Leeds players let Old Trafford go to their heads... now they're staring into the abyss

By David Anderson

Published 09:09 24/02/10

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After taking all the plaudits during the first 13 months of his Leeds reign, Simon Grayson admits he is now facing his toughest test at Elland Road.

He has got to turn around Leeds' slump before yet another promotion campaign ends in tears.

I said it at the time and I'll say it again, beating Manchester United was bad for Leeds' promotion chances.

In an instant, Grayson's players were thrust into the limelight and, for some of them, the adulation turned their heads.

The problem was they were not used to seeing themselves splashed all over the back pages and on Sky Sports 24 hours a day and they lost focus.

It's no coincidence that since their win at Old Trafford, the wheels have completely come off their promotion bandwagon.

They have won just one league game since and seven points from a possible 24 tells its own sorry tale.

From looking certainties to go up to the Championship as champions, they now face a scramble to hang on to one of the automatic promotion places.

Grayson knows this and he will be drawing on all his managerial skills to get his side back on track.

Leeds cannot afford to miss out on promotion for a third successive season and failure this time would be their biggest setback since relegation in 2007.

It would cost them Jermaine Beckford and one or two of their other better players could also be picked off by Championship clubs.

The stakes are high for Leeds and Grayson must not fail.

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