Don't panic! Leeds United match pre-war record if they lose tonight

Two defeats in the opening week of the campaign has led to the alarm bells ringing around Elland Road.

Another loss tonight at home to Fulham would match an unwanted club record set before the Second World War but Monk is adamant that the squad has enough quality to prosper in the Championship.

“I have got a very good group here and they have got a great attitude,” said Monk, who is understood to be edging closer to a deal to bring in Liam Bridcutt.

“I can’t complain at all with their attitude or their desire to put things right and to keep working and to keep improving.

“But I think the frustrating thing is that because they are a young group they don’t quite see what I see in terms how good they can be.”

United have only lost the first three league games of a season once in their history. That sorry start came in 1936-37 but Monk insists his side can bounce back from those defeats to Birmingham City and QPR when Fulham arrive at Elland Road tonight.

“It is not a concern at all,” he said. “I have said all along that we are at the very start of our journey.

“Of course, we would have liked better results in the first two games but what I do have is a group that has been together for seven weeks overall and we are in the very infancy of what we are doing here.

“Plus, I think even in those games – and especially against Birmingham in the first half – you saw the type of stuff that we have been working on.

“It is two games. We are talking about two games and let’s not get carried away with anything here. This group can be so competitive and so talented.

“If we just give it a little bit more leadership from within, a little bit more experience to help these young players, I think we will see a really competitive team.”

Bridcutt’s impending arrival after a protracted summer of negotiations follows the 27-year-old’s stint on loan at Leeds last term.

He made 24 appearances but it soon became clear this summer there was no future for the midfielder at Sunderland.

Left out of the club’s pre-season trip to France, Bridcutt is believed to have reached an agreement with the Black Cats over the remaining 11 months of his contract at the Stadium of Light.

That allowed Leeds to step up their own negotiations and although there was a hitch over the weekend it seems now that all parties have agreed terms on a two-year deal. The 27-year-old was expected at Thorp Arch yesterday for a medical.

Monk refused to be drawn on whether a deal was close last night but he has spoken several times already this season on the need for more leadership and experience among the United ranks. He felt this was a factor in Leeds’s poor second-half display against Birmingham in last weekend’s 2-1 loss.

“The difficulty and the frustration was that we didn’t carry it on for the 90 minutes (against the Blues) and that is the next step for us,” added the Elland Road chief.

“This young group has to go through those type of experiences to come out the other side stronger and I have total confidence, total belief in them.

“We are working in a good way and you will start to see things that we have been working on that can really help us.

“You saw against Birmingham in that first half.

“Against a team that have been together for three years and nearly made the play-offs last year, we made them look very ordinary in the first half.

“We looked a very good team. That showed what we can do, what we are capable of and I think we can do that even better.

“It is just about putting that into 90 minutes now and I think that will be ready for that. We just have to go through these experiences and come out the other side stronger as a young group.”

Gaetano Berardi is the only absentee for United, the full-back having been ruled out for up to six weeks following a scan on his ankle injury.

Liam Cooper is available again after playing 45 minutes against Fleetwood Town last week as part of his recovery from a calf problem.

Chris Wood, jeered by a section of the Elland Road crowd during the Birmingham defeat, is set to start up front after Monk stepped to the defence of the striker.

“Every player has experienced those situations and Chris is working extremely hard,” he added. “Okay, for one game he might not have been at his best but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be in the next one.

“We all have to experience that. You have to be exposed to these situations. Every player goes through it and Chris is a strong boy.

“He has got a very good mentality and there will be no problems whatsoever.”

Last six games: Leeds United DLDLDL, Fulham LLWWWW.

Last time: Leeds United 1 Fulham 1; February 23, 2016; Championship.

Referee: C Kavanagh (Manchester).