50 Shades Of Dirty Leeds

I said to Dad after the game  "Why am I going to the Everton game ?" Dad chuckled "Cos you're a masochist!"
Different manager same old route one football...
Some thoughts.. 
Sam Byram looked like a wide eyed calamity kid amongst brutish tree trunk blokes.
We couldn't cope with their no 27 Elmohamady and their captain Koren was a handful. We simply had no answer for their pace. Perhaps Warnock is too "old school" kicking them off the park and having is not going to cut the mustard with a side that had ex Scumchester talent in the ranks.

Hull were far too tall, their defence looked composed, assured, slick - we fell short of the mark, quite literally! Only time they looked vulnerable was when we went 3-2 and suddenly felt the crowd baying for blood. Great atmosphere but same old same old frailties.
Becchio didn't do much bar penalty, I couldn't see much from the East Stand but it looked a little fortunate. 
We should've kept ball on floor, too many hopeful headers against big sh... houses, Becchio had no Ross McC to hide behind and we had no plan B.
Why 15-20 mins from end we suddenly burst into life as if we'd suddenly realised we were late for the last train of the day? Poleon  looked lively why not on earlier? Hull had some serious pace and brawn; Austin went for it, was committed but had men on him so as the game wore on we were running out of ideas. 

That little bit of investment, Prem quality, could turn a decent hard working Leeds side into a machine - we had moments of promise with Poleon and glimpses of the old resolute Elland Rd fortress via decent saves from Kenny and no nonsense stuff from Austin. Trouble is..the ghosts of Simon Grayson sides past reared it's head with hallmarks of  league one defending.  Varney was "far from all white" whether he made  White and Lees look like panicky headless  chickens or they were all culpable in school boy errors, fact was and is we have got to look at this as a lesson learned from a team that will be there or thereabouts come May.
Little things you'd hope an experienced man like Warnock would sort out - no variation in set play - why not take short corners ? Don't try to walk it in, look around you, the brain got ahead of the feet with Becchio a few times and the opportunity was all too often wasted. 
There were moments where we weren't too bad, Hull have invested and spent well, they were more organised, more mature. The likes of Byram and Poleon, even Tom "Why So Serious?!" Lees are good players they just need to get their heads screwed on, learn from the older players, unfortunately the paper thin squad means some are pressed into action when they're not quite ready and the bench has little to offer in terms of respite, the likes of Brown and Kisnorbo offer passion and professionalism but they couldn't muster up a solid, dependable 90mins in honesty.

Well, we move on, the Tigers may be purring but it wasn't a mauling in the second half, although at times it may well have been. Marching on regardless, let's hope Warnock is a wizard in the loan market..something must be done!

Banter & Balls.. A Poem

Who will be the local hero?
Just one day to go...
Who will land the killer blow?
Will the tricky Tigers roar?
Or are we in for a 'bore' draw ?
Who will hobble off the pitch feeling sore?

Rosenior, Dawson & some (unpronounceable) Sunderland loaner
Are current heroes of a mate who dresses like a bumblebee
Yep , I'm talking about the orange and black of Hull City...
Ripping off 'The King' in their anthem
Come on boys lets get into them..
Pacy wingers? gloriour goals? ha..no problem!
Dirty Leeds will leave a 'calling card'
Dot to dot stud marks 'cos we're well 'ard
Not one will be left unscarred
Cant help falling in love with you?!
Nahhhh you know it's true
That the only true romance is in white yellow and blue!!!

Becchio blows hot and cold
Yet truth be told..
If I may be so bold
I've taken a shine
To our Smithy wannabe Argentine
With no Ross McCormack it's time
For Luciano to step up to the plate
The 3pts are ours to take!
Make no mistake
Our squad is smaller than Posh's main meal
Forget about the on off takeover 'deal'
We need to stick together..get real

Midweek games shouldn't be a curse
Let's not fantasise about Beastly Bates in a hearse
Nor bat our expectant eyelids at some Arab's princely purse
The fans will make a magnificent noise
To help the boys
Now now.. put away the toys
Fantasy footy, Fifa, all very fun
But eyes front lads and lasses on the Elland Rd turf there's a grudge match to be won!
Marching On Together..let's get the job done!

Let's Batter The Codheads!

Looking forward to Hull City tomorrow night, a mate at Dad's work is already full of it after stuffing Millwall at the weekend. I've never felt such a mixed bag of emotions, smug that mucky Millwall got the pasting they deserved, nail bitingly nervous that the Tigers are roaring just when our paper thin squad of misfits, Grandads and youngsters are blowing more hot and cold more indecisively than Arabs in a Russian Roulette face off with Bates...
I love and loathe Tuesday nights in equal measure. Either half empty chilly, dour affairs or electric, full house brilliant banter and goals galore - never seems to be in between.
With McCormack injured the spectre of Simon Graysons downfall looms large...Warnock looks to be forced into the role of reluctant loan arranger. One of the Codhead's picks in the current Hull eleven is a pacy Sunderland player but then again does that say more about the gaps between Championship and even mid table Prem than it does about having a quality squad at your disposal? Look at Leicester. What about the ongoing Beckford saga? Livermore playing for England.... we need to cut past the hype, dross and Bates diva demands and concentrate on our team only. Becchio needs to step up to the plate; good start but can he keep momentum? How will he cope without the service of Ross?Rodolph Austin is a beast but how long before he becomes a Vinnie Jones/Batts hybrid and gets a lengthy suspension? Diiirty Leeds. Oh and someone wind Varney 's stop clock up... that guy is stuck on slo mo! Byram also becoming quite a crowd pleaser but just hope he's not a one season wonder, plenty of games to go...Oh and Tom Lees, nice one on getting into the England U21 set up but one question - Why So...Serious?!
So, for me, the head says tough game, be pleased to grind out a draw on Hull's current form, heart says I am desperate to leave the Codhead fan All Shook Up and Lonesome Tonight ...failing that I'll get him singing his anthem Can't Help Falling In Love... but- With Leeds ;)