Simon Grayson Talks About Tonight

Last updated : 19 January 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Simon Grayson
Leeds boss Simon Grayson spoke to his club's official website and the Yorkshire Post ahead of his side's Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Area final first leg match against Carlisle at Elland Road this evening, Grayson hoping for another Whites trip to Wembley :



"We've come this far, we're two games away from Wembley and a trip there would be fantastic for everyone. This is another game we want to try and win. The games are coming thick and fast, and after a couple of disappointing results in the league we want to get back to winning ways.

"Carlisle did well against us last year and again when they came to us this season. They are a decent team with some experienced players and some good young players. Tuesday's will be a tough game, but if we're at it we have a great chance of winning it. Everybody can see what is around the corner, but first it's a tough two-legged affair.

"Everybody will be looking for a decent scoreline to take to Carlisle, but you have to make sure you are still in the game for the second leg which is what we need to do. It's two great games to be involved in and we know what's at stake.

"We know the league is much more important than anything else but to reach Wembley is a big motivation for us. We want to end the season by gaining promotion and by reaching the JPT final and winning it.

"There will be a few changes, but nothing wholesale because we want to try and win. You want to give the opportunity to players to get results. We do have one or two who have slight knocks, but we'll see where we are. If there's any doubts we wont play them."

"The defeat at Exeter coming on the back of the draw at home to Wycombe was disappointing, especially as before that we were on a high after beating Manchester United. But that is how football can be and we have to get on with it.

"We are still in a good position at the top of the division and you have to give credit to the teams below us. Norwich have taken 35 points from a possible 39 and in any other season ourselves and Norwich would be clear. But, instead, Charlton have also been very impressive.

"We can't play well all the time over a season and what matters is how a team responds to a set-back. After losing against Millwall, we went on a long unbeaten run and we have to do the same thing now."





While former Northampton midfielder Bradley Johnson commented to the official Leeds United website :

"It was horrible to lose the way we did on Saturday. We started badly and we should have done better in the first half. We were on top on in the second and I thought we would score, but it wasn't mean to be. You cant put your finger on what happened at the start. They came out all guns blazing, which we expected because most teams do against us, but they bossed the first 20 minutes and got their goal and were on top.

"We've shown we know what it takes against the lower teams this season, but hopefully the last two games have been our second blip and that's it. It's a pity Tuesday isn't a league game, but we'll be looking to get back to winning ways. This is a chance for us to get to Wembley and win a trophy. It's a cup and every footballer wants to win silverware.

"I think in the play-offs Carlisle thought they'd won it at Elland Road, but then we won 2-0 up there...fantastic. We don't want that this time, we want to win the first leg. We havent been there yet this year, but we know it's a hard place to go and hopefully we can kill the game off at Elland Road.

"Hopefully Jermaine (Beckford) will get back to scoring goals and doing what he does best. Jermaine loves the club. Every time he goes out there he wants to win and score goals which he's done again. He's got his head down and he isn't looking at what's going to happen.

"He's going to be here until the end of the season and he'll get his head down and do what he does best. The fans could have turned on him, but we need players like Jermaine. It would have been a loss to lose him, but that's not going to happen now."





In team news for Leeds tonight it is in goal where they have their biggest problems with Shane Higgs, David Martin and Alan Martin all sidelined with thigh strains. With a bumper four first team stoppers on the books though it means that Casper Ankergren will start the game with youth team goalkeeper Ryan Jones taking a place on the bench.

Burly striker Tresor Kandol is out after tweaking a hamstring in training on Friday, so with Enoch Showumni signing for Falkirk last week it would seem very likely that Jermaine Beckford, who has now withdrawn his transfer request, will the start the game upfront.

Two other players not available for selection are left-back Ben Parker who is just coming back from a long-term hamstring/hip problem, while Leicester-loanee winger Max-Alain Gradel has returned to the East Midlands after his impressive three loan spell at Elland Road. Leeds now looking to re-sign Gradel again for a temporary spell to the end of the season, although the Foxes are holding out for a permanent deal.




The referee for tonight's match is Andy Penn from Kingswinford in the West Midlands, and he will be assisted down the lines by Declan Ford from Rutland and Darren Handley from Bolton. Meanwhile the fourth official is David Foster from Newcastle.