The honeymoon period is over for Terry Venables, while Peter Reid can sleep soundly as Sunderland finally ended their 41-year hoodoo at Elland Road with a 1-0 win.
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Alan Smith of Leeds United battles with Claudio Reyna of Sunderland
(CliveBrunskill/GettyImages) |
Leeds' hopes of making an instant return to the top of the Premiership after being deposed by Arsenal following a 100% two-match winning start to the season foundered on frustration and a rare Jason McAteer strike.Venables had warned before the game that while the signs were promising after taking over from sacked David O'Leary early last month, there was still much work needed to be done for Leeds to be considered serious title challengers this season. His words rang true as Sunderland won their first league game at Leeds since February 1961.
Before the start of the season, Reid was strong favourite to become the Premier League's first managerial casualty of the season, with that status appearing justified following his side's opening two results.
A goalless draw at Blackburn was creditable enough, but was followed by a poor 1-0 Stadium of Light defeat to Everton, and it appeared that the knives were being sharpened.
With Leeds beating newcomers Manchester City 3-0 and West Brom 3-1, Sunderland were being touted as lambs to the slaughter, as well as remarkable 11-2 outsiders to win the game.
They stifled the life out of Leeds and the match during a first half in which they played with 10 men behind the ball, leaving Kevin Phillips a spectator.
Leeds went into the break frustrated and just 28 seconds after it they were caught cold as Thomas Butler nipped in to dispossess Harry Kewell before dinking in a cross for Phillips to nod the ball into the path of McAteer. From just six yards, the Republic of Ireland international was left with the simple task of beating Paul Robinson with a first-time left-foot shot for only his third Black Cats goal since leaving Blackburn to reignite his career last October.
While his players celebrated ending their goal drought, Reid sat impassively on the bench, perhaps realising he cannot go through the season with his side living on the edge as they did against Leeds.
Sunderland soaked up enormous amounts of pressure and while Thomas Sorensen was rarely tested, Matt Piper, starting his first game since his recent £3.5million move from Leicester, cleared a Mark Viduka header off the line as United gathered momentum in search of an equaliser.
Referee Mark Halsey also stepped into the spotlight midway through the second half, denying Leeds what appeared a clear penalty when Michael Gray clattered into the back of Viduka as he attempted to rise to meet a cross from Robbie Keane, who ended up on the losing side against a club to which he rejected a move this summer.
When referee Mark Halsey sounded the final whistle Leeds - who had been top on Saturday after opening the season with wins against Manchester City and West
Brom - suffered the taunts of their fans but Venables said: 'Expectations are
high everywhere and that's fine.
'All I can deal with is what I see and we've got to keep working and the
crowd have to decide where they are.
'I thought they were fine, but they will do that if you lose at home. You've
got to expect that.
'If they do that at the end it's okay. During the game, as long as they are
with you all the way through, then that keeps you going.
'But if that's how they feel they should react at the end then it's all right
with me.'
Venables was left ruing a controversial decision by Halsey, who should have
awarded Leeds a penalty midway through the second period when Michael Gray
shoved Mark Viduka in the back as he attempted to rise to meet a Robbie Keane
cross.
'I felt it was a banker penalty,' said Venables. 'At that time it would
have been good to get an equaliser. Looking at it again I have no doubt it was a
penalty.
'Gray comes into the back of Viduka when he is about to head the ball. He is
not even looking at the ball himself.
'He has just decided he is going to go into him and keep his fingers crossed
that no one sees it, which is what seems to have happened.'
But Venables, in the end, had no complaints with Sunderland's spoiling tactics
as he added: 'That's what they came for and they played well in doing what they
tried to achieve. All in all you've got to say well done to them.'
For the first time since 1930 Sunderland kept a clean sheet on their visit to
this part of Yorkshire, but more importantly it is a result which takes some of
the pressure off under-fire boss Peter Reid.
Following their lowly 17th-placed finish last season, the pressure was back on
Reid following an opening-day draw at Blackburn and a Stadium of Light defeat to
Everton on Saturday, with Sunderland failing to score in both matches.
Reid, who continues in his attempts to bring in a new striker prior to the
transfer window closing on Saturday, said: 'This is a great result.
'In all three games we have played well, but the players worked particularly
hard in this one and got what they deserved.
'There's some good players at this club, but there's also a lot of anxiety
about at the moment, although that's the nature of the Premier League.
'But all in all I cannot fault them for this performance.'
- REPORTS - Premiership
