Leeds United official addresses Elland Road exit rumours, admits Whites in precarious position

Writing in his programme notes for today's relegation battle against Norwich City, Kinnear hit back at suggestions he will leave the club at the end of the season.

"I wanted to clarify, internet rumours of my imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated," said the chief executive.

"Whilst I appreciate this won't be welcomed in all quarters, I am pretty certain that Leeds United wasn't built by people who gave up at the first moment the going got tough."

Kinnear, who arrived at Leeds from West Ham in 2017 having spent a decade at Arsenal, says everyone at the club is acutely aware of how close they are to the Premier League drop zone.

Ahead of the Canaries clash, Leeds have lost six in a row and take an eight-game winless streak into this afternoon's match. New head coach Jesse Marsch has lost both of his opening games in charge, a 1-0 loss at Leicester City and a 3-0 beating by Aston Villa.

"Nobody at the club is in any doubt over the precarious nature of the predicament we are currently in, but equally, nobody has lost faith in the ability of our squad to get us out of it," he said.

"The performance at the King Power, where we had supremacy in every key performance metric, bar the one that matters, illustrated that the team have quickly developed the understanding of the tactical adjustments Jesse requires and the skill to execute them. However, if the Leicester City game was a step forward, there is no hiding from the fact that Thursday night's performance was a step back. Having today's game only three days later would not normally be considered ideal, but I know the team are keen to quickly bounce back and prove to the superb supporters that they still have the fight, ambition and courage to return to winning ways and spark the run that will take us to safety.

"Welcoming Patrick [Bamford] back to the fray and seeing Liam [Cooper] and Kalvin [Phillips] back on the grass and itching ro return, bodes well for the run in and should be decisive in our favour."

Kinnear added that the team has not at any stage this season needed Elland Road's backing more than they do today.