[Poll] How long will Cellino keep McDermott as manager?

[Sheepy]

Perhaps so, I think there is more to it than just getting the team on a roll, a cup win yeah, but an entire season is hard to put down to just being on a roll.

I'm starting to think the issue is motivation, we saw how they played when they had the siege mentality after that comedy weekend, is there so much number 2s happening that the players are just struggling to focus on the basics?

It's a tough one, I always liked the Wise & Poyet combination, Poyet was the thinker, the tactician and Wise was the little motivator who injected a bit of the Wimbledon Crazy Gang mentality.

Keep McDermott and bring in Vinnie Jones as part of the coaching staff, I'm serious!

[Mellor]

Apart from being a good egg I cant see a single thing BMs done to warrant support from Cellino. Like Warnock before him he's recruited virtually a full team of new players. We are led to believe that those players form a tightly knit squad who want to play for BM. Off the field activity should have minimal impact on the team in those circumstances. Strangely, the best performance they managed was v Hudds when BM was absent and they apparently found hidden depths of motivation either to save BM or more likely their own skins (having an easy going/likeable boss may suit an easy going bunch of lads who fear their protector may be replaced by a hard task master).

As for fluke - it's possible to fluke a bit of success in football. Others may disagree but I would argue DI Matteo fluked a Champs League victory - I doubt he could build a team from scratch to do the job! Another bloke the players like. Being nice works for a while, until the hard decisions need to be taken. Inherit a decent side and nice works. Inherit a poor side and nice is no solution. BM inherited an average to poor side. He has rebuilt the side and it's still average to poor. What was the squad like he inherited at Reading? Did he do much to improve it? Roberts was a good January signing I recall. Beyond that I have no idea.

And whatever is going on off the field is no excuse for the shocking tactics on it. The team is not a team , it's a collection of individuals who look like they've come together for the first time every game. There are only two outfield constants - Ross and Rudi. No manager yet born has managed to include Ross in a successful side and I doubt anyone will. BM has to try having turned down £6 million (I doubt it was that much but it was surely a goodly sum). As for Rudi - I disagree with Sheepy here - he just ain't good enough and never was. He's either in the way (sees and wastes a lot of ball) or the game totally passes him by (yesterday second half being a classic example). Massive problems to be resolved.

Is BM tough enough/astute enough to tackle the real issues? Only time will tell, assuming Cellino gives BM time. Yesterday, post match, BM felt like damaged goods. For me Cellino should sack or back. What he shouldn't do is leave BM dangling on a string. He deserves better than that. If he goes he should go with dignity and we should recruit a progressive, modern manager who doesn't take us back to pre Ramsey 442 football.

[Sheepy]

Just to clarify, I was saying Austin played better last season for Warnock, and that this season he has been very poor which has not helped BMcD or LUFC. I wouldn't personally go as far as to say he is not good enough as a blanket, general opinion. He has shown me he can be a good player on occasions, but unfortunately that was last season and sadly my description of 'on occasions' just highlights the problem we have. The difference between good players and average players is consistency and that's seemingly what we lack.

Whoever is manager next week, next month or next season they need the backing to bring in good, consistent players who can not only play football, but be psychologically strong enough to handle the expectation and pressure that comes with playing for Leeds United.

[Mellor]

I understand your point sheepy. I just tend to the view that he has been part of the problem throughout. Given that Colin bought him and BM believes in him I am clearly wrong but I just can't shake off my long held opinion

[Aces]

Basically I think whatever Cellino does in regards to BMD will be ok with the fans. Most of us like him but again, most of us don't think he's doing enough for us to protest in the streets should Cellino sack him. I personally hope he gives BM a chance, I like him and he has a certain calmness about him, but I feel Cellino will sack him and the next few games, if bad will see him sacked at the same time as Cellino taking over the club.

[Sheepy]

Things is, and we all have to really think about this, if Cellino has any doubts about BMcD and lets be honest, to a point we all do, would he risk giving him a transfer budget to bring in new players if he has any doubts on his ability?

If it was me, and it was my/the clubs money at risk, I would think very long and hard about it!

Mellor - I know where you are coming from, but let me ask you this, do you think Austin is one of those players who would play better with better players around him? Because I think we have a few like that at the club, Murphy being another one....

