Eddie Gray has stressed the importance of winning the battle for Leeds United later today as Rotherham will make it difficult for the Whites in the local Yorkshire derby.
Leeds are riding high following two wins in their first two league games of the season and their attacking displays under Marcelo Bielsa have won them plaudits.
Bielsa has demanded his players justify their favourites tag against Rotherham in the local derby at Elland Road, but Gray believes it is going to be more difficult than many are predicting at the moment.
The Leeds legend is certain that in a Yorkshire derby Rotherham won’t make it easy for Leeds and will work their socks off to keep Bielsa’s men out, but he believes the Whites have the quality to overcome their local rivals.
The former midfielder believes the Leeds players need to show the tenacity and commitment that they displayed in the first two games to first win the battle against Rotherham on the pitch before they can think about taking the three points.
Gray told LUTV: “The thing you need to remember first and foremost, it’s a local derby. They’ll be coming up here and want to get one over us.
“The one thing that I can guarantee about them is hard work – physically they will work as hard as they can to stop us creating.
“That makes it difficult for us but the players we have got and the crowd behind us, it is very hard to envisage them keeping us out for 90 minutes.”
He continued: “It could be a tough game, but I have always said, every game is tough to start with, you have got to go and make it easy and I think that the players have the capability and the mindset that every game they play they think we can run over the top of this team.
“But to do it, you have got to win the battle first and that’s what they have got in their locker now.
“They did it against Stoke, they did it against Derby and I can see them doing exactly the same against Rotherham.”
