Tonge: How Leeds can getecrash Championship play-offs

The midfielder has impressed on his return to the first-team, which has helped yield a useful haul of four points in United’s past two matches against Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool and provide some much-needed relief following the desperate FA Cup exit at Manchester City.

But despite a presentable point at Ewood Park on Saturday, ninth-placed United failed to make inroads into the six-point gap between themselves and the final play-off position, now occupied by Brighton and Hove Albion following another setback for faltering Middlesbrough.

Ultimately, for the fourth league match in the last five, it represented another case of the ‘if only’s’ for United’s players, manager Neil Warnock and supporters who were again left to lament several gilt-edged opportunities going begging.

With the clock ticking and just 13 league games remaining this term – United need to manufacture a win glut fast with Warnock’s side currently 24 points – eight wins – away from the 70-point threshold, which has proved a minimal requirement for play-off entry over many years.

Tonge said: “I thought we dominated the game at Blackburn. We just needed to take a little bit more care in the final third and we would have scored a goal.

“I thought we played well as a team. Although we should have had a little bit more nous attacking-wise – if we had done that, we probably would have won.

“Even Blackburn’s most loyal fan would have admitted we deserved to win. But I think we have got to take the positives and move on to the next game against Millwall at home.

“If we can reproduce the Blackburn form from now until the end of the season, we will be there or thereabouts.”

Tonge has found that patience has proved to be a virtue after being recalled for the clash with Blackpool last Wednesday, with the 29-year-old – who signed permanently last month – making up for lost time by doing his bit to inspire a morale-boosting victory against the Seasiders and doing well again at Rovers.

Boss Warnock elected to stick with the successful 4-3-3 system he utilised against Blackpool for the clash at Blackburn three days later, with Tonge hoping United have struck upon a winner after the engine-room trio of himself, David Norris and Paul Green dovetailed adeptly and dominated their Rovers counterparts. He said: ”We have not played 4-3-3 that much this season. We played it against Blackpool partly because they played that way and we matched them up, but it is working alright.

“We are managing to get the ball down and move it to the lads up front with pace in Steve Morison and Varns (Luke Varney), with their running down the sides and Ross (McCormack). We have good options with the ball.

“We all played together in the middle earlier this season in a slightly different formation where Greeny was playing on the right. He is playing a little bit narrower now and Nozzer (David Norris) has moved more forward as one of his main strengths is getting into the box and scoring goals and he was dangerous versus Blackburn.”

On his returning to the starting fold, Tonge added: “On a personal note, it is nice to get back involved. In the last few games, I have enjoyed it.

”It’s been a little bit frustrating (not playing), but I understand it. The lads have been playing well.

“Really, we lost to Cardiff, draw at Wolves and lost to Middlesbrough when we really could have quite easily got nine points.

“You have got to be patient and try to encourage the lads who are playing because at the end of the game, it is a squad game.”

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