Leeds looking for players with strong mental attitude, says Peter Lorimer

21 May 2010 12:12
The former Leeds and Scotland midfielder is convinced manager Simon Grayson will put as much emphasis on mentality as ability in his recruitment drive this summer to weed out the players whose stage-fright threatened the newly-promoted club's upward mobility. [LNB]Leeds, of course, only secured promotion to the Championship following three years in League One on a nerve-jangling last day of the season, following a dramatic slump in fortunes since of the turn of the year when they were riding high at the top of the division. [LNB]"One of the things I would personally question the squad with is that our form at home since Christmas has been awful and did they have the bottle or the belief to go out there and perform on a Saturday?" Lorimer said. [LNB]"Some of our players - in all honesty - in the last seven or eight games at home have not had that courage you need to go out there and do it. I am sure Simon will have looked at that and it will very much come into his consideration when he is picking the squad for next year. [LNB]"That will help Simon's decisions because to play at Elland Road in front of a big crowd is a difficult, daunting task because they are very demanding. It is quite obvious Simon will have to bring some players." [LNB]Lorimer, 63, knows a thing or two about the demands on players at Elland Road, having played more than 500 times for Leeds during the 1960s and 1970s when the club became established as one of the top clubs in the country under the management of Don Revie [LNB]"One of the things Simon will be thinking is that we need players that have the confidence to go out and play in front of 30,000 people at Elland Road most weeks," Lorimer added. [LNB]"That is something that is very important. There is no point just being a good player. Are you good enough to come to Elland Road in front of 30,000 people and be a good player? It is a difficult thing to do. [LNB]"Next year the crowds are going to be bigger because we have so many local games. They won't be like your Yeovils bringing 200 people and your Exeters, we will have serious amount of away fans coming as well from Derby, Sheffield United and Barnsley. [LNB]"It will be a great atmosphere. When you talk to people who come here, away players and managers, and they say wow it's a daunting place to perform because the atmosphere when you come out is electric and there is a lot of pressure." [LNB]

Source: Telegraph