The squad at Leeds United needs improving over the summer, of that there is no doubt. But you could say the same of other sides in the Championship.
In fact, you could say the same of most of them.
Our form was in and out over 46 games and there wasn’t a period when it really looked like coming together. Yet I look at the final table and see us seven points behind the play-offs.
Certain clubs have sneaked in there despite their results, rather than because of them.
It’s been a strange year as a whole and the last day of the season was incredible. You can’t knock the Championship for the excitement it produced at the death.
And, considering the circumstances, Leeds did well to take three points away from Watford. That was almost forgotten in among everything else that went on at Vicarage Road but the performance was very professional.
It’s never a bad thing to finish on a high, particularly when you’ve had a tough campaign.
The worst thing a mid-table side can do is to see out their last game with the wrong attitude or make it seem like they’re aleady on a beach somewhere.
We took close to 2,000 supporters to Watford and the great thing about our travelling fans is that they always keep the players honest. And the players to their credit did the business.
But yes, changes are necessary. Not massive changes like we saw last summer but a spate of signings which increase the quality of the side.
I honestly don’t believe that Leeds have been short of good players this season but if you’re looking for a word to describe the team then workmanlike is probably most accurate.
We’ve got lads who will run themselves hard and graft away but not enough flair or invention.
A few clubs in our league have suffered from the same problem and I’d imagine that the value of creative players will be at a premium during the summer.
To start at the back, the addition of another recognised centre-back would do the squad no harm at all. We’ve got Tom Lees and Jason Pearce but nothing much behind them, not now that Patrick Kisnorbo’s been released.
Lee Peltier’s filled in there quite a few times and he’s done pretty well but you can tell that it’s not really his position. I never feel that asking someone to play countless matches in an unfamiliar role is a safe or sensible strategy.
In midfield we definitely need more wide players. You can’t aportion all of what’s happened this season to the sale of Robert Snodgrass but the squad never really recovered from him going to Norwich City. He hasn’t been replaced.
If you look at Snodgrass’ record at Leeds, he was someone who scored plenty of goals and created plenty too. He was always high up the list of assists.
Look at the figures for the past nine months and you’ll find that Ross McCormack is top but it’s true to say that McCormack’s work out wide or outside the box has come at a cost to the number of goals hes scored. His chip at Watford was only his sixth in league matches.
So that’s another area that could do with strengthening. This Leeds squad doesn’t have a massive number of goals in it.
McCormack is more than good enough for the Championship and with the right service he’ll bang them in no problem.
I still think Steve Morison can come good too.
But we’re a little bit light and lacking lads you can turn to when you need something to happen.
There’s not enough in reserve.
Without knowing Brian McDermott’s exact thoughts, I reckon those are the positions he’ll target.
It’s not a complete overhaul by any stretch but I think he’ll make major alterations to the style and strategy of the team.
The more I hear him speak, the more I like what I hear. I’m impressed by the commitment he’s showing in demanding that this summer sees not only the rebuilding of the first-team squad but the rebuilding of the club.
This isn’t a criticism of anyone but for three or four years I think we’ve concentrated heavily on the success of the first team and not enough on things like the academy, the training ground and so on.
It’s a hard balance to strike but it’s nice to see a manager who’s ready to take on the whole package. It’s that old saying – fail to prepare, prepare to fail. You sense that Brian’s preparation will be spot on.
