Yorkshire Evening Post 12/11/11
Grayson targeting top two finish
By Leon Wobschall
Simon Grayson admits an automatic promotion berth is very much in Leeds United’s sights in 2011-12.
With a third of the Championship campaign gone, United are right on the fringes of the play-offs in seventh spot, one place and one point better off than they were after the same amount of games – 16 – last season.
A jet-propelled run in the run-up to the festive season last year saw United briefly rise up to second in the table last Christmas and Grayson feels this year’s crop have it well within their capabilities to rise to those giddy heights again – and last the course if they show consistency.
That’s something that only leaders Southampton have truly shown this term, with just six points separating second-placed West Ham and United, who went into the international break on the back of an impressive 1-0 win at Leicester City.
Grayson said: “Being around the play-offs is where we want to be and we expect to be there at the end of the season. But we want to be higher than that and have given ourselves a platform to do that. But like a lot of other teams, we still think we’re capable of getting in that top two.
“It’s a long season and while some wrote us off (before Leicester), we responded in a positive manner.”
Yorkshire Evening Post 10/11/11
Seventh is not good enough - Ken Bates
By Leon Wobschall
Ken Bates insists Leeds United should be higher up in the Championship table than they are – and has confirmed “heart-searching” discussions have been taking place among staff this week to remedy the situation.
With a third of the season gone, United headed into the international break on the back of an
impressive 1-0 victory at pre-season promotion favourites Leicester City – to help make up for a 5-0 horror home reverse to Blackpool last Wednesday.
The win pushed Simon Grayson’s troops up to seventh spot, level on points with Pool and Crystal Palace, who occupy the last two play-off spots, but with an inferior goal difference.
While pleased with the Whites’ reaction following an X-rated home performance against Ian Holloway’s Seasiders, chairman Bates feels United should have a higher points tally and be in a loftier position.
Bates said: “Well you have got to commend it, but you also have got to do soul-searching on why we have lost the games we’ve lost and why have we drawn the games we’ve drawn.
“And, without being too critical, the fact of the matter is we have lost games rather than be beaten.
“We have given away the points rather than them being earned by the opposition and that’s something that we’ve had too much of and it’s got to stop.
“There are discussions going on this week, heart-searching in the backroom to decide what we can do to improve the situation because we should be higher than we are.”
Grayson targeting top two finish
By Leon Wobschall
Simon Grayson admits an automatic promotion berth is very much in Leeds United’s sights in 2011-12.
With a third of the Championship campaign gone, United are right on the fringes of the play-offs in seventh spot, one place and one point better off than they were after the same amount of games – 16 – last season.
A jet-propelled run in the run-up to the festive season last year saw United briefly rise up to second in the table last Christmas and Grayson feels this year’s crop have it well within their capabilities to rise to those giddy heights again – and last the course if they show consistency.
That’s something that only leaders Southampton have truly shown this term, with just six points separating second-placed West Ham and United, who went into the international break on the back of an impressive 1-0 win at Leicester City.
Grayson said: “Being around the play-offs is where we want to be and we expect to be there at the end of the season. But we want to be higher than that and have given ourselves a platform to do that. But like a lot of other teams, we still think we’re capable of getting in that top two.
“It’s a long season and while some wrote us off (before Leicester), we responded in a positive manner.”
Yorkshire Evening Post 10/11/11
Seventh is not good enough - Ken Bates
By Leon Wobschall
Ken Bates insists Leeds United should be higher up in the Championship table than they are – and has confirmed “heart-searching” discussions have been taking place among staff this week to remedy the situation.
With a third of the season gone, United headed into the international break on the back of an
impressive 1-0 victory at pre-season promotion favourites Leicester City – to help make up for a 5-0 horror home reverse to Blackpool last Wednesday.The win pushed Simon Grayson’s troops up to seventh spot, level on points with Pool and Crystal Palace, who occupy the last two play-off spots, but with an inferior goal difference.
While pleased with the Whites’ reaction following an X-rated home performance against Ian Holloway’s Seasiders, chairman Bates feels United should have a higher points tally and be in a loftier position.
Bates said: “Well you have got to commend it, but you also have got to do soul-searching on why we have lost the games we’ve lost and why have we drawn the games we’ve drawn.
“And, without being too critical, the fact of the matter is we have lost games rather than be beaten.
“We have given away the points rather than them being earned by the opposition and that’s something that we’ve had too much of and it’s got to stop.
“There are discussions going on this week, heart-searching in the backroom to decide what we can do to improve the situation because we should be higher than we are.”