Jack Harrison issues Magpies warning as Leeds United await Newcastle United rematch

JACK Harrison has highlighted the importance of Leeds United not just assuming that their five-star result against Newcastle United will be repeated at St James' Park.
NO DWELLING: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is challenged by Solly March during last weekend's 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.NO DWELLING: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is challenged by Solly March during last weekend's 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.
NO DWELLING: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is challenged by Solly March during last weekend's 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.

Marcelo Bielsa's Whites will return from nine days without a game in Tuesday's Premier League clash at Newcastle who Leeds thumped 5-2 at Elland Road in the middle of December.

The fifth-bottom Magpies have picked up just two points in the eight games that have followed and fans gathered to call for boss Steve Bruce to be sacked following Saturday night's 2-0 loss at Aston Villa.

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Leeds themselves have lost their last three and Harrison says Tuesday's clash is a great opportunity for his Whites to bounce back from league defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, either side of an FA Cup humbling at League Two outfit Crawley Town.

Harrison, though, also says a second victory of the season against the Magpies will have to be earned on merit with December's clash a different entity to the reverse fixture on Tyneside.

"I think the biggest focus for us as a team is just to make sure we are ready for Newcastle," Harrison told BBC Radio Leeds.

"It's a great opportunity for us to get back on track.

"Obviously we had a great result against them last time but it's important not to assume that is going to happen again.

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"We need to do everything that we can to make sure that we are prepared for this and get back on track."

Tuesday's contest will mark United's halfway point of the season with Leeds already having played every team apart from Southampton.

The Saints were due to visit Elland Road on Wednesday evening but the fixture was postponed due to Southampton's third round FA Cup clash against Shrewsbury Town being rearranged for the previous night.

Leeds sit 12th in the table and 11 points clear of the dropzone.

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United have beaten every side in the bottom six apart from fourth-bottom Brighton who left Elland Road with a 1-0 victory last weekend.

"I think it's important as football players and as a club that we don't dwell on it too much," said Harrison.

"I think as a club anyway we always analyse the games and analyse different ways that we can improve so there is no doubt we will be doing that heading into this next Newcastle game and even reviewing the last game in the different ways that we can avoid them creating any kind of danger.

"It's important for us to prevent that and be aware of the different difficulties that we can face in this game and just not take it for granted that what happened last time is going to happen again.

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"We need to make sure that we are prepared and ready to go on Tuesday."

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