Leeds United only managed to finish in seventh place last season.
Thomas Christiansen has told the Yorkshire Evening Post that Garry Monk’s failure to get Leeds United into the play offs last season could help him.
Christiansen was announced as Leeds manager last week, in what was a shock appointment by the Yorkshire side.
The 44-year-old will be under immediate pressure to start well at Leeds, following the Whites’ productive campaign last time out.
Leeds finished in seventh place in the Championship during the 2016/17 campaign, and threatened the promotion spaces for much of the season.
The Whites were in the play off places for the bulk of the campaign, but dropped out after a terrible run of form at the end of the season.
And Christiansen believes that Leeds’ failure to hold on to their place in the top six could actually aid him in the long-run.
“In APOEL we won the league we made a historic season in Europe. It was difficult to make something better,” Christiansen said.
“It’s not impossible but the new coach who comes there will have more difficulties than in my situation. Because we (Leeds) didn’t come to the play-offs, that gives me the possibility to at least join the play-offs this season.
“Last year, they finished seventh and we are hoping to do better.”
Christiansen has never managed outside of Cyprus before, and very little is known about him in English football.
Christiansen held his first press conference at Leeds yesterday, where he promised to be tactically flexible at Elland Road.
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