Derby County face Leeds United in the second leg of the playoffs on Wednesday.
Derby County midfielder Bradley Johnson has admitted that he will be telling his teammates how the Leeds United crowd may turn if his side can put pressure on the hosts, the club’s official website report.
“We are going to go there, we have experience in our team and a few young lads, I’ll be telling them what it is like to play in front of the Elland Road crowd,” Johnson told dcfc.co.uk.
“If we go there on the front foot and put our stamp on the game, then the fans might turn and that’s something we would hope to do.
“Like us, they are a good footballing side. We have got to go there and out-battle them and out-play them and hopefully get the win.”
Derby head to Elland Road looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg at Pride Park.
The Rams are up against it. Leeds finished three places above them in the Championship table, and the Whites have racked up three wins from three against Frank Lampard’s side this season.
Bradley Johnson joined Leeds in 2008 and spent three-and-a-half seasons at the Yorkshire club. He made over 100 league appearances for the Whites, helping them to promotion from League One to the Championship before leaving to join Norwich City in 2011.
The 32-year-old midfielder knows all about the Elland Road crowd, and he will be hoping Derby can quickly put Leeds on the back-foot prompting anxiety among the demanding home support.
The pressure will be on Marcelo Bielsa’s side to reach Wembley. They have the tools to overcome the Rams, but they must hold their nerve as the visitors will arrive at Elland Road with an attitude of having nothing to lose.
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