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Danny Mills warns Leeds fans to be realistic about European football ambitions
Danny Mills has urged Leeds United fans to be realistic about their dreams of seeing the side secure European football next season.
The Elland Road outfit returned to the Premier League last season after 16 years out, finishing the campaign in ninth place and impressing everyone.
A top-seven finish will secure Leeds a place in one of the continental club competitions, but Mills believes a mid-table finish is the best fans should hope for.
“You’ve got to be realistic. Leeds spent 16 years outside the Premier League and last season should realistically been about survival and consolidation,” the former Whites right-back told the Sunday Mirror.
“They outperformed all expectations and finishing anywhere between eighth and 14th this season would be unbelievable. The secret is not to get carried away. There will be fans inside Elland Road this season who have never seen Leeds in the Premier League.
“People are talking about Leeds getting back into Europe, but it’s been 18 years they were last there. After another couple of mid-table finishes, they can start to be re-established in the Premier League and look to reach the next level.”
Doesn’t hurt to dream
Tottenham Hotspur pipped Leeds to seventh place by just three points last season, and nobody can blame us for dreaming of performing better this season.
Only eight points separated Marcelo Bielsa’s men from the top-four at the end of the campaign, and had we bagged three more victories, it would have been a different story.
Missing Kalvin Phillips in nine Premier League games due to injuries resulted in seven defeats, and things could have been different if we had a capable cover for the England international.
We have signed a new left-back, but a central midfielder and winger could be added to the ranks before the summer transfer window shuts.
Should Leeds manage to get those two signings across the line, then nothing should stop us from finishing in the top-eight.
Bielsa and his players would definitely want to do better than they did last season, and that should be the standard.
We clearly have everything it takes to play in Europe, and the fans deserve it.
It is easier said than done, though, and we need to be more consistent on the field of play and get the desired results to have a chance of finishing in the European zone.
In other Leeds news, Jermaine Beckford shares surprise at Whites summer transfer business.