[isrodger]

The point you make re Austin and McCormack are valid. My issue with Austin is BMc has tried to complicate his role. He should be a midfield destroyer, win it and lay it, much like vinny jones, he is not a latter day championship Steven gerrard. As for Rmc, to me he is the championship Wayne Rooney, he will drop deep if allowed to, however when played as the point man, he has the ability to score 25 plus goals a season a la Rooney 3 seasons ago. Ironicaally with the two wingers, I would love to see Diouf playing as a number 10, holding up, creating, dropping deeper, and distributing out wide and feeding Rmc. As it stands Rmc, all too often drops deep, plays a 'Hollywood' Crossfield ball, out wide when it's not really his role. I always remember Rooney vs us on the cup, 82 mins in we are 1 nil up, and the lad is towing his bollocks off, filling in at left back; he wins the ball, and pings it crossfield. He gets a standing ovation, great attitude, but when they need a goal, it was great that their £50m striker is playing left back.

I guess what I'm saying is I believe both can be quality championship players, if managed correctly, and they stick to defined roles.

[SiMamu]

The point you make re Austin and McCormack are valid. My issue with Austin is BMc has tried to complicate his role. He should be a midfield destroyer, win it and lay it, much like vinny jones, he is not a latter day championship Steven gerrard. As for Rmc, to me he is the championship Wayne Rooney, he will drop deep if allowed to, however when played as the point man, he has the ability to score 25 plus goals a season a la Rooney 3 seasons ago. Ironicaally with the two wingers, I would love to see Diouf playing as a number 10, holding up, creating, dropping deeper, and distributing out wide and feeding Rmc. As it stands Rmc, all too often drops deep, plays a 'Hollywood' Crossfield ball, out wide when it's not really his role. I always remember Rooney vs us on the cup, 82 mins in we are 1 nil up, and the lad is towing his bollocks off, filling in at left back; he wins the ball, and pings it crossfield. He gets a standing ovation, great attitude, but when they need a goal, it was great that their £50m striker is playing left back.

I guess what I'm saying is I believe both can be quality championship players, if managed correctly, and they stick to defined roles.

In a team that plays it on the floor, Diouf is the perfect target man, as such, due to his close control and first touch. So I thought he'd be an important player this season after our first few games under McDermott where we seemed to be doing the right things - goalkeeping giving it to the full backs, not to the other team's CBs' head. McDermott said last summer he wanted to make us the best passing team in the Championship. Granted, I don't expect us to be playing like Brighton, but more like Middlesbrough yesterday but with a clinical striker in McCormack. Some of his signings were the right kind of signings too - young talented players with potential, like Murphy, Wootton, Smith and Stewart - although Smith promotes hoofball. While McDermott's doing the right things off the pitch to help the club, on the pitch he's a liar.

[Mellor]

Things is, and we all have to really think about this, if Cellino has any doubts about BMcD and lets be honest, to a point we all do, would he risk giving him a transfer budget to bring in new players if he has any doubts on his ability?

If it was me, and it was my/the clubs money at risk, I would think very long and hard about it!

Mellor - I know where you are coming from, but let me ask you this, do you think Austin is one of those players who would play better with better players around him? Because I think we have a few like that at the club, Murphy being another one....

I like Murphy, I think he can grow and wish BM had backed his judgement more and placed him and not Rudi at the centre of things. Rudi though, I don't think he can raise his game to the level required. I think top players on his own team would bypass him as easily as top players on the opposition bypass him now. He is a direct replacement for BJ in many ways. I know who I would choose! That said I imagine Rudi is a top bloke, well liked and a proper team player.

It's interesting that you want top players to bring the best out of Rudi where I want top players to replace him. Hope you're right. Rudi's heart is certainly in the right place and that's worth a lot.

[Costy]

Murphy is undoubtedly the more talented footballer of the two. His problem is his minimal involvement, but hopefully he'll grow in stature with experience anYd games and start to dictate more. Austin, on the other hand, I don't want heavily involved. He just has not got the ability needed and he makes so many basic errors. For every one good thing he does, he does 5 bad. That's not an opta stat by the way, just how it seems! I never rated him from day 1, and i think mcdermott's faith in him is hurting us.