Ross McCormack "Cardiff won’t have it easy coming to Leeds "

Old boy Ross McCormack warns Cardiff City to beware Leeds United bite
Feb 1 2013

Former Cardiff City striker Ross McCormack has warned his old club to beware the bite of the Leeds underdog.

McCormack was an FA Cup hero last weekend as he scored the winner in Leeds’ shock 2-1 victory over Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

And McCormack – who scored 30 goals in 91 appearances for City from June 2008 to August 2010 before making a £350,000 move – has told Championship leaders Cardiff ahead of their trip to Yorkshire tomorrow that Leeds are at their best when they are second favourites.




“We may be underdogs against Cardiff – as we were against Spurs – but we are at our best in that position,” said the Scotland striker.

“Cardiff won’t have it easy coming to Elland Road.

“We won’t let them swan around, pass us of the pitch or dominate us.

“If we play like we did against Spurs and get in their faces we can beat them.”

McCormack is in the sort of scoring form – three goals in as many matches – which made him such a Bluebirds hit on the back of his move south from Motherwell.

He scored 24 goals during the 2008-09 campaign, but found first-team opportunities limited the following season after Michael Chopra returned to Cardiff.

But the 26-year-old said: “It’s always nice to play against Cardiff as I got on well with the fans there.

“But I am looking to put one over on them and take the three points.”

Leeds striker Luciano Becchio joined Norwich yesterday in a straight swap deal with Wales forward Steve Morison.

The Argentinian Becchio, who has scored 19 goals this season, handed in a transfer request at Elland Road last week after talks over a new deal faltered.

But Morison, who had slipped down the pecking order at Norwich following Chris Hughton’s summer arrival, must wait for his debut as he has a thigh strain which yesterday saw him omitted from the Wales squad for next week’s friendly with Austria.

So Leeds could be unchanged from the team which beat Spurs, with McCormack saying: “It’s going to be hard for the gaffer (Neil Warnock) to leave anybody out after that performance.

“Hopefully in the Spurs game I gave the gaffer some food for thought that I can play in that main striker role.

“I feel I am a striker and paid to score goals, that has to be my priority.

“There is probably a bit of expectation on me now. If I play in that striking position I will be expected to score, but I’ll deal with that.”

Leeds lie in 11th place, six points outside the play-offs, but McCormack is convinced Warnock’s men will mount a challenge after some excellent recent form at home.

great news,one result is going to their heads,spurs played without a striker and had a dodgy defence,leeds huffed and puffed for 90 mins and will not be able to lift themselves to that again,we on the other hand have been away for warm weather training and when we start to pass them off the park they will do what they normally do and start kicking evrything ,hopefully brown and tonge are starting

Seen him kissing the Leeds badge a few times now I don't get it myself, can't see him being good enough to cause our defence many problems.

all depends how warnock plays him as a striker he'll score but warnocks been playing him in stupid position all down to bechioo ross has stepped in took his chance and is now scoring again him and morison could do well but not tomoz cos he's injured watch out for hahibo our other signing could be a gem of a find but again not tomoz work permit issue .have a safe trip up lads ..

Let's hope we give them a thrashing.

"Swan around" - is he taking the piss?

He just compared us to Spurs. I'll take that.

Will always remember McCormack!

That striker from Belgium they got can really be a handful in this division.

Ross sounds a tad bitter for some reason, I don't think I have ever seen us swan around , in over 40 years of watching us.