Neil Redfearn offers encouraging assessment of Leeds’ chances against Middlesbrough

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Leeds United face Middlesbrough at Elland Road with the Whites looking to turn round their poor form in the Championship.

Neil Redfearn has told Radio Yorkshire that Leeds have a good chance of beating Middlesbrough on Sunday if they start quickly and get the fans behind them at Elland Road.

Thomas Christiansen’s men return to Championship action following the international break looking to bounce back from their poor form heading into the break, having lost seven of their previous eight games in all competitions.

But they face a Boro side that have won their last three to move into the play-off places that Leeds had previously occupied for much of the campaign, and of course, the game sees Garry Monk make his first return to Elland Road since his controversial departure in the summer.

But Redfearn believes that Leeds have the potential to turn the form book on its head, as long as they start quickly against Monk’s men.

“I think it’ll be quite a close game, I think it’ll be a good football game because I think both managers like to play football,” he told Radio Yorkshire.

“And I think that if Leeds get the rub of the green and start well – it’s important that they start well – and get the crowd behind them then I think that it’s a game that Leeds can win.”

While Monk’s return will grab many of the headlines, Christiansen will surely be telling his players – certainly the ones who were at the club last season – to ignore that sub-plot and instead concentrate on the fact that a win will take them level on points with Boro and will put them right back into the play-off mix.

Defeat will certainly not end Leeds’ top six hopes of course, but the gap to the top six getting bigger and the Whites potentially dropping down to 15th will be a major blow, especially as the break provides the perfect time to wipe the slate clean.