Reid eager for Leeds to enjoy profitable run

Ian Parkes
Wednesday 24 September 2003 00:00 BST
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Peter Reid, the Leeds United manager, will be driven by pride rather than money in his club's Carling Cup campaign this season.

In May, with Leeds further financially handicapped by considerable compensation pay-outs to their former managers David O'Leary and Terry Venables, Reid signed a one-year rolling contract with a large amount of his pay dependent on the team's success, but he says that is not his main motivation.

Today Reid puts his side up against one guided by one of his best friends in football, Andy King, when Leeds take on Swindon Town at Elland Road.

Asked whether the board wanted a decent run in the competition in order to bank the financial rewards, Reid joked: "I think the manager wants a few quid as well! But money doesn't cover it. When I won the FA Cup in 1984 [with Everton], I think we picked up about three bob, so the incentive has always been to win cups and medals.

"We all like money but when you are involved in professional sport you've pride and you want your team to win things. The rewards that come with it financially are great, but the most important thing is winning a pot or a medal - without a doubt.

"They don't pay the mortgages, but they're the things in football you treasure and I've still got fantastic memories of winning medals. It's also a competition that gets you into Europe, so the incentives for us as a football club are fantastic."

For Reid, it is also about rebuilding confidence in the wake of the 4-0 humiliation at Leicester last Monday and the 2-0 defeat at home to Birmingham on Saturday, when refereeing decisions seemed to go against Leeds.

"We want a run at it and we want to try and win it," Reid said. "We've lost our last two games, so to get through to the next round would instil confidence, make the training ground a happier place and help us get into a winning habit. Except for the Leicester game, the players have done really well and if we keep playing as we have been, then I'm sure we will get the breaks our play deserves."

Reid intends to give the midfielder David Batty his first start since April 2002, while the on-loan striker Cyril Chapuis will be given his debut in place of the rested Mark Viduka.

Another of Reid's loan signings in Jermaine Pennant is unavailable as Arsenal do not want him cup tied, so Lamine Sakho is likely to switch to the right wing, with Jason Wilcox given his first run-out for a month on the left.

Reid will stand by Roque Junior, even though his Brazilian World Cup-winning defender was overrun during the Leicester defeat and was sent off for two bookable fouls during the defeat by Birmingham. Reid said after Saturday's loss: "Even though he was a little bit unlucky, getting sent off for two bookings - and the referee has made his decisions - I thought Roque was fantastic."

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