Leeds United have taken a big step towards proving that they belong in the Premier League with results against Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively, last week.
Daniel Farke has emerged stronger from a run of games, which was expected to end in his sacking as Leeds manager. His team have moved up to 16th in the league table.
The 3-1 win over Chelsea ended their run of four straight league defeats last week, and the 3-3 draw against Liverpool showed that the team can hang with some of the best in the league.
However, Leeds are only just two points above the relegation zone, and Gary Neville has warned the team that they are far from securing safety in the Premier League yet.
‘You have not done anything yet’ – Gary Neville warns Leeds United
The former Manchester United defender said that the draw against Liverpool was a big moment for Leeds. Farke’s men have given themselves a chance to survive in the Premier League this season.
However, he stressed that Leeds cannot get complacent and insisted that they have not done anything yet to suggest that they are definitely staying in the top flight.
He did point out that Leeds have shown that they can definitely compete against the top sides in the Premier League this season.
“It puts them in with a real shout of staying in this league; it’s that big a moment”, Neville said on Sky Sports.
“Long way to go, can’t get carried away, you have not done anything yet.
“But you have proven that you can live with three of the top sides in the league and beat them up and play football with them.”
Fark must demand consistency
Neville is right about Leeds not being safe yet. They are still just above the relegation zone, and very much in the fight to survive in the Premier League.
Farke has found a system that suits his forward options, and the team are looking more of a threat in attack in the new 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation.
| Stat | 4-3-3 | 3-5-2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 1,035 | 135 | 1,170 |
| Goals scored | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| Minutes per goal | 94.09 | 27.00 | 73.13 |
However, teams are going to work them out soon, so the Leeds manager must demand more consistency from his team in the next few weeks.
Leeds are out of the doldrums, but they are still on choppy waters. They have away trips against Brentford, Sunderland and Liverpool in the coming weeks and will host Palace and Manchester United.
They are going to suffer more defeats, but Farke cannot afford his team to go on another run where they end up losing six out of seven games.
The last week has restored confidence within Leeds. However, the next few weeks are going to show whether the team can sustain a good run of form.
