14 Mar 2024 20:02:15
Interested to have any feedback from posters on their opinions on the STYLE of PLAY of David O'Leary teams 1997 to 2002?
Exciting?
Free flowing?
Attack minded?
Entertaining?
Goal bonanzas?
Yes or no?
Thoughts.
14 Mar 2024 20:29:06
Great to watch, good style, very naieve and ultimately would lose to the bigger teams.
I think o Leary was useless and threw away a great hand and should of done better.
Certainly enjoyed watching them but buy one less forward as we don’t need five strikers but get a decent left back as Ian heart will cost us goals!
14 Mar 2024 21:05:55
Just to add some BALANCE to very dubious myth/ rhetoric that DOL needed money to do well at Leeds United
1999/ 2000 season Leeds United under DOL finished 3rd behind EPL expensively assembled power teams Man U and Arsenal
plus Leeds United also reached the semi finals of the UEFA cup
They also won 10 games in a row playing scintillating football against EPL and European clubs
All this on a squad assembled on a very modest outlay comparatively speaking with most expensive signing in LUFC squad being Michael Bridges for just a very modest £5 millon!
A modest inexpensive LUFC squad 1999/ 2000
Martyn
Robinson
Duberry
Hiden
Mills
Kelly
Harte
Haaland
Radebe
Woodgate
Batty
McPhail
Bakke
Hopkin
Jones
Bowyer
Huckerby
Kewell
Wilcox
Bridges
Smith.
14 Mar 2024 21:20:14
Sorry Berm but a manager cannot be ' useless ' if he achieves a 3rd place EPL finish and semi final of UEFA cup in 1999/ 2000 with a MODEST INEXPENSIVE team and squad. most expensive player being Michael Bridges at £5 million .
Agree of course with your comments about 'great to watch, good style' .100% correct
Leeds did beat top team Arsenal THREE times under DOL though Berm
Agree also with your final paragraph. Left back was our major achilles heel defensively!
14 Mar 2024 21:53:24
I agree it was only when o Leary had money to spend it went wrong…. Before that when he didn’t spend money things went better so I do agree.
I always judge managers but the hands they are dealt
O Leary had
Martyn, bowyer, radebe which were all Wilko siginings (if only we kept Wilko he’d of won everything! )
Then youth and home grown he had
Kelly, woodgate, smith, kwelle, mcpahial, hearte plus a few others
He also had everything managers need… time and money., so looking back did he do a good job… for me no… he then went on and did awful at other clubs… o don’t rate him in top ten managers at leeds
Had a great hand and played good football but did not win as much as he should of.
14 Mar 2024 22:24:56
If my memory serves me correctly, we started to go downhill in O'Learys days when Brian Kidd left. He was the main man not O'Leary.
Bermo - radebe was useless under Wilko, was George Graham who made him into a world class CB so don't think he would've won everything.
14 Mar 2024 22:30:42
Berm interesting point re Wilko . i luv him . but maybe just maybe after 9 seasons as Leeds manager. he was jaded and way past his very best
And as for expecting Leeds United to win the EPL between 1997 to 2002 . Man U and Arsenal squads were on another level to Leeds United during that era . (even the 2001/ 02 squads) and it showed over 38 matches each time .
It even took Liverpool 30 years to win EPL . it certainly is very difficult to achieve.
14 Mar 2024 22:49:05
True I saw radebe under Wilko and he was a dm and far from great.
I also agree baz maybe Willkie time was up but I do think wilko broiught the players in to re build the team and with youth coming through we might of had a new golden age
We had some gems who for me was wasted under a very poor manager who went on to do nothing
I agree kid was the brains and if only we got Martin Oneil who apparently we was after!
14 Mar 2024 23:37:04
Err ILK and Berm its the exact opposite of what you say re Brian Kidd positive influence on LUFC first team results.
Kidd didn't even join Leeds until summer 2000.and Leeds best season and best football was the season before when Kidd wasnt evenat Leeds
Kidd was Leeds youth coach from Summer 2000 to March 2001 when he was promoted to Head Coach. so his only full season was the disappointing 2001/ 02 season .
Eddie Gray was far better as a Leeds coach during DoL era.
15 Mar 2024 07:32:43
I will take your judgement on that baz as I can’t remember but now you have said that that does make sense.
15 Mar 2024 07:43:09
DoL benefitted from the structure that George Graham put in place, and added a bit of flair. Anything positive he did (yes, it was good to watch, and yes he achieved some good things) was destroyed with losing the plot when given cash, and starting to believe his own hype and media glorification. The release of a pointless book, to make a quick Buck, destroyed any legacy he may have built, at a time when the world could have been his oyster. Did I ever mention that his daughter was amazingly fit tho?
15 Mar 2024 09:09:28
Yeah forgot about that poxy book, think he lost the dressing room with that.
Fit daughter though might redeem him.
Personally o Leary don’t make my top ten managers… if fact I’d possibly place him in bottom ten.
15 Mar 2024 12:51:48
Berm you are funny
I believe there have been 45 Leeds managers in history Berm . not a chance you could name 35 managers who have been better for Leeds United. achieved more .
Try even 10 lol.
15 Mar 2024 15:19:32
My views on o'leary is that he dropped in on a team with good existing players and good talented youngsters coming through.
Unlike a wilko or revie that built a team over a few years oleary was presented with a ready made team.
This is not to say he couldn't of failed we all know managers who have failed with those talents before.
I think oleary being a young manager was just a good fit and brought the team together more with enthusiasm and drive than experience.
So attacking and all action energetic would be my description of his team. Probably over achieved a bit with a youthful squad at times.
He probably got found out as the team got older and had to develope and change.
Him and Ridsdale started to make a few wrong choices in recruitment.
A more experienced manager would have controlled the off the field shenanigans a little better but I did enjoy that era.