No compromise on style says Jamie Shackleton as Leeds United look to improve home record

MIDFIELDER Jamie Shackleton says Leeds United will stick to their usual style at Elland Road in seeking an improvement to their recent home record after six-straight wins away.
SICKENER: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison shows his frustration as Swansea City's Wayne Routledge bags a last-gasp winner in a 1-0 victory for Swansea City at Elland Road last month, a game which the Whites dominated.SICKENER: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison shows his frustration as Swansea City's Wayne Routledge bags a last-gasp winner in a 1-0 victory for Swansea City at Elland Road last month, a game which the Whites dominated.
SICKENER: Leeds United winger Jack Harrison shows his frustration as Swansea City's Wayne Routledge bags a last-gasp winner in a 1-0 victory for Swansea City at Elland Road last month, a game which the Whites dominated.

Sunday’s 2-0 success at Barnsley saw Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa become only the third manager in United’s history after Dick Ray and Don Revie to mastermind half a dozen away wins in succession.

The Whites sit top of the Championship after seven games of the new campaign yet United have savoured victory in only one of their last seven games at Elland Road, three of which have ended in defeat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Derby County enforced one of those losses in May’s play-offs semi-final second leg and the Rams will return to Elland Road on Saturday lunch-time for United’s latest league game.

Victory would take Leeds three points clear before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures and Shackleton says United will stick to their usual set up at home with the midfielder pleased with recent displays at Elland Road if not the final outcomes.

The Whites dominated their August clashes against both Nottingham Forest and Swansea City but a failure to take their chances left Leeds with a 1-1 draw against Forest and a 1-0 defeat from their clash with the Swans.

“Whether we are home or away, we keep our style the same and we look to play our football and dictate games, no matter how the teams set up,” said Shackleton.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have been good away and we will look to build on not so much the performances because the performances have been good at Elland Road but the wins and get a bit of a winning streak going hopefully.”

Shackleton also said that Leeds would treat Saturday’s encounter against the Rams the same as any other Championship fixture despite the colourful backdrop of four clashes last season.

Leeds romped to a 4-1 win at Pride Park back in August and then beat Derby 2-0 at Elland Road in January just hours after the breaking of the sypgate saga as a member of Bielsa’s scouting team was spotted outside Derby’s training complex.

After admitting to dispatching scouts to watch every Championship club train, Leeds were later fined £200,000 and received a formal reprimand with United agreeing to support the introduction of a new EFL rule governing the privacy of training grounds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bielsa paid the fine himself and Leeds and Derby then met in the play-offs semi-finals with United 1-0 winners in the first leg at Pride Park only for the Rams to ultimately book their place in the Wembley final against Aston Villa with a 4-2 triumph in the second leg at Elland Road.

“Obviously there is some history from last season but it’s just one game at a time,” said Shackleton.

“It’s another game and another game we will look to get three points from and stay top of the league.”