Hockaday Must Think Again for Trip to Watford

Article by @jezaldinho

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After yet another dismal performance by Leeds United, the firing squad has Dave Hockaday firmly in their sights again, and with good reason.

Losing league matches is never ‘acceptable’, but fans can swallow a defeat if it comes from a close fought game.

However, being totally humiliated on your own turf by opposition that is in no way superior will only end up with one outcome; the manager is to blame.

The fact that Hockaday seems to have positioned his ethos as that of hard work and ‘putting in a shift’, neither of which could be used to describe the shambles against Brighton, only adds to the anger.

If one or two players make mistakes and bad things subsequently happen then it can be taken into consideration. But when the entire team looks lost and confused then things descend into pub league stuff and as a result, average players become isolated and tend to shrink to the point of uselessness.

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Rudy Austin is a classic example of this. When the team are ‘clicking’ and playing as a unit he seems to draw strength from it and impose himself on the game. However, when things are not working he simply shuts down and falls to pieces.

A winger or even a striker can hide a little bit easier in these circumstances, but not a midfielder. It’s not called ‘the engine room’ for nothing and if the engine fails, the entire vehicle becomes useless.

For this reason we urgently need a player that can perform when things are not working. A player that can step up. A leader that can actually affect the game rather than just clap his hands together and glance about with a look of confused menace. A David Batty or Vinnie Jones if you like…

The writing was on the wall when Austin had a private meltdown as a result of carrying the responsibility of being captain (a severe error of judgement on McDermott’s part).

There are only so many chances a player can get and if Austin has a future at Leeds United then it’s as an enforcer to be brought on with a lead to guard and a few minutes left on the clock.

While Luke Murphy has more technical ability than the basic Austin, his footballing brain has to improve if he’s going to succeed at Championship level. At present he’s another one that seems utterly one-dimensional. When the team around him is in the ascendancy he grows and causes problems for the opposition, but when it comes down to cold, hard footballing nous and tactical awareness he’s consistently found lacking.

Tonge is simply past his best (assuming his best was ever good enough) and will occasionally put in a good 20 mins or so when the game is stable. He’s not what we need though and should be sold or released.

Back to last night and Hockaday got things very wrong both tactically and in terms of team selection.

We were at home again after a victory three days earlier and should have been taking the game to Brighton.

We should have been fronting up to them with pace, enthusiasm and absolutely no fear. Or to put it another way, we should have been playing footballers with promise and ability, players like AC Milan’s Benedicic and our very own Lewis Cook.

If supposedly experienced players like Tonge, Austin and to a lesser extend Murphy can freeze like they did at Millwall, then why not play the younger prospects? There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Hockaday is rapidly running out time and needs to turn things around urgently. He must begin by tearing up the team sheet and starting again. After all, he might well lose games playing with young talent but at least he’ll be credited for trying something different.

Losing badly with players that have proven over and over that they are not of sufficient ability bears no excuses at all and will incur the fullest wrath of the fans.

Cellino can’t exactly be too thrilled to see his signings on the bench either.

Hockaday needs to drop Austin once and for all. Luke Murphy should be playing as an attacking midfielder, but not until he’s been dropped and forced to work his way back into the team.

Lewis Cook has shown in the brief glimpses so far that he has the energy and awareness to play in a holding role, so Hockaday must let him loose.

Bianchi is looking increasingly like a strong signing and a very good footballer. Technically above those around him and crucially a hard working player too. Then there’s Benedicic who’s highly regarded by AC Milan. Some might say that “so was Roque Junior” but for heaven’s sake let’s see what he can do!

We were bereft of pace and threat against Brighton so why not let Doukara, Ajose and Byram have a go at running with the ball?

The Diamond formation is aimed at utilising passing threat and movement, enabling technically gifted players to create spaces.

If we had four Bianchi’s then this might actually be effective, but with tactically inept and technically limited players like Austin then it’s footballing suicide. You’re left with no pace, no awareness and just chasing shadows.

The suggestions regarding formation and tactics are many and plenty of debate can be had about how Hockaday should be using the squad.

The point is that he now has the tools at his disposal to make a good fist of this season and as such, any more performances like last night will surely see him relieved.

It’s sickening to think that young Adryan will have likely been watching last night’s performance and could easily do ‘a Viviani’ and think twice. Who could blame him?

Assuming things continue as they are and the coach is relieved, Hockaday will naturally be blamed for the rubbish on the pitch but Cellino will have to bear the broader responsibility for taking such a gamble in the first place.

While all is not lost and there is still time for things to turn round, Cellino must be drawing up a list of replacements already. He’s perfectly willing to fire an under performing coach and as things stand, he’d actually be applauded for doing it sooner rather than later.

One problem is that Cellino smacks of a person with a strong sense of pride and as such may not quite be ready to hold his hands up just yet.

One thing he can do though is turn his attention away from shiny hubcaps and go faster stripes and actually look to invest in a new engine for his beloved Yorkshire Ferrari. Because without a proper working engine we’ll never get out of the garage this season.

@jezaldinho

Leeds: Silvestri, Byram, Pearce, Cooper, Warnock, Austin, Bianchi, Tonge, Murphy (Cook, 81), Sharp (Poleon, 80), Smith (Ajose, 45).

Subs not used: Taylor, Wootton, Bellusci, Norris.

Booked: Warnock, Pearce, Cooper, Austin, Murphy.

Brighton: Stockdale, Calderon, Greer, Dunk, Chicksen, Saltor, Agustien (Lua Lua, 59), Forster-Caskey, Holla (Ince, 75), Teixeira (Hughes, 90), Mackail-Smith.

Subs not used: Ankergren, Toko, McCourt, O'Grady.

Booked: Holla.

Scorer: Teixeira, 5, Lua Lua, 84.

Referee: James Adcock (Nottinghamshire)

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