Add as preferred source on Google

Micah Richards has explained that pre-season he couldn’t see Leeds United being relegated from the Premier League year, which is a prediction that he’s confidently still standing by.

The Whites are back in the top-flight after flying to Championship promotion last season and they’ve had a frantic start back in the Premier League.

There has been 32 goals in the nine games they’ve been involved in so far, with their defence looking vulnerable at times but their attacking play looking scintillating.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have 11 points on the board from their opening nine league games ahead of their trip to Everton on Saturday evening and already have a seven-point cushion over the relegation spots.

Richards is confident based off Leeds’ start to the season that they will avoid an instant return to the Championship.

“Leeds is a city known for football and the area has a team to be proud of once again. You cannot underestimate the importance of that during what has been a difficult year,” Richards told the Daily Mail.

“I said before the start of the season Bielsa would keep them up. Everything I have seen since has justified my confidence.”

TBR’s View:

It’s nearly a quarter of the way through the season and there is still so much football to be played, but it’s nice for Leeds to have a nice cushion over the bottom three already and ultimately the goal this season has to be Premier League survival.

There is so much potential at Elland Road for the Yorkshire club to establish themselves back in the top-flight and they need a year under their belt to help them build.

Leeds have shown they can go toe to toe with some of the division’s top teams and play an eye-catching brand of football, but they do need to look at tightening up their defence if they can.