from what I have seem mcdermott doesnt pick any side on merit. And the extension of Webbs contract mean yet another year of good promising young british players being held back from a player living off past glories

What Webb still offers in 2011 is still vastly under-rated. He is solid at what he does with the added flare of distribution to un-lock defences.

Has sentiment come in? Of course it has. But he is only 30, and has a few playing years in the tank.

It also opens up the Watkins/BJB combo for next year, which earlier in the year worked a treat. So not all bad news.

With Webb staying on I think it puts the spoltlight more on Senior/Ali/Burrow, as to whether they will be here next season.

You're assuming he'll still be in his job next season

Agreed.

I am assuming he will be at the moment, he will be a cheap option, and thats what we seem to like at the moment.

That may be the case, but its a daft approach if you ask me. In a salary capped competition, the best way you differentiate your squad with others of supposedly equal ability is to have good off field staff. A club serious about competing for honours should employ the best coach they can attract.

I wouldnt disagree at all, And i hope I am wrong but I just have a bad feeling that he will be here next year.

If you were picking the current Leeds side "on merit" you'd struggle to put a full 17 out each week...

True but when some players have been showing a bit of form they have been dropped without any obvious reason other than they need a rest!

I gather we aren't picking the coaching staff on merit then?

Ben Jones-Bishop has started 4 games at full-back in 1st grade matches for Leeds. (I suspect those stats you've found are limited to SL Regular Rounds only.)

Sorry but I can't verify whether he's also moved into the position 3 times during a match or not.

You could equally ask for evidence that McDermott and Lowes are good at their jobs - consecutive league placings, win/loss records, declining in-match performances from players - doesn't stack up well.

They carry ultimate responsbility, like it or not.

Of course, many of the Leeds players now misisng tackles and making handling errors players were the best in the business under different coaches.

I'd have more sympathy with McDermott had it not been for the regression Harelquins went through under him (and Lowes when he was a head coach at other clubs).

When will poor Brian be given a great set of players to work with eh? Maybe, just maybe, one of these days at one club he could [iimprove[/i the skills of the players under his tutilige like, you know, decent coaches do.

I've never under-rated his indiscipline throughout 2011 or before.