Saturday Interview: Grayson is banking on past experiences to finish the job

Over the last four years, Leeds have suffered heartbreak in three different games that would have guaranteed a promotion.

Under Kevin Blackwell, Leeds lost the 2006 Championship play-off final against Watford; under Gary McAllister, they lost a League One play-off final to Doncaster Rovers and, last week, under Grayson, they lost at Charlton Athletic where a victory would have ended three years of League One hurt.

Fortunately for them, third-placed Millwall, who beat Leeds in last season's play-offs semi-finals, lost at Tranmere Rovers otherwise Grayson's men would have slipped out of the top two places and would have been been relying on favours today.

Now, if Leeds beat Bristol Rovers today at Elland Road, they are guaranteed a ticket back to the second tier of English football.

For Grayson, a lifelong Leeds supporter who achieved a schoolboy dream by playing for the club at the age of 17, this may just turn out to be the greatest moment of his career.

To get there, he needs his players to handle the pressure and Grayson has faith in their ability.

They have, after all, knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, pushed Champions League qualifiers Tottenham Hotspur to a replay, and went close to beating Liverpool over the last eight months.

"Getting promoted is never easy at any level. We could have done it before now but that's just football," he said. "The facts might suggest we have done (lost their nerve) in the past. But records are there to be broken. Opportunities are there to put things right.

"My players have gone to some big grounds this season and got results. We have been under pressure all season because we are a massive club in the wrong division. This is a massive game which can turn the fortunes of the football club – and I would like to think the players have learned from previous experiences.

"Everything at this club is geared for the next level and beyond. A club our size can't progress as a football club in League One and the longer we spend in this division just sets us back even more.

"Ultimately, we will try to get this club back in the Premiership – where it was not so long ago – but, for now, all that rides on this game."

Leeds had only lost one league game before New Year''s Eve but have lost nine since. The downturn in results has been widely blamed on the FA Cup campaign and, in particular, that famous victory at Old Trafford on January 3.

Today's game will be the 60th of the season for the club who also reached the northern final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing," reflects Grayson.

"No one was complaining when we were beating Manchester United and drawing with Tottenham but it probably hindered us slightly.

"Beating Manchester United was a hindrance because other clubs looked at that and raised their games against us. Our players were slightly distracted as they are only human.

"But players are paid to play football and, when I asked, none of them wanted resting. Every player wanted to play every minute of every single game.

"Of course, I would have taken the scenario of losing every Cup game if it meant we got promoted. The league is our bread and butter and I always made it clear that promotion was the sole aim and Cup games were a bonus.

"Now, if we get promoted, we can look back on an absolutely fantastic season," he said. "It will be better than anything else I have achieved and surpass getting Blackpool out of League One (three years ago). It will also give me immense pride and fulfilment because I am a Leeds fan as well!"

Although today's opponents are playing for nothing but pride, after missing out on play-off qualification, Grayson acknowledges that they will be looking to play the role of 'party-poopers.'

"We won't under-estimate Bristol Rovers because they have had some good results this season and will be coming to spoil the party," he said. "My last words to my players will be 'enjoy yourself, have no regrets, and win the game'. Simple as that. You can't complicate it.

"We would love to have won promotion already but, if anyone had offered us this position going into the final game of the season, we would have taken it.

"I sense within the players that they know what is at stake. They only have to look at our support, 25,000 at home on a regular basis, to be aware what it means. Hopefully, they will prove a point.

"I didn't come to this club to win cup competitions, I came here to get the club promoted. Hopefully, on Saturday afternoon, we will get the same buzz as we got from beating Manchester United!

"There have been easier years to get out of this division because there are some big clubs in it right now. It has been exceptionally hard but, overall, I think we have handled it well. One more victory now gets us where we want to get to. We have to finish the job."

The race for second place

What can happen:

n If Leeds win, they go up automatically.

n If Leeds draw, they drop into play-off zone but only if there is a winner between Millwall and Swindon or if Charlton win by 11 goals.

n If Leeds lose, they open the door to their rivals:

n Millwall go up if they win OR if they draw and Charlton fail to win and Huddersfield do not win by four goals.

n Swindon will be promoted if they beat Millwall.

n Charlton will be promoted if they win and the Millwall/Swindon game is a draw.

n Huddersfield go up if they make up a goal difference of 5 on Leeds and 4 on Millwall and none of the others win.

League One

P W D L F A Pts

Norwich 45 29 8 8 89 45 95

Leeds 45 24 11 10 75 43 83

Millwall 45 23 13 9 73 42 82

Swindon 45 22 16 7 71 54 82

Charlton 45 22 15 8 69 48 81

Huddersfield 45 23 11 11 81 54 80

Southampton 45 22 14 9 82 46 70

Colchester 45 19 12 14 63 52 69

Bristol Rovers 45 19 5 21 58 68 62

Brentford 45 14 19 12 55 52 61

MK Dons 45 17 9 19 59 66 60

Walsall 45 15 14 16 58 62 59

Brighton 45 14 14 17 55 60 56

Carlisle 45 14 13 18 61 66 55

Yeovil 45 13 14 18 55 58 53

Oldham 45 13 13 19 39 55 52

Leyton Orient 45 13 12 20 53 62 51

Gillingham 45 12 14 19 48 61 50

*Hartlepool 45 14 10 21 59 67 49

Exeter 45 10 18 17 46 59 48

Tranmere 45 13 9 23 42 72 48

Southend 45 10 13 22 50 69 43

Wycombe 45 9 15 21 53 76 42

Stockport 45 5 10 30 35 92 25

* deducted three points for ineligible player.