Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, has discussed Leeds United’s Premier League survival and its implications. Leeds United travel to Spurs with their Premier League safety already confirmed.
Neville’s View on Leeds United’s Safety
Neville said that if Tottenham beat Leeds, it would be too much for West Ham. He stated he would be happy that two different clubs are going down this year and that Leeds and Sunderland are going to stay up, breaking the rot of the same teams being relegated. Now that the main objective is ticked off, Leeds have the chance to end the season extending the unbeaten run. Should Leeds climb the table, bonus payments are in line for the squad.
However, Neville believes there’s potential for a subconscious drop in performance that comes with relief at surviving relegation.
Potential Impact on Performance
Neville considered how Leeds might approach their game against Spurs, now that they are mathematically safe from relegation. He said that Leeds might be free as a bird and play beautifully, recalling their strong performance at Old Trafford under pressure. But he also questioned whether the players might relax, now that the pressure is off.
“I’m not accusing the Leeds players of stepping off it, but those things naturally do happen,” Neville noted.
West Ham’s Fate
West Ham United’s Premier League status, according to Neville, is in the hands of a Leeds United team that is now safe. He pointed out that the edge might no longer be there for Leeds, and the challenge is now to maintain the same level of performance they showed under pressure.
Leeds’ Incentive to Keep Pushing
A 3-0 win for Leeds would move them up to 13th. There’s clear incentive for the squad to keep the foot on the gas to potentially raise the bonus payments due. Leeds have the chance to end the season extending the unbeaten run.
Farke doesn’t strike me as the manager that would let his players drop their standards, even though there’ll be huge relief.