Leeds Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More
Skipper: Also-rans could cost us dear
Butler bemoans failures
By PAUL DEWS
PAUL BUTLER today admitted Leeds United's poor performances against the Championship's lesser lights will be to blame if the men from Elland Road fail to secure a top-six finish.
United's diabolical record against the division's strugglers continued on Wednesday night when they were held to a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.
It extended their winless run
against the bottom eight sides in the Championship and Coventry remain United's only scalp from the lower reaches of the table.
"We've been talking about this in the dressing room," said the skipper. "I can't put my finger why our record is so bad against the lower sides.
"I don't know whether it's a mental thing or whether it's that we go out and think we are going to turn these teams over then they up the tempo and we can't match them. We have to get to the bottom of it because that is what has cost us this season."
United have now drawn their last three games, against Millwall, Gillingham and Forest, and the captain reckons it is their worst run of the season.
"The results all went for us this week and we knew a win would on Wednesday would put us back in there and build us up nicely for Wolves," explained Butler.
"We're not out of it yet – but we could have been in and among it if our results had been better this past week.
"Normally away from home you will settle for a clean sheet and a point, but not on Wednesday night.
"The game was there for us, like against Gillingham and Millwall. They were three disappointing games. They are probably the worst sequence of games played this year and it's come at a time when we needed to push on."
The stalemate at Forest was United's last Championship game for two-and-a-half-weeks and all their closest rivals will have had at least one opportunity to gain ground on Leeds before Kevin Blackwell's side start again on April 2.
"We wanted to finish on a good note on Wednesday," said Butler. "We wanted to get a win and set us up nicely for the Wolves game, which is one I'm looking forward to.
"But we've got to win that one now. Wolves haven't now lost many lately and it's one that people will say is going to be a draw.
"Hopefully we can get the win to push us on, and hopefully the results will go for us this weekend."
United's squad were following the progress of their rivals from the comfort of the departure lounge at Leeds-Bradford airport before they board their tea-time flight to Dublin.
Leeds are making the most of a weekend off and are set to head for Ireland for a friendly clash with Drogheda on Sunday lunchtime.
Butler added: "We'll use it to do some bonding. We didn't want a free weekend and the opportunity was there to go over to Ireland and have a game.
"If we went two weeks without a game you would see the rustiness against Wolves so it's an opportunity to keep things ticking over for us."
Skipper: Also-rans could cost us dear
Butler bemoans failures
By PAUL DEWS
PAUL BUTLER today admitted Leeds United's poor performances against the Championship's lesser lights will be to blame if the men from Elland Road fail to secure a top-six finish.
United's diabolical record against the division's strugglers continued on Wednesday night when they were held to a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.
It extended their winless run
against the bottom eight sides in the Championship and Coventry remain United's only scalp from the lower reaches of the table.
"We've been talking about this in the dressing room," said the skipper. "I can't put my finger why our record is so bad against the lower sides.
"I don't know whether it's a mental thing or whether it's that we go out and think we are going to turn these teams over then they up the tempo and we can't match them. We have to get to the bottom of it because that is what has cost us this season."
United have now drawn their last three games, against Millwall, Gillingham and Forest, and the captain reckons it is their worst run of the season.
"The results all went for us this week and we knew a win would on Wednesday would put us back in there and build us up nicely for Wolves," explained Butler.
"We're not out of it yet – but we could have been in and among it if our results had been better this past week.
"Normally away from home you will settle for a clean sheet and a point, but not on Wednesday night.
"The game was there for us, like against Gillingham and Millwall. They were three disappointing games. They are probably the worst sequence of games played this year and it's come at a time when we needed to push on."
The stalemate at Forest was United's last Championship game for two-and-a-half-weeks and all their closest rivals will have had at least one opportunity to gain ground on Leeds before Kevin Blackwell's side start again on April 2.
"We wanted to finish on a good note on Wednesday," said Butler. "We wanted to get a win and set us up nicely for the Wolves game, which is one I'm looking forward to.
"But we've got to win that one now. Wolves haven't now lost many lately and it's one that people will say is going to be a draw.
"Hopefully we can get the win to push us on, and hopefully the results will go for us this weekend."
United's squad were following the progress of their rivals from the comfort of the departure lounge at Leeds-Bradford airport before they board their tea-time flight to Dublin.
Leeds are making the most of a weekend off and are set to head for Ireland for a friendly clash with Drogheda on Sunday lunchtime.
Butler added: "We'll use it to do some bonding. We didn't want a free weekend and the opportunity was there to go over to Ireland and have a game.
"If we went two weeks without a game you would see the rustiness against Wolves so it's an opportunity to keep things ticking over for us."
