BLACKWELL - ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
Sporting Life
Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell insists the race for automatic promotion remains wide open after his side's 2-0 victory against Yorkshire rivals Hull.
On-loan Blackburn midfielder Jonathan Douglas grabbed a goal in either half to secure Leeds their third successive Coca-Cola Championship victory.
Runaway leaders Reading looked to have given themselves an insurmountable lead at the summit while second-placed Sheffield United also have a healthy cushion on Blackwell's side.
But the Elland Road boss believes it is eminently possible that his side can claim a top-two finish.
He said: "I think anything is possible and if you don't think it is then you shouldn't be in management.
"It's an old adage but it's about taking one game at a time. We dealt with Stoke and then we focused on dealing with Hull today.
"That's what we've got to do and we shall see where we end up. Since June, a total of 12 new players have come to the club and it takes time to build, gel and have an understanding.
"I felt that we would improve in the second half of the season because we would get stronger after getting that six months under our belt.
"The players have shown good qualities and we'll need them between now and the end of the season."
Hull boss Peter Taylor admitted Leeds cannot be discounted from the automatic promotion.
He said: "Kevin has got some very, very good strikers and to be able to put on David Healy and Rob Hulse in the second half tells its own story.
"Looking at Reading and Sheffield United and the points they've got, I would be surprised to see them blow it, but who knows?"
Blackwell confirmed he is looking strengthen his squad during the transfer window, and on-loan Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller looks almost certain to sign on a permanent basis.
The Leeds boss admitted his side were below-par during the opening period of their first meeting with Hull for almost 16 years.
But they survived several scares to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time through Douglas' neat finish.
And the midfielder headed home his second shortly after the restart to effectively secure the points.
Blackwell added: "We started sloppily but in the end we won it quite comfortably and it could have been bigger.
"But you always accept a 2-0 win and it would be nice to go down and get a win at Plymouth now."
Taylor took heart from his side's first-half display but pointed an accusing finger at his goalkeeper, Boaz Myhill, after he flapped at Eddie Lewis' corner, which allowed Douglas to add the killer second.
Wigan, along with Middlesbrough and Arsenal, have been linked with a swoop for Myhill, who is considered one of the finest goalkeepers outside of the Premiership.
But Taylor said: "If Wigan are listening, then yes, it was a mistake. I think if he's going to get something on it then he's got to get more on it than what he did, or he's got to stay where he is.
"That's where the second goal was frustrating because I thought we did very well in the first half and coped very well.
"We were a little bit down going in 1-0 down at half-time and maybe Leeds took confidence from that after the break.
"But I couldn't have been happier with the way we started and we will take plusses from the performance because we showed no fear during the first half."
Sporting Life
Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell insists the race for automatic promotion remains wide open after his side's 2-0 victory against Yorkshire rivals Hull.
On-loan Blackburn midfielder Jonathan Douglas grabbed a goal in either half to secure Leeds their third successive Coca-Cola Championship victory.
Runaway leaders Reading looked to have given themselves an insurmountable lead at the summit while second-placed Sheffield United also have a healthy cushion on Blackwell's side.
But the Elland Road boss believes it is eminently possible that his side can claim a top-two finish.
He said: "I think anything is possible and if you don't think it is then you shouldn't be in management.
"It's an old adage but it's about taking one game at a time. We dealt with Stoke and then we focused on dealing with Hull today.
"That's what we've got to do and we shall see where we end up. Since June, a total of 12 new players have come to the club and it takes time to build, gel and have an understanding.
"I felt that we would improve in the second half of the season because we would get stronger after getting that six months under our belt.
"The players have shown good qualities and we'll need them between now and the end of the season."
Hull boss Peter Taylor admitted Leeds cannot be discounted from the automatic promotion.
He said: "Kevin has got some very, very good strikers and to be able to put on David Healy and Rob Hulse in the second half tells its own story.
"Looking at Reading and Sheffield United and the points they've got, I would be surprised to see them blow it, but who knows?"
Blackwell confirmed he is looking strengthen his squad during the transfer window, and on-loan Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller looks almost certain to sign on a permanent basis.
The Leeds boss admitted his side were below-par during the opening period of their first meeting with Hull for almost 16 years.
But they survived several scares to open the scoring on the stroke of half-time through Douglas' neat finish.
And the midfielder headed home his second shortly after the restart to effectively secure the points.
Blackwell added: "We started sloppily but in the end we won it quite comfortably and it could have been bigger.
"But you always accept a 2-0 win and it would be nice to go down and get a win at Plymouth now."
Taylor took heart from his side's first-half display but pointed an accusing finger at his goalkeeper, Boaz Myhill, after he flapped at Eddie Lewis' corner, which allowed Douglas to add the killer second.
Wigan, along with Middlesbrough and Arsenal, have been linked with a swoop for Myhill, who is considered one of the finest goalkeepers outside of the Premiership.
But Taylor said: "If Wigan are listening, then yes, it was a mistake. I think if he's going to get something on it then he's got to get more on it than what he did, or he's got to stay where he is.
"That's where the second goal was frustrating because I thought we did very well in the first half and coped very well.
"We were a little bit down going in 1-0 down at half-time and maybe Leeds took confidence from that after the break.
"But I couldn't have been happier with the way we started and we will take plusses from the performance because we showed no fear during the first half."
