‘What the heck?’ - Jeff Stelling voices concern over worrying trend from ‘self-destructing’ Leeds United

Sky Sports host Jeff Stelling has argued that Leeds United’s recent disciplinary missteps have bordered on “self-destructive” for Jesse Marsch’s relegation-threatened side.

The Whites head into Sunday’s must-win clash against Brighton off the back of three successive defeats against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, and start the game at Elland Road languishing in the bottom three.

Matters have also been made harder, however, by a couple of untimely suspensions after consecutive red cards for Luke Ayling and Dan James in their last two outings.

Ayling was dismissed for a rash challenge on Gabriel Martinelli against Arsenal, while James was given his marching orders following a similarly robust tackle on Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic.

And with both now sidelined, Stelling has accused the Whites of inadvertently hampering their own survival cause.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, he said: “Jesse Marsch, well apparently he quotes JFK, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa to his players before games, but I don’t think Mother Teresa ever said, ‘Go out and scissor tackle him, my son’ - not in my knowledge, anyway.

“So what the heck is going through Luke Ayling’s mind? And other players as well. They are self-destructing, aren’t they?”

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson echoed the host’s sentiments, responding: “You’ve got to keep calmness around you. When all this panic is going on, you’ve got to be calm.

“The Ayling one, where is Martinelli going? I can’t believe what he was doing. He deserved to get red-carded. It’s an absolute joke.

“Then the other kid a couple of days later, James. He hasn’t got a tackle in him and then he goes and tries to snap someone’s career in half. I don’t buy it.”