Leeds United v Peterborough United: Leeds chief Warnock aims to get on a roll and emulate the Eagles

NEIL WARNOCK has been here before. Five years ago, in fact.
Neil WarnockNeil Warnock
Neil Warnock

As Crystal Palace manager, he went into the final 10 games of the 2007-08 season with his side sitting 11th in the Championship.

Five points separated the Eagles from the play-off spots at the time and few outside Selhurst Park gave the London club much chance of forcing their way into the promotion reckoning.

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But that is exactly what Warnock’s side did thanks to a 10-game run-in that yielded 21 points and just one defeat – against Hull City, who were later promoted courtesy of a play-off triumph over Bristol City at Wembley – as the Eagles soared to fifth in the table.

The parallels between Warnock’s Leeds United and Palace of five years ago are not lost on the 64-year-old, whose side go into tonight’s home encounter with next-to-bottom club Peterborough United on the back of a five-game unbeaten run.

He said: “What happened with Palace (in 2008) shows what can be done if a team can get on a roll.

“The key for that team was we just stuck at it. We played as a team and gave everything for each other, which is exactly what is happening now at Leeds.

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“It has taken me a while and probably a bit longer than I’d hoped, but I think we have the right characters here to give it a real go.

“Of course, I’d love to still have a Robert Snodgrass here. He is a special player.

“But, overall, I have to be happy with what we have got at the club right now.

“The lads are hungry to do well and, like Palace a few years ago, that can only help us.

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“Another plus in our favour is that the others near the top have all got each other to play as well, whereas we don’t play anyone in the promotion race until our final two games (when Leeds face Brighton and Watford).”

United’s hopes of aping Palace’s crop of 2008 and gatecrashing the play-offs are further fuelled by six of their remaining matches being at Elland Road, where their form has been outstanding of late.

Eight wins and just a solitary defeat – against leaders Cardiff City – is Leeds’s return from their last nine home outings.

Another bumper crowd is expected tonight thanks to the ‘Watch Leeds 4 Less’ initiative that has seen ticket prices slashed to £15.

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Last month, an identical offer saw 25,532 – a little over 4,000 up on the season’s average at Elland Road – watch a 2-0 win over Blackpool and Warnock is hoping for more of the same tonight.

He said: “Having six out of the last 10 at home could be vital.

“We’ve done well at Elland Road recently and with a good crowd set to be at the Peterborough game, it should be a cracking night.

“I am a big fan of these cut-price offers. The Blackpool game was one of the best atmospheres of the season. It was great to see so many kids at the match, even though it was at night.

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“The players really feed off a good atmosphere like we had against Blackpool so I hope we are in for more of the same.

“Like Blackpool, it should be a cold night so we have to give the fans something to warm them up.”

Leeds go into the meeting with Darren Ferguson’s Posh on the back of two encouraging results on the road against teams chasing promotion. A 1-1 draw at Leicester City a week ago was followed by Saturday’s 2-2 stalemate at Crystal Palace, a result from which even a tortuous coach ride home – that saw the squad return to Thorp Arch at 1am due to traffic problems – could not remove the shine.

Warnock said: “Palace have battered a few teams this season at home. Just look what happened to Hull (who lost 4-2 at Selhurst Park a week ago).

“But we put in a good shift and took the game to them.

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“I stayed down in London on Saturday with friends. One of them is a season-ticket holder at Palace and he said we were the best team they have faced this season.”

El Hadji-Diouf has recovered from illness and will return to the squad tonight as Warnock ponders whether to name an unchanged starting line-up for the sixth game running.

The visit of Posh is followed by Saturday’s lunchtime derby encounter with Huddersfield Town at Elland Road. The international break then sees the Championship shut down for a fortnight before United take on Ipswich Town and Derby County over Easter.

Warnock added: “We are going to have a go in every game.

We have said for a while that we wanted to get to this stage in a decent shape as the run-in would then allow us to give it a real go. And that is where we are at now. I haven’t got a number of points in mind or anything like that. I just want us to go for the win every time we step out on the pitch.

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“If we do that, then everything else will look after itself. We just need to focus on ourselves.”

Last six games: Leeds United LWDWDD, Peterborough United WLLWDD.

Last time: Leeds United 4 Peterborough United 1; April 14, 2012; Championship.

Referee: S Hooper (Wiltshire).