RAFA CALLS FOR BUNCH OF FIVES
GARRY MONK has told his promotion chasers to show they are more than a one-trick pony – by ramming Reading’s taunts back down their throats.
Monk heads to the Madejski Stadium this evening with a Leeds team branded a one-man band with no plan B by Royals striker Yann Kermorgant.
And the Elland Road boss, who took charge in June, is demanding a performance that will silence Kermorgant and prove his side have not built their bid for a return to the Premier League solely on the goals of Chris Wood.
New Zealand striker Wood has scored 27 times this season, 24 of those goals coming in the Championship, and Monk said: “There’s no way I can agree with those comments.
“Whenever we’ve made changes the guys who have come in performed really well and produced the goods.
“When we beat Reading at our place back in December, Chris came off injured after 30 minutes and we still went on and extended our lead. So I guess that maybe I can agree with those comments after all because with that kind of logic, if Chris had stayed on the pitch, we would have won by more.
“Seriously, though, stuff like that is irrelevant to us. All it really means is we’re doing a lot right and moving in the right direction.
“So we shall just carry on doing what we’ve been doing all season and focus on trying to win football matches.
“All I know is we have developed a winning mentality and we never give in. We fight right until the death, and always react very well if we go a goal behind.
“We have only been together as a group for a short time, but we have made big strides and I’m delighted with the progress we are making.”
Leeds are aiming to extend their unbeaten run to eight games when they take on Jaap Stam’s fifth-placed Royals, and Monk followed his blast at Kermorgant (below) with a statement of intent. He said: “We’re eager to get going again after the international break, and really looking forward to the Reading game. “We have prepared well with the aim of extending our unbeaten run. It could be that we meet Reading in the play-off semifinal, but we’re not thinking about that. “Our focus is fully on this league game and dealing with the next 90 minutes in front of
us.” Wood (above) injured a leg after scoring what proved to be the Kiwis’ winner in their World Cup qualifier against Fiji a week ago.
But the former Leicester forward, who has 19 goals in 47 appearances for his country, is expected to be fit to face Reading. RAFA BENITEZ has given his Newcastle players his own wish-list – five wins to clinch promotion.
Toon have back-to-back home games ahead against Wigan and Burton, but Benitez is worried that their home form isn’t up to scratch and has urged his players to handle the pressure better.
“When we play against visiting teams who like to play counter-attack, we have to be very precise and then everybody can get nervous,” he said. “We have five games at home. If we win them all we will be in the Premier League next season.”