Rio Ferdinand highlights Leeds United 'risk' and makes Whites prediction in 'relegation battle'

Leeds looked on course to kick away from the bottom three when following the new year 3-1 victory at home to Burnley with an impressive 3-2 success at West Ham United that left Bielsa's side nine points clear of the drop zone.

United, though, then suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Newcastle United and had to settle for taking a solitary point from Wednesday night's clash at Aston Villa which ended in a 3-3 draw after plenty of attacking endeavour.

The result left Leeds six points clear of the drop zone but Ferdinand believes every side up to 14th-placed Brentford is involved in the race to stay up.

Ferdinand, though, expects the Elland Road outfit to survive, due mainly to their threat to opposing defences in the final third.

Asked on BT Sport if Leeds were in a relegation battle, Ferdinand mused: "Yes, up to Brentford I think.

"I think up to Brentford they are.

"I don't think Leeds will go down, I'm not sitting here saying that.

"But they are in the mix right there, that table doesn't lie.

"They have got to get results.

"I believe they have got enough to get out of this because they will score enough goals I think in that sense and they are a threat.

"But it's dangerous and you have just got to start putting points on the board.

"I always say this, at this stage of the season, the home run, you have got to get momentum and they have got to get that soon."

Praising United's efforts at Villa, Ferdinand reasoned: "They don't give you time on the ball.

"The work ethic and the work rate getting into people, winning their duels, you can talk about that and you can see that.

"But once they win it, it's the bodies that they get forward.

"They flood people forward.

"We saw with the first goal they got, they got five players at the top of the pitch pushing the opposition back and that's credit to Bielsa and the way he plays.

"They do come unstuck sometimes and get punished at times because it's risky football.

"But when it works for them it looks brilliant."

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