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Grayson still has an eye on automatic spot for Leeds United
The odds might be against Leeds United mounting a challenge for automatic promotion but their manager is refusing to concede defeat. Richard Sutcliffe reports.
IT should be too large a gap to bridge at this late stage of the season, but Simon Grayson insists all is not lost for Leeds United in the race for automatic promotion.
Ten points separate the Elland Road club from second-placed Peterborough United and logic would suggest that their chances of overhauling such a deficit even with a game in hand are slim.
That, however, is not a train of thought shared by the Leeds manager who can point to his own recent past as proof that the promotion picture can change dramatically and quickly during the run-in.
Exactly two years ago, Grayson was in charge of a Blackpool side who, thanks to a six-game unbeaten run, had moved into the top six.
The play-offs looked a good bet but with Bristol City being 12 points ahead of the Seasiders in second place, any talk of a possible tilt at automatic promotion looked fanciful at best.
Parallels with Leeds's current position are obvious and with Blackpool going on to take the fight for a place in the top two to the final weekend in 2006-07, Grayson knows better than anyone that nothing should be discounted with so much football still to play.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post ahead of this weekend's home game against Milton Keynes Dons, the United chief said: "Our first target has to be earning the points required to get in the play-offs and that is what we are focused on.
"But we showed at Blackpool a couple of years ago that once a team gets on a run then things can start to open up. Bristol City were a long way clear at one stage but we pegged them back and, in the end, it went down to the last game.
"Blackpool had to win at Swansea and hope that Bristol City would slip up (at home to Rotherham). We did our bit by winning 6-3 against a team who could have got in the play-offs but, unfortunately, Bristol were up against a team they were expected to beat and they did just that.
"It meant we had just run out of time and had to settle for the play-offs. But Blackpool's late run (they won seven of those last eight games) showed that even as big an advantage as the one Bristol City had can be cut.
"It shows nothing is impossible and that is what we have been telling the players. Getting in the play-offs is the priority, it has to be. But if we can get on a roll then who knows what might happen?"
Leeds are on something of a roll right now with last weekend's victory at Crewe Alexandra having extended their unbeaten run to seven games, five of which have been won.
Grayson's reign has, in fact, brought about a significant upturn in results with his 17 games in charge yielding a commendable 33 points to power United back into the play-off places.
Central to the improvement brought about by the 39-year-old since his arrival just before Christmas has been their impressive home form with United looking to make it eight wins in a row at Elland Road this weekend when MK Dons are the visitors.
Should Roberto Di Matteo's side be beaten, it will be Leeds's best run at home since the promotion winning season of 1989-90 and Grayson said: "Of course it would be great to emulate that record but the main consideration is the three points.
"It is a chance to pull one of the sides above us that bit closer and the value of that cannot be under-estimated.
"We have a good record in games against teams above us in the table with wins over Millwall, Scunthorpe and Peterborough this year. Another win against MK Dons would be a big step in the right direction.
"It would also keep the momentum going – something that was crucial for Blackpool during the (2007) run-in when, even after just missing out on a place in the top two, we still went on to win promotion at Wembley (by beating Yeovil in the final)."
Leeds will welcome back top scorer Jermaine Beckford this weekend after suspension but, otherwise, Grayson is not expected to make too many changes as his side look to press their promotion claims further.
The United chief added: "All we can do is affect our own results. That is all we can concern ourselves with, but if we do keep winning then, hopefully, the other results can go for us.
"Full credit to the teams above us for putting together some good results recently. If that continues, then so be it.
"But if any of them do slip up then we must be ready to take advantage."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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