facing a bleak and short future at Leeds United. We’ve seen established managers with good reputations and impressive track records come to work with a much more settled squad at Leeds United and fail miserably. So what chance does Hockaday have with no track record and a squad that must be shouting ‘mate’ and ‘over here pal’ to each other on the training field until they learn each other’s names? None whatsoever.

Just look at QPR two seasons ago. They were signing quality players for huge sums of money and had the enigmatic Harry Redknapp in charge – only for it to fall apart because their squad barely knew each other. It’s a process that money can’t make right, only time can.

So again, what chance does Hockaday have? None.

It’s this fact that led Cellino to calm down and hold his own hands up, take responsibility and declare that Hockaday can’t be judged until the squad is complete.

But does he mean complete or settled? As the two things are significantly different and one will be in a fortnights time and the other could well be the wrong side of Christmas.

Cellino, as the club’s owner, and indeed the fans need to accept that we have no right to expect any success this season. All the talk of Ferrari’s and the enthusiasm of signing over a dozen new players has only served to blur the reality that this new era has more or less begun from scratch.

As a club we’ve started again after over a decade of systematic self-sabotage and reckless financial mismanagement. To expect the team to hit the ground running is naïve to say the least. But positivity is no bad thing and it’s better to hope than expect abject failure; so naivety can be forgiven.

But the real question is at what point does reality kick in and at what point does Cellino pull the plug on the Hockaday learning curve?

The footballing world collectively scratched its head when he was appointed and remains to do so, as it makes no sense. As such, one can’t help but suspect Cellino has a grander plan that is yet to be revealed.

Until Benito Carbone left it was a simple assumption that he would jump in the hot seat when the time was right, but that plan, it seems, wasn’t meant to be.

Is Hockaday simply a pair of hands that will do as he’s told while the ship is steadied? A fall guy who will take the flak while the club staggers along to a point of competence; ready for a bigger and more established coach to then take over and start adding the style and glamour that Cellino must surely covet.

Whatever the real thoughts running through the President’s head are, there’s no doubt that Hockaday is seen as a temporary measure and is now on borrowed time.

Any realist will allow him a mixed bag in terms of results but any more severe losses and Cellino will have no choice but to make a change, as a course towards relegation cannot be allowed to take shape.

As if scripted, a cup game against fierce rivals Bradford now looms on the horizon; exactly the kind of match that will serve as the protagonist in the ongoing Leeds United story. Win the game and the sun will come out temporarily. Lose it and the sky will get very, very dark for our beleaguered coach, before he will surely be told to get his coat.

Each game must feel like a day in court for Hockaday whereby his fate lies in the hands of eleven individuals he doesn’t really know. All played out in front of a judge sat up high watching.

Only this Judge chain-smokes, jumps around and says whatever is on his mind to the world’s media.

Logic says that Hockaday should be replaced right away. But, there’s also sense in the view that significant groundwork is still to be done and someone ‘expendable’ should do that, as the next coach will have a much better chance of success if the team are fit, know each other and settled.

Is this Cellini’s master-plan?

Who knows, if Hockaday is such a good ‘coach’ then maybe he’ll be joined by someone rather than replaced?

Regardless of the speculation, Cellino’s cheque-book is still opening and closing on an almost daily basis and fresh faces keep arriving. So until Hockaday gets the call that his number is up, he needs to keep going and take each game as it comes.

@jezaldinho

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