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LEEDS UNITED: Frazer in call for consistency
Frazer Richardson says Leeds United need a rapid return to the unwavering consistency which carried the club through nine matches without defeat at the start of this season.
Richardson is hoping to help bring an end to the club's winless run away from home at Cheltenham Town on Saturday, and he warned his team-mates not to expect the unpredictable form of other clubs to assist United's league position as it did on Tuesday night.
Leeds were beaten for the fourth away game in succession at Southend United in midweek, but a number of League One's leading teams were also guilty of dropping points, and the three-point margin between Gary McAllister's side and leaders Scunthorpe United was not affected by the result at Roots Hall.
Both Scunthorpe and Leicester City sustained defeats away from home on Tuesday, losing to Oldham Athletic and Brighton respectively, and the effect of those results was to leave the top 12 clubs in League One separated by only nine points.
Leeds collected six points from two games at Elland Road last week but have not won outside Yorkshire since their trip to Carlisle United on September 20, and Richardson says their target of automatic promotion will require a more consistent intake than that which has seen the club collect nine points from their last six league games.
United's captain said: "We didn't play badly against Southend but we've come away with nothing and it's been like that away from home recently.
"It's not so much the form that concerns us as the results. We haven't been at our best in away matches this season but we haven't played poorly either. At times, some of our football has been pretty good.
"But football comes down to results and the thing for us at the moment is that we haven't turned any of the last three (league) performances into wins. Form isn't the problem; it's the scoreline at full-time that keeps getting away from us.
"We've been exceptional at home and the time's come for us to do that on the road. Saturday's a great opportunity and a crucial game which I feel we need to win.
"Results went our way (on Tuesday) but we don't want to be saying that too often. I know it's a bit of a clich to say you have to look after yourselves but clubs don't get promoted automatically from this league by relying on other people to drop points."
McAllister's players are in the middle of an busy sequence of games, with Tuesday's arduous round trip from Yorkshire to Essex to be followed by an equally lengthy trek to Whaddon Road on Saturday, and he and his squad stayed overnight in Southend on Tuesday evening to allow them to begin their preparation for Cheltenham yesterday.
United's manager has flexibility within his large squad and the option of making several changes at Whaddon Road, but United's position three points from the top of League One should restrain him from mass alterations.
Leeds' prominent league position has been built on both the nine-match unbeaten run they constructed in three different competitions between August 23 and the end of September and their extreme confidence at home, but the value of the club's flawless results at Elland Road has been lessened by three league defeats away from home.
"You can't complain about our position in the league but we've given away more points than we'd have liked to," said Richardson.
"Getting out of this division is about putting runs together and we need to start doing that again. Wins here and there can be good enough to keep you close to the play-offs, but if you want to push higher than that then you need more consistency.
"We're so desperate to stay up where we are and to get out of this league that it might be a case of us trying too hard and being a bit anxious in the final third, but it seems strange saying that when we're so close to the top of the league. That shows the pressure we're putting on ourselves.
"We seem to have a lot of possession in all of our games but we aren't turning that possession into scoring chances, and most clubs in this league are good enough to take advantage when you don't put them away.
"The quality in the final third hasn't always been there and you can see that our final ball's been lacking, and we're under a bit of pressure to put that right on Saturday.
"It's a bit confusing because we haven't struggled to score goals this season and we're a good, attacking team. But we wouldn't expect to lose three away games in a row and our results have to be better than that. It concerns us when points slip away, even though the league looks good."
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
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