Leeds United: We can reel in top two - Byram

YEP 28/11/13
by Phil Hay
Sam Byram believes Leeds United can close the gap to the Championship’s automatic promotion zone in the run-up to Christmas with the club poised to begin the defence of their play-off place.
Byram wants Leeds to focus on reeling in the three clubs tied at the top of the table after a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough took United into the top six for only the second time this season.
Brian McDermott’s squad briefly held a play-off spot after their win at Bolton Wanderers in September but Saturday’s result extended a spell of promising momentum in which United have taken 12 points from their past five games.
A sizeable gap has opened up between joint Championship leaders Burnley, Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers, all of whom hold 35 points, and the rest of the table, and United are nine points adrift of the top three after 16 games.
But speaking ahead of Saturday’s visit to Blackburn Rovers, an optimistic Byram, whose battles with injury have disrupted his season, said Leeds should be looking to attack the teams above them after recovering impressively from a bad run of five defeats from seven matches.
“For the club in general the momentum’s brilliant,” he said. “We’ve been playing well, we’re in the top-six and hopefully we can push on.
“We want to cement a place and, if we can, get into the top two. The gaffer has the right ideas and the right plan.
“If you can be around it at Christmas and keep pushing then no-one knows what can happen.”
Byram – United’s player of the year in his first season as a professional – is waiting for his second campaign to begin in earnest after six months of injury trouble.
The 20-year-old struggled with a hip injury throughout the summer, a problem which forced him to miss the Under-20 World Cup, and he was sidelined again four weeks ago by a minor thigh strain.
The second set-back halted a brief return to McDermott’s starting line-up and Lee Peltier was preferred at right wing-back against Boro on Saturday with both players fit and available.
Byram said: “It’s been stop-start but I feel sharp and fit. I get a bit of stiffness after training but it’s nothing to worry about.
“Competition for places is never bad. We’ve got a good squad, the team are doing well and all I can do is work hard to get back in.”
Today’s 5pm loan deadline, meanwhile, is expected to pass without new arrivals at Leeds.

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