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• Uwe Rosler begins third season in charge of relegated side • Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder expects ‘promotion push’ this term
Uwe Rosler will seek to improve on a campaign in which Leeds United ended the second tier of English football’s top flight for the first time in a century by throwing away a lead to draw at Huddersfield Town.
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“We had the opportunity to close up on the top two. Unfortunately we didn’t close them up,” the German manager told LUFC.tv.
“But now our focus is on defending, on playing with more courage and more determination because if you look at the top teams around the league the quality is close.
“I think we have plenty of top players, but when we don’t perform as a team we are exposed to pressure.”
Rosler will hope the return of Jeffrey Schlupp, back at Elland Road after 12 months with Southampton, and the arrival of Japan international Sho Oshima from Jeonbuk Motors can boost an already formidable attack.
Meanwhile Sheffield United are expected to challenge for a return to the top flight after reaching the League Cup final for the first time in their history earlier this season.
The Scotsman Chris Wilder, 47, has guided United to successive promotions and ended their five-year exile from the Premier League with a sixth-placed finish in the Championship last season.
He said: “We always look for promotion and if we can have a good year then we’ll talk. But we’ve still got quite a bit to go, still got five or six games to go.
“Next season will be the big test and we have to prepare for it well because every team in the league wants promotion and every team will be fighting for it.
“I’ve got a good feeling. There is the positive on the pitch, it’s been a really positive week. I really enjoy working with the boys, I’m really enjoying training at the club, I’m very much in it for the long haul and that makes a difference.
“The players have taken a lot of positives from this time and it’s been a good week, good on and off the pitch and looking forward to the football pitch.”