Leeds United will travel to Premier League rivals Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
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Leeds United have been warned new managerial appointments at two relegation rivals could see them sucked further into the battle to avoid the drop.
The Whites are sitting six points clear of the bottom three ahead of Saturday’s visit to Aston Villa after losing just two of their previous 13 league games and appear to be well positioned to preserve their top flight status between now and the end of the season. Although there was speculation over the future of manager Daniel Farke earlier in the campaign, the former Norwich City boss has produced a remarkable turnaround in fortunes over the last two and a half months and there is confidence over what lies ahead.
However, a number of relegation rivals have opted to make a change in the dugout and two new arrivals have been confirmed in recent weeks as Nottingham Forest opted to replace Sean Dyche with Vitor Pereira and Tottenham Hotspur opted to part ways with Thomas Frank before naming Igor Tudor as his successor on an interim basis.
A key weekend lies in wait as Tudor makes his Spurs bow in a North London derby clash with current league leaders Arsenal and former England defender Jamie Carragher believes the new arrivals should act as a warning to Leeds and Brighton as the relegation battle approaches its final months.
Hindrance
Writing in his Telegraph column, the Liverpool legend said: “The managerial change was necessary and gives Spurs a better chance of staying up because, at the very least, the mood in and around the club will improve. Arsenal’s visit could be more help than hindrance for Tudor in one aspect. It may be the most difficult of fixtures, but it can also be the most unifying. Such was the clamour for a new coach, the Spurs fans are relieved Frank is gone and the desperation for points is allied with trying to stop Arsenal winning the title and pray on the fears of their fans following the Wolves result.
“The supporters will recognise that the time for a thorough overview of how and why it has come to this is best delayed until the summer. They need to make their stadium intimidating for opponents rather than their own players for the next three months. Spurs must save themselves rather than rely on the failings of others, as they did a year ago. Leeds United and Brighton might yet get dragged further into the fight, but West Ham and Nottingham Forest are now under the management of two coaches who have survived Premier League relegation scraps before, Nuno saving Forest two years ago, and Vítor Pereira keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers up in 2025.”