Charlie Cresswell sends brave Leeds United rallying call

Charlie Cresswell has called on his teammates to be brave amid the weight of expectation surrounding the club in the Championship, speaking on the Official Leeds United Podcast.

The Leeds defender who recently signed a new deal with the club, revealed that playing for and wanting to succeed at his boyhood club brings an element of pressure and expectation, which the players will need to harness this season.

The Whites kick off their Championship season on Sunday 06 August against Cardiff as they look to get things underway with a bang at Elland Road.

Cresswell revealed when speaking to the Official Leeds United Podcast: “I think playing for Leeds United, it brings a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure. But I think if you want to play and succeed for the club, you can’t hide from that.

“I think you have to bring it to the forefront and sit with it, and that will allow you to progress and succeed as you want. If you hide it and push it to one side, it can come back and bite you in the bum.

“Not just me, but the team this season need to be brave and understand there is going to be expectation. We need to choose bravery and courage to achieve what we want.”

Daniel Farke must ease expectations

Expectations are predictably through the roof at Leeds United, following their relegation from the Premier League, with the majority of fans and pundits predicting an immediate bounce back into the top division, an expectation that can weigh heavily on the shoulders of his squad.

As much as Cresswell’s comments are brilliant, in that he feels he will be able to manage the demands on him and use them to improve, this will not necessarily be the case for the entire squad, so it falls on Farke to ease the pressure.

The center-back’s comments show exactly the type of player he is. Highly determined, ambitious, and measured, he’s continuing to prove Leeds right with the new contract granted to him in the lead-up to the new Championship season.

These comments come shortly after Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson admitted Leeds have a target on their backs this season, as they are a scalp that every team in the Championship will be looking to claim to get their season moving.

In other Leeds United news, another attacker is wanted by Premier League new boys this season.