It was my job to keep us up this year, says Grayson

The Elland Road club slipped out of the top six over Easter after taking just one point from two games and now need help from others to extend their season beyond May 7.

United go into tomorrow’s lunchtime meeting with Burnley at Elland Road sitting ninth in the table, three points adrift of Nottingham Forest in the final play-off place.

With Forest taking on all-but relegated Scunthorpe United at 3pm and seventh-placed Millwall hosting Swansea City, only victory over the Clarets is likely to be enough to keep Leeds still in the hunt when travelling to QPR on the final day.

Missing out on the play-offs would come as a major disappointment to all at Elland Road, not least as it was only a week ago that the club slipped out of the top six after a five-month stay.

Some supporters, most notably the more reactionary element who inhabit internet messageboards, have even gone so far as to suggest the manager should pay the price for the late season collapse with his job.

Grayson, however, insists such a prospect has never once entered his head.

“No,” was the Leeds chief’s succinct response to being asked yesterday if he feared for his job. “I have spoken to my chairman about many things and we have made progress as a club since I have been here. We have a long-term relationship.

“I know that if I lose six or eight games on the trot then I will be under pressure. But we have had a fantastic season so far.

“I am not being big-headed, but I have no reason to think I will lose my job if we are not promoted because the remit at the start of the season wasn’t to get promoted, it was to make sure we were in the Championship come the end of the season.

“We have done that and we have had a good season. So I have no fears over losing my job.”

Grayson, while insisting Leeds have not given up hope of reclaiming a play-off place, admits his thoughts have already turned to next season and the task of improving on what has, despite their poor form of late, still been an encouraging return to the second tier.

As revealed in yesterday’s Yorkshire Post by chairman Ken Bates, United’s recruitment plans are already gathering pace and Grayson believes his squad would benefit from more experience.

The Leeds manager said: “No matter what happens in the last two games, we will sit down and work out ways to improve the club.

“Since we came in, we have improved every year and we have to do the same again next year.

“We have an average age of 25 and maybe what we need to look at in the summer with regards bringing in more experience.

“I don’t want anyone who is past their sell-by date who can come in for the odd game. I want players with the hunger and desire to take this club forward and help the younger ones.

“Mentally, possibly, we could be stronger. The best teams in the world have mentally strong players who know how to win games and learn from past experiences.”

Asked if fatigue had been a factor in the season falling away, Grayson added: “People have said we look tired but we steam-rollered Reading at times last week.

“And against Palace in the second half (last Monday), we were all over them and didn’t look a tired team.”

As important as recruitment will be this summer, Leeds are also likely to be inundated with enquiries over star names such as Max Gradel and Robert Snodgrass after impressive seasons.

Grayson said: “I am sure clubs will be looking at our players because they have done well. But we don’t need to sell. We are in a position financially where things are going well. But we want to keep hold of our best players because, if it doesn’t happen this year, then we can make an assault on the Premier League next year.”

Luciano Becchio is unlikely to feature in tomorrow’s televised encounter against Burnley because of the knee injury that kept United’s top scorer out of both Easter games.

George McCartney is, however, back in training after illness and could return to the starting line-up for a game Leeds must win.

Grayson said: “We still have an opportunity to try and win the two games. Obviously, we are hugely disappointed by how the last five or six games have gone at a crucially important stage of the season.

“But we still have a chance. If we can win (against Burnley) and the others drop points then it is game on. That is when pressure comes into play. No one expects us to get there now so maybe the pressure is on other teams.

“Teams like Hull, Burnley and a few others have come with a run lately because there has been no pressure and expectation on them. They had been written off.”

On the season as a whole, Grayson added: “Ultimately, it has been a good one. The frustrating thing for us is we have been up there since November, it has almost felt like our second home. So to fall out at the last minute will be a massive disappointment.

“The bus home from Crystal Palace (after Monday’s 1-0 defeat) was very quiet with a lot of soul-searching going on. But we can still look back on the season with pride because we have progressed.”