Sky Bet Championship: Leeds boss Darko Milanic targets first win after Reading draw
Saturday 4 October 2014 11:58, UK
Darko Milanic believes it is "extremely important" that he secures his first win in charge of Leeds in this weekend's Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday after the home draw with Reading.
The former Sturm Graz coach was installed as David Hockaday's successor four days before his first game last Saturday at Brentford, which ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat, and can count his new side fortunate to hold on for a point against Reading.
"We deserved one point," Milanic said. "We wanted to make it three but it's also a very positive result."
When asked how significant next Saturday's derby clash with Wednesday was, Milanic said: "It's extremely important.
"It will be different. Sheffield play different and it will be difficult. They have one day more to regenerate, but we have to do our best."
Milanic, clearly happier with his side's display than he was last weekend, added: "I saw a better team.
"I think everybody saw the same as I did. We didn't win but the players want to play good and compact and to play together.
"We had a dynamic from the beginning. We had aggression and tempo. We made some mistakes with the pass. We weren't dangerous. We made too many bad last passes."
Leeds won three and drew one of the four games under caretaker-boss Neil Redfearn, but Milanic said they currently lack the experience to be consistent.
He added: "This team is very young and it's normal when the team is young. It's not easy to keep the stability and to play all the Championship (games) well they need experience."
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Reading's Nick Blackman had two of the game's best chances but an early shot was tipped over the crossbar by Leeds goalkeeper Marco Silvestri, who thwarted the visiting striker again deep in the second half when turning away a goalbound effort at his near post.
Blackman's strike partner Glenn Murray saw his second-half header blocked on the goalline by Silvestri, while Leeds' best chance fell to substitute Billy Sharp, whose low 85th-minute effort from just outside the penalty area was parried at full stretch by Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici.
Reading are unbeaten in nine games against Leeds, a sequence stretching back to February 2005, but manager Nigel Adkins was disappointed to take only one point back to Berkshire.
"On reflection we've kept a good clean sheet after conceding three at the weekend, but we've had enough opportunities and penalty shouts to win the game," he said.
Blackman and winger Jake Taylor were both sent tumbling in the box but referee Tony Harrington waved away muted appeals and Adkins said he had not seen the replays to comment further.
"It's a difficult place to come to," he added. "They've won four out of five at home and it was their first game at home for the manager, so we knew it would be a challenge.
"But we had a fair amount of possession, put some good crosses in, the keeper's made some really good saves and (goalkeeper Adam Federici) Feds has only had one save to make from (Billy) Sharp at the end."
