EVANS: I’D RATHER WATCH PAINT DRY
United manager is bored by Forest
THREE points and a fourth consecutive clean sheet have Dougie Freedman dreaming of the play-offs, but Leeds boss Steve Evans reckons he would rather watch paint dry than go to see Nottingham Forest.
The Reds were in complete control throughout the match despite Leeds’ territorial advantage, and were never in danger of their unbeaten run of 13 games coming to an end even before Nelson Oliveira’s 60th-minute winner.
But Evans was not impressed, saying: “It was frustrating. We walked the ball into the final third really well with some ease, and it is difficult when you’re playing against ten, 11 men who camp out behind the ball.
“They’re getting results from doing it. I’d rather watch paint dry, but when you win a game that way you’re watching winning football while you watch paint dry.
“I’ll give credit to Nottingham Forest. They had one chance and they took it.
“The goal’s a fraction offside but we don’t get a yard or two so we’re certainly not going to get a fraction.
“We had enough good possession, got in enough good areas, and put enough crosses into the box. If ever there was evidence that we’re missing a big striker like Chris Wood, it was here.”
Leeds’ best chance of the game came just three minutes in, when Souleymane Doukara headed Stuart Dallas’ cross wide when he really should have scored.
From then on it was a familiar story every time Leeds took the ball forward – a frequent occurrence against a Forest side whose happiness to counter-attack was bolstered by the knowledge that they were up against the division’s worst home attack.
So impotent was Leeds’ attack that easily their best performance came from left-back Charlie Taylor.
And there only ever looked like being one winner despite Forest grabbing just the one goal an hour in.
Gary Gardner had threatened with a couple of long shots earlier in the game, rattling the bar with a fierce drive in the first half, and it was his cross that provided Oliveira with his goal.
Marco Silvestri managed to get a hand to the Portuguese’s diving header, but had to watch it trickle in at the far post.
Leeds fans would have liked to see their side respond by showing greater thrust and putting men into the box, but again and again they finished some patient buildup by putting a long shot straight at Dorus De Vries or a hopeless cross into empty space.
But for Forest the result gives Freedman hope that his side can push for a chance of promotion in the final third of the season, despite their poor autumn form.
“There were really encouraging signs that we’re all getting behind each other,” he said. “We’ve learned from our failures in the past, at the beginning of the season.We didn’t blame, we didn’t criticise, we stuck very, very strongly together, from the chairman downwards. We learnt from our failures and now you’re seeing a very complete team.
“We have made a real statement because to come to Elland Road and play the way we did is a fantastic achievement.
“At no stage of that game have we looked under threat. I felt we controlled the game fantastically well throughout, and were fantastically organised, and created some very good chances.The only bit of disappointment I had was that in the first half we weren’t two or three goals up, that should have been the right scoreline.”