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I believe in players more than they do – Hockaday
Leeds United's head coach David Hockaday gives instructions to his players during a break in play against Dundee United.
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05 August
2014
06:32
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AS baptisms of fire go, a trip to Millwall has to be right up there.
Throw in back-to-back home games against Middlesbrough and Brighton & Hove Albion, two teams strongly fancied to do well in the Championship this season, and it is clear that the opening 10 or so days of the new season will be a huge test for Leeds United’s new head coach Dave Hockaday.
Not that he is anyway daunted by the prospect, especially after a heartening past week that has brought victories over Swindon Town and Dundee United plus, perhaps most importantly of all, a couple of encouraging performances.
“We are getting better,†said Hockaday ahead of Saturday’s opening day trip to The Den, which seems certain to be as hostile as ever when Leeds visit. “Day one, it was a horror show and day two, not so much.
“At the moment, we are looking reasonably strong. But I want us to be really strong and incredibly competitive. We will keep on endeavouring to do that until such time as we feel we are.“I believe in these players probably more than they do at the moment. If you saw them last year, they played a certain way. Now we are saying, get it down and be brave on the ball.
“They showed some great combination play on Saturday (in the 2-0 win over Dundee United at Elland Road) and when you do that, you get the ball into the forwards from a midfield area rather than defensively. Then you can start picking your passes.“We got (Souleymane) Doukara more involved and he was a handful. He is big, strong and getting quicker all the time. That worked really well on Saturday.â€
Hockaday’s options were bolstered last night when Zan Benedicic joined on a season-long loan deal from AC Milan. The teenager, an Under-21 international with Slovenia, is yet to make a senior appearance for the Serie A side but is highly rated in Italy.
He has become the sixth signing of the summer by the Yorkshire club but more additions are required, particularly in defence where the sale of Tom Lees last week to Sheffield Wednesday has left Hockaday with just Jason Pearce and Scott Wootton.
Despite the squad looking on the thin side with just five days remaining before the new season, Hockaday believes huge strides are being made.
He added: “We have not bought in any big-name players yet – and whether that will happen or not, I don’t know.
“But I think the Leeds fans recognise what is happening, what we are trying to do and the way we are trying to do it.
“The Leeds fans are knowledgeable and know what is going on and what we have got. We have not gone and got some big-name players and are working with what we have got.
“But what we have got is not a negative. We have some good players and they are getting better and better. There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic.
“What we have to do is earn respect; nobody gives you it. All of the players must show their qualities, be brave on the ball and impose their personality on the game. If we do that, the fans will have you.“If you make a mistake and it is an honest mistake and you try and run back and tackle, then any fans will support you.“I see that attitude in training all the time. If a team has not got the ball, they have got to work damn hard to get the ball back.“We have come a long way, but have a long way to go and are by no means the finished article. We have a lot of work to do, but that is what we are here for.
“This is a team game. Every game, we play as a team and work as a team. We are going to get better with our decision-making and passing.“But if we go out and put in an honest shift every game, we will be hard to play against. With the quality I also believe the players have and if we get better and keep improving, then we might just surprise a few people.
“I believe that the players have got more quality than even they believe and we are getting better and better.
“There is loads still to work on, but we will put in an honest shift and showed that as a team in tracking back and working hard and tackling on Saturday.
“All the essentials that a good team needs.“Given that we didn’t have any friendlies when I came, I have got to be happy to a degree. It could have been better if we had got at least one more game in to give us that little bit more edge, but I have got to be pleased.
“Everybody out there has put a claim in for the shirt. I write the team names down, but I don’t actually ‘pick’ the team because their form in training, as well as in games, does.“I think people have to appreciate that just as someone might have had a great game on Saturday, they may look really flat and be carrying something in the week and then that is not good enough. You cannot just switch it on and off.
“We will have a look in the week and go as strong as we can for Millwall.â€
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