Meltdowns and overreaction come hand in hand with Leeds United defeats, but Stuart Dallas has called for a reality check among those who have lost their heads.
Top of table and five consecutive wins without conceding going into Sunday at Cardiff City, but so swiftly forgotten after two United errors in a 2-0 defeat they dominated large periods of.
Even now, United’s unbeaten stint may be over and they may be second, but it is on goal difference and they still remain seven points clear of third, but with one less game to play.
Dallas appreciates when you play for the Whites you are rarely more than one defeat away from a crisis, but reminds fans how well placed the club still is, despite the Cardiff blip.
“You’ve got to [brush off the overreactions],” he said. “I don’t think you can read too much into it. Of course there’s disappointment there.
“We know the standards we set ourselves and when a defeat comes it annoys us, as a group of players.
“The media will always overreact, the public will always, again we come back to that ‘we’re Leeds United and one bad result people have a meltdown’.
“We’re seven points clear of third place. We’re joint top on goal difference or whatever it is, it’s as if the world’s falling apart.
“It’s not. This is a challenge and we’ve got to embrace it. Of course there’s pressure, we represent a lot of people at this football club.
“That’s part and parcel of playing with the club. There’s expectations and there is a lot of weight on our shoulders, of course there is, but it’s something we have to embrace.
“We’ve got to enjoy it. There’s no bigger incentive than getting promoted to the Premier League and we’ve just got to enjoy the ride.
“It’s going to be a good last eight games.”
Dallas is among the longest-serving, and most experienced, of the current United crop, one of the wiser heads if things get too high or too low in the dressing room.
The Northern Ireland international said the message came from the team’s leaders as soon as the flight out of Wales.
With eight matches in 26 days, there is no time to dwell.
“It started straight away on Sunday when we were on the flight back,” he said. “We were disappointed with the result, yes, but we’ve got a lot of character in our team.
“That’s one thing about us and we can’t dwell. The games are coming thick and fast. As players, we know what’s ahead of us.
“We’re in an unbelievable position and I would rather be in our position than chasing a team seven points ahead of us.”
