'Show some heart' - Leeds United Supporters Trust message to players ahead of Aston Villa and Norwich

Show us some heart and we'll get behind you.

That's the message that Leeds United fans have for their team ahead of a double-header of crunch Premier League clashes at Elland Road this week.

The Whites will host Aston Villa and Norwich City within four days of each other as, with the end of the season in sight, the fight for survival dials up a notch.

With eleven matches remaining, Leeds must turn around their form - having taken just one point from the last available 21 - if they are to entertain any hopes of retaining their top-flight status.

Home games against Villa, who United claimed a point from just four weeks ago, and the Canaries, who are bottom of the table and winless in six, have been earmarked as strong opportunities to pick up the points needed to pull clear of the dreaded relegation zone.

Graham Hyde, vice chair of the Leeds United Supporters Trust, is gearing up for a huge midweek fixture in LS11.

“I'm excited to see what has changed, and what will change," Hyde said.

“I'm excited to see what we can do to move towards getting the points we need - I think 10 points in the rest of the season is all we need to stay up, given the landscape.

“If we can get a point against Villa or beat Villa, it puts us in a really strong position. I think if we then manage to secure a victory against Norwich, we are really starting to sort of make a difference to how our future looks."

On Thursday, the Elland Road faithful will get their first glimpse of new head coach Jesse Marsch and witness first-hand how the American is shaping the team to avoid the drop.

"Across the board, supporters have accepted that a line has to be drawn, that we have to get behind Jesse Marsch," Hyde said.

"He's helped his cause no end by being a nice bloke. He's intelligent, he talks well, and he's been respectful of the legacy and the desire of fans to mark Bielsa.

"People have had to say, well, we don't really know that much about him, so let's see what he's about.

"Let's get behind him. Let's get behind the team."

At his pre-Villa press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Marsch called on the people of Leeds - 'we need them' - to help give his side the necessary momentum to achieve their aim of staying in the Premier League.

But just as the crowd will affect the players, the atmosphere at Elland Road will respond to what happens on the pitch this week.

“I think it will depend on how the players come out on Thursday night," Hyde said.

“If they come out battling, playing like they mean it, then I think the crowd will very much be behind it and be that twelfth man.

"We get any kind of result against Villa and I think that will really lift the place for Sunday.

"If we get nothing against Villa, then we are looking at the possibility that we might be edging closer to the bottom three - if not already in it - on Sunday, and the nerves will be there.

"So Thursday night will set the tone - I think it'll be a good atmosphere, I think it'll be lively, particularly if the players come out and show some heart."

With few games left to turn around their fortunes, the scale of the occasion will not be lost on Marsch's players - but that's no bad thing, Hyde says.

“I always say that before you start anything that's important, a good bit of nerves is healthy, because it keeps you sharp and keeps you focused on getting it right," Hyde said.

“Hopefully the players will go out there on Thursday night with just a little bit of nerves - that nice little bit of edge so that they focus on what needs to get done.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.