Cellino’s top-flight target is realistic, believes McDermott
Yorkshire Post 26/4/14
“INCREDIBLE” might not be how most Leeds United supporters would choose to describe this season.
Instead, all manner of words could be used – most of which are not suitable for a family newspaper such as The Yorkshire Post.
Brian McDermott, however, has labelled the current campaign as just that ahead of today’s final away game of 2013-14.
“It has been an incredible season if you think about everything that’s gone on,” said the Elland Road chief, who expects to sit down and discuss his future next week with new owner Massimo Cellino.
“If you look to where we were up to the away game at Blackpool (on Boxing Day), I thought, ‘We will definitely get in the top six with this group’.
“But then we went to Forest (on December 29), got beat late on and we went on a run of games where – and I have never seen anything like it – our form dipped alarmingly.
“It got to the point where you were starting to look the other way. I can say that now because we have got enough points to be safe. It was an alarming dip. From where we were to where we are now.
“But you have to learn from that and you have to take positives from the season.
“Ross McCormack is the top scorer in the Championship, while Matt Smith has scored goals in his first season in the Championship. There are positives we can take. We have to.”
Since finally completing his takeover earlier this month, Cellino has vowed to lead United into the Premier League within two years. It is an ambition that McDermott insists is realistic.
The Leeds chief added: “There is an awful lot to be done in the summer, an awful lot to be done next season but that is a realistic target.”
“INCREDIBLE” might not be how most Leeds United supporters would choose to describe this season.
Instead, all manner of words could be used – most of which are not suitable for a family newspaper such as The Yorkshire Post.
Brian McDermott, however, has labelled the current campaign as just that ahead of today’s final away game of 2013-14.
“It has been an incredible season if you think about everything that’s gone on,” said the Elland Road chief, who expects to sit down and discuss his future next week with new owner Massimo Cellino.
“If you look to where we were up to the away game at Blackpool (on Boxing Day), I thought, ‘We will definitely get in the top six with this group’.
“But then we went to Forest (on December 29), got beat late on and we went on a run of games where – and I have never seen anything like it – our form dipped alarmingly.
“It got to the point where you were starting to look the other way. I can say that now because we have got enough points to be safe. It was an alarming dip. From where we were to where we are now.
“But you have to learn from that and you have to take positives from the season.
“Ross McCormack is the top scorer in the Championship, while Matt Smith has scored goals in his first season in the Championship. There are positives we can take. We have to.”
Since finally completing his takeover earlier this month, Cellino has vowed to lead United into the Premier League within two years. It is an ambition that McDermott insists is realistic.
The Leeds chief added: “There is an awful lot to be done in the summer, an awful lot to be done next season but that is a realistic target.”