Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom says that this weekend's Championship meeting with Bristol City is not a must win game for the Whites.
Heckingbottom suffered defeat in his first game in charge of the Whites last weekend, at Sheffield United, and the club's hopes of surging into the top six in the Championship, set as a minimum target by owner Andrea Radrizzani, are hanging by a thread.
Heckingbottom concedes that realistically Leeds could do with beating the Robins at Elland Road on Sunday.
However, he told a press conference that the game "is not a must win".
Heckingbottom continued: "My job is to improve results.
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"It would be really nice to put things in place to help the club go forward.
"The players have responded well, but we will keep pushing and pushing."
The new Leeds head coach also placed the emphasis firmly on creating a team that works well together, rather than simply focusing on the highest performing individuals.
"The manager will always pick the most successful team – not the most successful players.
"I want to reward hard work and good performances", he added.
Leeds currently sit in eleventh spot in the Championship standings and eight points behind the playoff spots, with Bristol City occupying the sixth and final playoff place.
