'We knew' - Barry Bannan on Leeds United's fans, Sheffield Wednesday's plan and best chances

Bannan’s side arrived for the weekend’s Championship contest at Elland Road sat bottom of the division following four defeats from four but stopped the rot by leaving LS11 with a goalless draw. Leeds largely dominated the first half but Bannan says his side had a specific plan to stay in the game in a bid to make United’s fans “turn” upon being “anxious” about bagging all three points.

Both sides then had chances in an open second half, Leeds finishing the game having had 15 shots at goal compared to 11 from Wednesday who served up five on target compared to United’s four.

Georgino Rutter squandered the best Leeds chance when played in on goal only to place a tame effort into the hands of keeper Devis Vasquez whilst Callum Paterson squandered a particularly glorious opportunity for the Owls when blasting over the bar from the middle of a packed box.

Speaking to Sheffield Wednesday’s official website, Bannan said his side left Elland Road thinking a point might have been all three but saluted the stalemate as an Owls building block as he revealed his side’s plan for Leeds’ fans.

"It was staying in the game,” said Bannan, reflecting on the first half in particular.

"We knew these fans from being here and playing here in the past, they can be a 12th man like our fans can be, especially at their own stadium. But you can also work it in your favour as well so we tried to keep them quiet for a large part of the game and hope that the fans would start to get anxious and turn and it was all about staying in the game and trying to take our chances when we could but I think we played well at certain spells today.

"We can obviously be a lot better but it's step by step, we're getting better and we're working hard to learn the new things that the gaffer wants us to do and it takes time, but you need to get results and we've done that today."

Asked if the overriding feeling was relief, Bannan reasoned: “Yeah I think it is. I think obviously we've not started the season the way we wanted to.

"We've come in a tough place today but we knew that we were confident of coming and getting a result.

"Week by week we've been improving, we have been working hard in training and we have been talking about getting a clean sheet and building on that.

"We had a few chances as well to score at the other end and on another day we could maybe have sneaked it. But it's good to get a clean sheet and get our first point on the board.

"I think Devis (Vasquez) has had a few good saves and I think chances-wise I think we had some clear cut chances and on another day the boys score them. But we have got to start somewhere. It's a tough place to come.

"We obviously wanted to come here and get the three points but if you can't win you make sure you don't lose and it's important for confidence and for the whole club that we've got a point today and we move on."