Assistant Manager Dave Bassett is looking for the Whites to back-up their promotion credentials with a sackful of points this Christmas. After seeing the side bounce back from a difficult November by taking seven points from the last nine, 'Harry' is keen than the club maintain momentum in their assault on the automatic promotion positions.
'November was a funny month with two wins and two defeats in the league,' he said. 'We suffered the first defeat at Carlisle - one was probably due anyway because it is very difficult to go all the way without losing sometime - and the cup ties added to the situation because we probably expected to beat Hereford and Bury. But as much as it would have been nice to be in the JPT and FA Cup we haven't got the distractions now, we can now concentrate on the league.'
'It's been an encouraging start, but it's Christmas now. There's points to be had and we have to make sure we come out in a good position.' Bassett recognised that in their previous outing at Walsall the Saddlers had increased their performance levels. 'It was another one of those situations where the opposition raised their game. We know and expect that. Some of the opponents I've seen before we've played them look far different from when they play us the following week. Sometimes they struggle the game afterwards as well because they put so much in against us.'
'We always say to the players this is a problem facing Leeds United, because everyone treats it as a final. It is the biggest and best game of their season. Every game is like and FA Cup first round tie, and we accept that. We have Premier League support, but no team has a divine right to be anywhere, and we have to match these teams.'
