Adam Forshaw on why Leeds United must trust the process under Marcelo Bielsa

The 28-year-old midfielder has had to watch on from the sidelines in recent weeks having suffered a hip injury in late September which has kept him in the treatment room much to the frustrations of United’s support.

Leeds sit third in the table after 14 league outings following last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday having picked up seven wins, four draws and three defeats.

United were one of the favourites for promotion this summer having come so close to returning to the Premier League last season following a 15-year exile from the top flight.

Forshaw, though, admits he has seen enough to suggest that Leeds have what it takes to mount another serious push for the top two under the Argentine’s guidance once again.

“We don’t set up any differently,” Forshaw told the Talking Shutt podcast.

“One thing that is a fact is that we concede less chances. I’m a big believer, and if I was to go on to be a manager I would believe that if the performances are there you will only get away with playing badly for so long.

“We perform well on the whole. We probably didn’t play very well against Barnsley but won the game. We’ve deserved a lot more points that we’ve actually got.

“The law of averages in the amount of chances we create, we’re still creating just as many as last season but conceding less chances.

“I’m a firm believer that eventually you will get what you deserve in that respect. You can’t continue to batter teams and it not come to fruition.

“I’m really confident. I do believe we are a heavyweight in the league this season, whereas last season we were maybe riding the wave a little bit.”

Asked whether it would be the perfect time to string a few results together at Elland Road with Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers up next, he said: “Now is a chance for two or three teams at the moment to put a run together. We put one together at a similar time last year.

“If we were to do it now I think it’s a perfect time and it sets a perfect marker out to other clubs.

“If anyone wants to keep up with you it’s now because nobody is clawing away.

“There are probably a lot of frustrated teams thinking they’ve got a real chance.”

Leeds saw their promotion hopes ended last term by Derby County in May as Bielsa’s outfit fell to defeat in painful fashion in LS11.

Frank Lampard’s side struck four times in West Yorkshire – which was mixed in with a Gaetano Berardi red card – to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory and securea spot at Wembley in the play-off final against Aston Villa.

The Rams went on to lose to Dean Smith’s side in the capital but Forshaw, who missed the second leg through injury, admits it was a tough result to take for himself and his team-mates.

“I was a little bit numb to it,” he added.

“At the time I wasn’t very heartbroken. It was just a bit like ‘wow, what has just happened there’.

“It was just mad. Looking back a couple of weeks into my holidays I was thinking we’ve missed a great opportunity.

“But then, in another few weeks, you’re back in training and ready to go again.

“You just have to put it behind you.

“We’ve started the season solid and obviously there’s areas to improve in but I feel like we’re a real heavyweight this season and we have a real shot.”