Reaction From Leeds Boss Gary McAllister

Last updated : 12 April 2008 By Thetashkentterror

Gary McAllister
Whites manager Gary McAllister spoke to BBC Radio Leeds about his side's see-saw 3-2 victory over Carlisle at Elland Road, McAllister saying that his team played at a far better tempo in the second-half :


" I think for the neutral, I think that everybody would have enjoyed that, we're obviously very pleased to take away the three points, but a good game, a good game of football. Two clubs, two teams looking to play football and get the ball down and pass. In the second-half I thought that we deserved the three points.

" The first-half was a wee bit frustrating, I've got to say that I don't think that we did a lot wrong. Our intention was there, they were always going to come here and try to frustrate and get bodies behind the ball, but I just felt that we needed to raise the tempo and put a wee bit more pace in the pass. The players did that in the second-half so they deserve a lot of credit for that.

" I thought that we played at a tempo that made it more difficult for Carlisle, in the first-half we passed it but we were playing at a level and a speed where Carlisle managed to get people behind the ball and get their tackles in. As soon as we just gave it a bit more oomph though, a wee bit more positive and put some more pace in the pass I thought that then we looked like creating real chances, and we did.

" We've spoken about his (Dougie Freedman's) guile and he's got a little touch of class, there is no doubt about that, but I think that we have got to applaud his physical state as well. He was sent home last night from the hotel with a wee bit of sickness and diarrhoea and he appeared at breakfast this morning and wanted to play, and he got through 90 minutes. "



" As soon as Dougie looked me in the eye and said he was fit he was starting. The same with Jermaine (Beckford), Jermaine has been nursing, he tweaked his ankle last week against Orient. We've nursed him through the week but he wanted to play, I think that players are now realising that when they have got a hold of the jersey they want to keep it, because there are able people on the side. Jermaine's ankle knock will be touch and go for Tuesday.

" He (Jonny Howson) is a very promising player, he's not flash, he's just a guy who gets on and does his job. He's got a lovely feel for the game, he's at an age where he wants to listen and learn. If he keeps progressing then he has got a real chance of being a very good footballer. Everything in the club is fine, and confidence and team spirit only comes from winning games, and we've won a few games so the place is bubbly at the moment.

" Carlisle's second goal was disappointing because it was a free header for Tresor Kandol and a wee bit of lack of communication between Casper (Ankergren) and him. So it wasn't caused by a Carlisle player, it was purely of our own doing. I thought that we looked extremely good at the end, we had a lot of counter-attacks, we mentioned Dougie, Dougie was bringing people into play and we created three or four very good chances.

" It's nice now, that's the only good side of a lunchtime kick-off, when you win you can just go and watch the results and be quite calm. As much as the possession was good, and that's where I'm trying to put the importance on keeping the ball in the training and the games. There has got to be a purpose and there has got be a pace and a tempo to it, and the players looked up to it in the second-half.

" What we don't need is for us to give it the big sigh of relief and think that we have achieved something. There are four games left and we simply have got to go to try to win all four of them. The players are just looking forward to the games now, home or away. What I've started thinking about now is how other clubs are seeing the arbitration meeting and how they are feeling. Maybe looking at the chairman's programme notes they should be worrying. "