Blackwell Sets The Target
leedsunited.com
Kevin Blackwell has confidently spelled out his target for this season - a top six finish.
After a summer of heavy investment in the team Leeds are
expected to do well this season and are tipped to challenge for the promotion places, and the Leeds boss believes it is an attainable target.
It all starts against Millwall at Elland Road tomorrow (12.15pm KO) and Blackwell cannot wait.
"I am excited with the players I have here now and I know time will prove me right when I say that this team will get better and better," he said.
"It's not an arrogant confidence because we know as a club that arrogance comes before a fall and we have had a big fall. I am confident with the players I have got here.
"Young Dan Harding has a big future ahead of him, there's Rob Hulse at 25, David Healy the same age, Gylfi only 24, Matthew Spring and Kilgallon are only young too and there is a lot of good youth there with some experienced players. Paul Butler is the leader and he knows that he has a responsibility to drag the this club to new heights and I think he is as excited about it as I am.
"We have turned the club around in terms of not looking over our shoulder at relegation, but that is not good enough for Leeds and we have got to get back to the Premier League sooner rather than later. I am not putting all the pressure on us to do it this season either, but I think we all know that if we finish off stronger than we did last season when we were only eight points off the play-offs, we can be in there, and that's what I am looking to bridge this season.
"My minimum aim is to finish in that top six."
Blackwell also believes he probably has the best opportunity to succeed at the club than the previous three managers enjoyed, largely thanks to the fact that the rot has stopped and the groundwork has been put in place for him to manage without financial problems overtaking his plans.
For one thing, he now has the ability to play two different teams if necessary, such is the competition that now exists at Elland Road.
"I feel I am fortunate because I am the only manager in the last three years to be able to do that,"
"I know Peter (Reid) and Eddie (Gray), and even Terry Venables towards the end, were never afforded that. The 11 players that started were basically it every week and there wasn't any competition from behind them.
"We have had a vision for the football club and it's not always easy to reach it, but we have moved so quickly in the last eight months. I watch our team now and I think it's exciting, and the good thing is there's still more to come from them. "It is a side that is still in its infancy and is we see what we've been seeing flashes of in pre-season then it will be an exciting season."
leedsunited.com
Kevin Blackwell has confidently spelled out his target for this season - a top six finish.
After a summer of heavy investment in the team Leeds are
expected to do well this season and are tipped to challenge for the promotion places, and the Leeds boss believes it is an attainable target.It all starts against Millwall at Elland Road tomorrow (12.15pm KO) and Blackwell cannot wait.
"I am excited with the players I have here now and I know time will prove me right when I say that this team will get better and better," he said.
"It's not an arrogant confidence because we know as a club that arrogance comes before a fall and we have had a big fall. I am confident with the players I have got here.
"Young Dan Harding has a big future ahead of him, there's Rob Hulse at 25, David Healy the same age, Gylfi only 24, Matthew Spring and Kilgallon are only young too and there is a lot of good youth there with some experienced players. Paul Butler is the leader and he knows that he has a responsibility to drag the this club to new heights and I think he is as excited about it as I am.
"We have turned the club around in terms of not looking over our shoulder at relegation, but that is not good enough for Leeds and we have got to get back to the Premier League sooner rather than later. I am not putting all the pressure on us to do it this season either, but I think we all know that if we finish off stronger than we did last season when we were only eight points off the play-offs, we can be in there, and that's what I am looking to bridge this season.
"My minimum aim is to finish in that top six."
Blackwell also believes he probably has the best opportunity to succeed at the club than the previous three managers enjoyed, largely thanks to the fact that the rot has stopped and the groundwork has been put in place for him to manage without financial problems overtaking his plans.
For one thing, he now has the ability to play two different teams if necessary, such is the competition that now exists at Elland Road.
"I feel I am fortunate because I am the only manager in the last three years to be able to do that,"
"I know Peter (Reid) and Eddie (Gray), and even Terry Venables towards the end, were never afforded that. The 11 players that started were basically it every week and there wasn't any competition from behind them.
"We have had a vision for the football club and it's not always easy to reach it, but we have moved so quickly in the last eight months. I watch our team now and I think it's exciting, and the good thing is there's still more to come from them. "It is a side that is still in its infancy and is we see what we've been seeing flashes of in pre-season then it will be an exciting season."
