Man Utd legend's 3-word mantra for Premier League survival as Leeds United sent stark warning

Leeds United must be ‘harder to beat’ than the Premier League’s current bottom three if they are to stand any chance of survival, according to former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane.

Questions have been raised over the growing gap between the Championship and Premier League, with all three newly-promoted teams set to go straight back down for a second consecutive year. Leeds’ play-off final opponents Southampton have already been relegated and could end up finishing with a record-low points tally, while Leicester and Ipswich Town’s fate will almost certainly be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Leeds haven’t yet been promoted but a five-point gap to third with four games remaining has them well-placed to do so, with a maximum of two wins and a draw enough to virtually wrap it up. But that would only be the start of a longer, tougher journey and the challenge of survival has once again been laid bare as those who bettered the Whites last season limp to relegation.

“For the second season in a row, the three promoted teams will be relegated,” Gary Neville told The Overlap. “Should we be worried? There’s a football question, but there is also the financial disparity of what’s basically happening between the Championship and the Premier League. We’ve talked about it for years.”

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Leeds will be financially backed this summer if promoted, with 49ers Enterprises keen to avoid the mistakes of previous owners, but the simple fact is they have not been earning Premier League revenue while 17 of their 19 possible top-flight rivals have. Their squad will also enter the summer window as one of the weakest and therefore in need of the most work.

Roy Keane tells Leeds United how to avoid Premier League relegation

It leaves Daniel Farke already fighting an uphill battle but former Manchester United captain Keane, who has also managed towards the bottom of the division, gave a word of advice to those coming up. He warned against newly-promoted sides looking to maintain their dominant style of play against superior opposition, with defensive solidity the key.

“It’s not the fact they’ve gone [just] down with such low points - look at victories, goals for, goals against. Same last year,” Keane added. “These teams are down with how many games to go? Southampton are down. The teams that come up have to make a better effort.

“I know, of course, it’s going to be hard to stay up. I was there with Sunderland — of course, it’s going to be hard. I think a lot of them are overplaying. Southampton, certainly, at the start of the season were caught out. You can be harder to beat! Be harder to beat!”

Leeds haven’t yet secured their return to the Premier League but have just four games to avoid losing six points on Sheffield United, who are five points behind with a significantly inferior goal difference. The Blades also still have to travel to second-placed Burnley who have lost just two games all season.

Farke’s side kick off their final four-game push at Oxford United this Friday before Stoke City’s Easter Monday visit to Elland Road. Bristol City arrive in West Yorkshire the following weekend with Leeds’ final-day fixture at rock-bottom Plymouth Argyle.

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