Here are your Leeds United evening headlines for Monday, January 18.
Andy Cole makes relegation claim
Andy Cole believes that Leeds will not get relegated from the Premier League, despite a recent run of three successive defeats in all competitions.
Marcelo Bielsa's side were outplayed by Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend. It has been a poor start to 2021, with some suggesting that the Whites could yet be pulled into a relegation battle. Cole, however, admitted that while Leeds are inconsistent, they will not go down.
"Inconsistent, but in saying that, I am not surprised they are inconsistent," he told talkSPORT. "This is their first time back in the Premier League for some time. I genuinely do believe Leeds will be okay."
Leeds currently sit in 12th position, 11 points clear of the relegation zone, though Fulham have a game in hand.
Ally McCoist defends Bielsa
Ally McCoist has defended the high-intensity approach of Leeds and manager Bielsa following the Brighton defeat.
Amid suggestions that Leeds have grown tired and that Bielsa must amend his approach, McCoist says that Leeds will continue as they have done as that is their style.
"No, I don't think they are tired. That's the way Leeds play their game and it's the way it's going to be," McCoist told talkSPORT. "It would not surprise me if Leeds went out and won their next couple of games 4-2, 5-3 and then lost 3-0. I just think that's Leeds.
"And that result at the weekend wasn't a surprise for me. Brighton's form in terms of the way they have been playing has been okay. Clearly, they are in an area of the league which Graham Potter wouldn't want them to be in. Brighton's performances have been better than their results.
"But getting back to Leeds, I genuinely think they will be okay. I just think they will continue in the fashion that they are. They'll entertain, win games and leave you bewildered sometimes at their defending when they just empty spaces in the middle of the park, but I just think that's them."
Llorente scores on under-23 return
Diego Llorente made a goalscoring return to action for the under-23s against Stoke City on Monday afternoon.
Llorente was making his first appearance since his first-team debut against Chelsea on December 5.
Due to suffering a groin injury while on international duty with Spain, that is his only outing for Leeds since his £18million transfer in the summer and Bielsa said that they will be cautious with him upon his second return to the first-team set-up.
In an encouraging display, Llorente scored in 28th minute, heading in Kalvin Phillips' cross at the back post. He played 45 minutes of the 1-0 win.
Bielsa has muddled through at centre-back in the Spaniard's absence, with Phillips and Luke Ayling both moonlighting at the position at times.
