MY ACCOUNT
Jesse Marsch insists struggling Leeds will go all out for a win against Cardiff tonight.
The Whites battled back from two goals down earlier this month to take their FA Cup third-round tie with the Championship outfit to a replay.
And Marsch, who could arguably do without the distraction of a cup competition at a time when his side are just two points clear of the Premier League drop zone, has promised the Elland Road faithful his players are up for the challenge.
He said: “We’re absolutely going out to win the match. We need to go match by match now in the league and the FA Cup.
“It won’t be easy but we’re at home. For me, we need to get another complete performance, we need conviction, we need a win.”
Cardiff finished the first game with 10 men after Joel Bagan was given his marching orders in the 80th minute.
The hosts were leading 2-1 when he was red-carded but a last-gasp Sonny Perkins goal in stoppage time saved Marsch’s men from an embarrassing early exit.
And the American, 49, expects the managerless Bluebirds to field a stronger side for this evening’s encounter.
He added: “We dug ourselves a hole in that match. But by many standards, in the second half, we were absolutely dominant.
“I think we’ll see a stronger side. They played a lot of reserve players [in the first match], so I think we will see more of the team that they played against Wigan at the weekend.
“But I think where we are in this tournament, we can have hope to handle our business.”
With Mark Hudson relieved of his duties in the wake of Cardiff’s 1-1 draw with the Latics last Sunday, Dean Whitehead has been placed in charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis.
And the former Sunderland and Stoke midfielder is confident his side will cope with the intense atmosphere that awaits in Yorkshire.
Whitehead, 41, said: “The boys are ready. Everybody is fit and we’re looking forward to it. It’s a good game for us.
“The atmosphere is going to be really good and we’ve got to put in a performance for our travelling supporters.
“It’s an amazing amount of people who are going to come and support us on a Wednesday night away in Leeds. We have to wear the shirt with pride.”
Watch the game LIVE
Leeds vs Cardiff kicks off at 7.45pm and viewers can follow the action live on ITV4 and ITVX.
The winners of tonight’s clash will face Accrington Stanley or Boreham Wood in the FA Cup fourth round.
