Clueless, inadequate and primed to blow it again TSS March 22, 2010 Match reviews 199 Comments After poor performances it’s easy to fly off the handle, lose the faith and respond irrationally and in a total rage, which is why I usually leave the match report until I’ve had time to cool down a little and get to grips with my emotions. Tonight however, there’s no point pussy-footing around what was a truly dismal display from the Whites. There was no fight shown in the performance whatsoever and Leeds look destined to blow another chance at success. No matter how many times we bottle it, it’s not something that ever becomes any easier. Prior to the match it was revealed that Beckford had been ruled out with an achilles problem, which is probably why Paddy Power were offering double the odds on him being the first goalscorer. Paul Dickov was chosen as his replacement and he started alongside Luciano Becchio, neither of which had any affect on the game at all, underlining my opinion that Paul Dickov is the most pointless signing under Simon Grayson’s leadership. My contempt for Dickov could indeed be clouding my judgement and in truth, there’s little he could of done to change the result with such inadequate service from the rest of the team. When the squad insist on pumping the ball long and hoping for the best, it would have been nice to see someone with pace to chase the ball and pressure the Millwall defence into mistakes. Someone like… I don’t know… Grella!? Dickov and Becchio? Hardly the most terrifying strike-force in League One is it? Elsewhere, despite having the luxury of being able to name seven substitutes, Simon opted not to include a central defender, so once Kisnorbo left the field Aidy White was his replacement and the defence was reshuffled. This helped nothing and to be quite honest, there were times when we may as well have had four cones in their place as the Millwall team almost walked passed them. Naylor, for all his merits last season has been carried by Kis for all too long now and is clearly past his peak. Nayl’s is one of my favourite players, but emotion can’t disguise his faults anymore. Aside from his deteriorating defensive ability, his leadership skills seem non-existant. The defence was disorganised, failed to close down and get stuck in and it never appeared as though Naylor knew the answer. When he should have been shouting, issuing orders and directing the others, he was too busy looking around clueless trying to figure out what’s gone wrong. Finally we come to the midfield, which provided no real service to the inaffective front two and little support to the defence. Snoddy didn’t have a bad game, but that’s about as good as it got. Prior to this match I called for unity. For the fans to act as one and be the 12th man, but patience is running thin now and understandably so. I can accept dips in form, and bad results, but what we’ve witnessed at Southampton and tonight was a team that didn’t show any fight and looked resigned to failure. I honestly don’t know where we go from here. I’m trying to remain defiantly optimistic, but the team is giving me nothing to believe in. We seem destined for the play-offs once more and probably another long, disappointing year in League One. The thing that’s really bugging me is that nobody ever responded. Not even emotionally. I’d be happier if half the team had been sent off after resorting to horrible challenges and swearing at the ref, because at least then, it shows they’re as frustrated as the rest of us. It honestly felt like they’d given in long before the final whistle. What happened to the ‘never say die attitude’ of early season? The late comebacks and inspired substitutions? Disheartened, angry and worried.