Grayson is still confident Leeds can claim spot in the play-offs
Simon Grayson
By Richard Sutcliffe
Manager Simon Grayson believes the biggest threat to Leeds United’s Championship play-off hopes is not any of the chasing pack but his own team.
The Elland Road club’s tendency to press the self-destruct button has been a major feature of this season’s Championship.
It was evident again on Saturday when, for the 10th time this term, Leeds dropped points after having taken the lead, Watford hitting back to claim a 2-2 draw.
The result meant Grayson’s men were able to double their advantage over nearest challengers Nottingham Forest to two points with four games to go.
But, with Hull City and Burnley both having won, the over-riding feeling at the final whistle was that the Yorkshire club had wasted a golden opportunity to strengthen their grip on sixth place. Grayson said: “The day just about epitomised our season. We got the goal and, after that, we just had to see the game out.
“At 1-0 when you are playing 4-4-2, you have to make sure you have two banks of four and be hard to beat.
“But, instead, we were open and players switched off. We made two mistakes and, suddenly, everything had changed.”
Hull’s 3-1 derby win over Doncaster Rovers means both Nigel Pearson’s men and Forest are now two points adrift of Leeds.
If Burnley can win their game in hand at home to Middlesbrough tomorrow night, they will also move on to 63 points – two ahead of Millwall and three in front of Leicester City.
With just five points separating six teams, it seems the race for sixth place is likely to go to the last weekend.
Asked by the Yorkshire Post if there was any team among the chasing pack that he feared most, an exasperated Grayson said: “The biggest threat to us is ourselves because we can achieve it and we are in a good position.
“If you want to use a line, we can only throw it away. If we win our games and everyone else does too, we will still be in there.
“We can throw it away but we don’t want to. Everybody else is playing catch-up with nothing to lose but there is so much at stake. We have to keep grinding away.”
United face a testing run-in with in-form Reading the visitors to Elland Road on Good Friday for a fixture that will be shown live by Sky.
A trip to relegation-threatened Crystal Palace follows on Easter Monday before Leeds finish with a home game against Burnley and a final-day visit to runaway leaders Queens Park Rangers.
Grayson, who said Leeds would know more today about the injury that forced Luciano Becchio out of the action against the Hornets, added: “We have worked so hard for 42 games and now have a great opportunity in our grasp. Once you get in the play-offs, anything can happen.
“I shouldn’t have to tell the players what is at stake. They should know what a great opportunity they have.
“We (the coaching staff) can only do so much with them. I can’t go out there (onto the field) and put them into certain positions. They have to take responsibility for their actions.
“I am stuck for words at times. I go in at half-time and after a game, and find myself saying the same things.
“The players have to be man enough at times to accept responsibility.”
As frustrated as Grayson felt after the Watford game, the Leeds chief was quick to stress how confident he remains.
He said: “Ultimately, the positive is we have a two-point gap with four games to go. I still have a huge amount of belief and confidence that we will finish in the play-offs.”