For those who missed Brian McDermott's first #lufc press conference, here is what was said...

Why Leeds United?

"I possibly wouldn't have taken a job at this stage of the season apart from here.
"It's a massive club - I don't need to tell you about the history of the club.
"It's a great opportunity for me to come in and I can't wait to get going. I'm really looking forward to it."

When were you approached by Leeds?

"It wasn't long after Neil Warnock left. I wouldn't tell you specifics but the original conversation was about coming in in the summer.
"Things escalated and I spoke to Shaun a couple of days ago and they wanted the manager in place now.
"That was something that I had to think long and hard about.
"I had a couple of days to think about that and it just feels right.
"I went to the training ground today and met the staff and the players.
"The whole smell around the training ground just feels right. They are fantastic facilities.
"You can see the players want to go in the right direction and they are a really good group."

Will you have a budget to spend?

"It's a question that will be answered in the summer. I don't know the answer to that.
"I've come here on a lot of goodwill, quite frankly.
"I have spoken to Shaun and I have had a lot of assurances.
"I have spoken to one of the owners as well just now and had a really good conversation.
"He said they want to take this club forward and no one person can do that on their own.
"This has got to be a group, a team situation where we're going in the same direction.
"That's one of the things we created at Reading and one of the major reasons we were successful.
"We need to create an environment here where we're all going in the same direction because we all want the final end goal to get ourselves out of this league into the league above."

What have the owners told you about their vision for the football club?

"I've just had a brief conversation now.
"The assurances I've had are that they want to take the football club forward.
"More importantly I have spoken to Shaun and and that's very much what he is saying.
"I wouldn't have come to a football club if I felt that wasn't going to be the case.
"You feel you need to have a chance. Unfortunately at Reading I had to sell players, year-in and year-out and we were still successful.
"It's not all about one player, it's not all about the manager, it's about the team.
"I look at the players we have got and we have got good players here.
"We have a short-term position that we have to sort out and then we'll move on to the summer."

What will you position be this weekend?

"I'll be right amongst it. There's five games to go and I have spoke to Neil Redfearn and he will be on the bench with Nigel.
"We'll take control of the game."

Shaun - This was talked about happening in the summer, is Brian here because you're in a relegation scrap?

"We need to make sure we don't get relegated.
"Would we have stayed up, wouldn't we have stayed up?
"Who wants to take that gamble when there is action you can take?
"There's a suggestion it's a knee-jerk reaction but we identified a number of realistic targets that would match this club's ambition.
"Despite media speculation to the contrary, the only person we've offered the job to was Brian.
"I appreciate there are going to be lots of questions about the future direction of the club.
"It shows the stature of a man like Brian McDermott that he is willing to take the job on face value.
"Listen to what they have got to say about how they will take the club forward, whether that is in the format we are in now or with investment behind us which is what we have said we need.
"Then it's that positive outlook about what takes the club forward.
"It's what happens on the green bit that is key and that's where we need the expertise of Brian McDermott to take us forward.
"That's why we are absolutely delighted that he accepted the opportunity to become the club's manager."

Have you got a philosophy?

"My philosophy is that you create a system that suits the players.
"I've created different systems with Reading in the past - when we had Gylfi Sigurdsson, we played him off the striker and built the team around him.
"We played some fantastic football.
"Last season we had a team that had a fantastic mentality and could go to away grounds and not have too much of the ball but we hit teams on the break and were disciplined and we didn't lose games.
"We've got a group of players at Leeds that are different.
"We will create the model for whatever the group of players demands.
"We have players who can pass it, that can keep the ball and one or two who can score goals.
"Foremost, we want to entertain our fans and at the end of the day it's about results."

Shaun - Why Brian?

"Looking at his recent track record, he got Reading promoted last season with a squad that people weren't making favourites.
"What we needed was a club manager that can look at all aspects of the club over a period of time.
"Two much chopping and changing and you're in a situation when you're sat in Press conferences too often.
"We want to try put a structure in place that can support the club in the long-term, not just the short-term.
"When you look at the people who have worked in clubs like that... one of the attractions of Brian is that he did virtually every job at Reading.
"He understands how clubs work - he might have to do every job here!
"Not but, he understands how clubs work from top to bottom.
"We need to embrace the skills that he can bring with him and utilise them, obviously on a Saturday afternoon but also outside Saturday afternoons.
"But the future stars of Leeds United football club are names that haven't been heard of.
"Neil Redfearn is massively important to the club because he has been important in bringing these players through.
"But it has to be embraced and Brian somebody who can look beyond tomorrow and look at the long-term interests.

How difficult will the short-term job be?

"The first thing we have got to look at is the game tomorrow.
"We've looked at the opposition and the most important thing is to get a result.
"I will be out to do that. I've managed roughly 200 matches and not had too many easy games in my life - that's the level we are playing at.
"You treat the opposition with the utmost respect, which we always do. We will do whatever we have to do.
"I want our players to play with no fear, which is really important to me.
"I remember coming to this stadium a couple of times with Reading and thinking 'wow, this is an amazing atmosphere, we'll do well to get a result here'.
"That's what the fans can generate that atmosphere where the players just love coming to play here."

Neil Warnock said this is a team that's two good players short of promotion, do you agree?

"I think it's unfair of me to even comment on that.
"I have to have a good look in the next four weeks and look at it in the summer and make some decisions then.
"Neil is a good judge. He has had promotions and he has been a good manager.
"I will do my assessment on everything and go from there."

Have you picked the team for tomorrow?

"I spoke to Redders about the team. We had a good conversation.
"Redders knows the players and where they are at.
"We've got a team that we're going to put out there and we know what it is going to be.
"He has done a great job with the players."

David - What's GFH's view on this?

"I think Shaun has touched on it.
"Obviously, Brian was our number one choice and has a proven track record and shares our long-term vision for the future.
"He really was the best option for us."

Was there an element of wanting to prove Reading wrong?

"Good question. I'm not necessarily here to prove a point. I proved at Reading many times and my record suggests I know what I'm doing.
"The answer to the question is yes and you have got and manager and assistant who are very hungry - and we were hungry before.
"We come here now and we feel that we have a point to prove. There's nothing wrong with that.
"I've said to the players that they have a point to prove - to prove you can play in a fantastic stadium and get results.
"We've all got a point to prove."

How will you feel playing Reading next season?

"I'm only thinking about Sheffield Wednesday and that's genuine.
"I don't think about next season. What happens in the future is not an issue."

Timescale on getting back to the Premier League?

"No, I never do that. You try to get as many points as you can over a period of time and then you try get up the table.
"Last season we were miles off it - I think 18 points behind - but we kept going and kept believing."

You mentioned selling players at Reading, do you have assurances it won't happen at Leeds?

"I haven't sort assurances on that because I know that I'm in the real world.
"I lost Sigurdsson for £7m and he was a player that scored 20 goals for me.
"I lost Shane Long and that was a massive blow to me after when he brought to the table.
"When I lost Shane Long I thought 'if you can lose a player of that calibre and still end up winning the league, it can never be about one player'.
"That was my philosophy on something like that because he was a phenomenal player.
"I lost Matt Mills - my skipper - and don't get me wrong, I don't want to lose any player, absolutely not.
"The best place for players to develop is at Leeds United. If there's a massive bid that comes from a Barclays Premier League team for one of the younger players then that's down to the board."

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