Leeds United boss reveals his targets
Dennis Wise will aim for his second target of the season when Leeds
United clash with Bristol Rovers at a packed Memorial Stadium tonight.
United completed their first task of the campaign by wiping out their 15-point penalty against Hartlepool United on Saturday, and a sixth league victory in Bristol this evening would free Leeds from the bottom of the League One table.
Wise's squad will rise out of the division's relegation places if they protect the country's only 100 per cent league record, and the Memorial Stadium is expected to see a record attendance of around 12,000 tonight.
Wise said: "It's nice to get to nought but it'll be even better if we can go off the bottom. If we get the right result we'll not only go off the bottom, we'll go fifth from bottom for the night.
"That would be a massive boost for everyone. There are 23 targets we've got to hit and we need to catch them team-by-team. This is our next hurdle now.
"You have to be realistic when you set targets out. You can't be mad. But the players are very focused and I'd be disappointed if they took the foot of the pedal. We're not going to let them."
United's 2-0 victory over Hartlepool lifted them to zero points last weekend, just four weeks after their penalty was confirmed at a Football League appeal hearing, but the performance drew criticism from Wise, and his players were subjected to a video replay of their display this week.
Hartlepool hit the woodwork three times and had a series of shots cleared off United's line as they dominated the second half at Elland Road, and the unconvincing showing from Wise's midfield should see Alan Thompson and Jonathan Douglas return to United's line-up tonight.
"It wasn't good enough," said Wise. "We sat down and showed them the horror movie of the second half. They realised they had stopped doing the things that we'd been working on.
"The worst thing for a player is to go into the video room and know that it's been an absolute nightmare. They're thinking 'please don't bring me up'. I've been in that situation myself.
"It's repetition, repetition. They have to get it right every time. I don't want them doing their own thing, which is what happened with four or five of the players. It looked a mess.
"It was such a massive game and that might have been at the back of their minds. I'll let them have that one, but they knew I wasn't happy."
United are making their first visit to the Memorial Stadium, and Wise is anticipating buoyant opposition with Rovers unbeaten after five league games and seventh in League One.
Paul Trollope's side beat Luton 2-1 at Kenilworth Road last weekend, and Wise said: "They're a very compact team. They like to sit back, and the back four play very tight.
"They'll let you have it wide and let you cross it, but they pack the area. It'll be difficult because they put the onus on you."
Byron Anthony, Rovers' Welsh defender, said: "It's a Friday night game which should make the atmosphere a bit special.
"Our fans can help push us forward and I'm sure they'll be as vocal as ever because we'll need them."
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