Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen has claimed that he has the full backing of owner Andrea Radrizzani and director of football Victor Orta.
The under-pressure United boss has overseen a damaging run of six defeats from seven matches that has seen his team slip from first to sixth in the Championship table and just three points above 14th place.
But Christiansen revealed at his weekly media briefing on Friday that he has spoken to Radrizzani and Orta following Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Derby County and “feels he has their full confidence”, as quoted by the personal Twitter account of Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent Phil Hay.
Christiansen said: “It’s a project we all believe in. It doesn’t have to work in a few weeks or months. They are satisfied.”
Christiansen says he has spoken to Radrizzani and Orta and feels he has their full confidence. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) November 3, 2017
TC: “It’s a project we all believe in. It doesn’t have to work in a few weeks or months. They are satisfied.”
— Phil Hay (@PhilHayYEP) November 3, 2017
Questions are beginning to be asked of Christiansen and there were some knee-jerk reactions from disappointed supporters in the immediate wake of Tuesday’s defeat.
Radrizzani showed his full support on social media for Christiansen and the Leeds staff after the fifth league defeat in six matches as he strongly suggested that the manager’s job is safe.
Calling for supporters to keep the faith, the Italian businessman explained that United are “building a solid project” and that “I believe in my team”.
You can all watch the footage and make your judgement. It s time to support even more. We are building a solid project I believe in my team
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) October 31, 2017
OPINION
Were Massimo Cellino still at the helm, Christiansen would not only be nervously looking over his shoulder, he would probably already be collecting his P45. Thankfully, the erratic Italian is a thing of the past and he has been replaced by a countryman who is sensible, visionary and does not do knee-jerk reactions. Radrizzani is building a long-term project, handing four and five-year contracts to nearly all the first-team players, and backing his coaching staff to the hilt. His team and club building is laudable in an industry renowned for its short-termism. But Leeds must arrest their horrible run and get their promotion bid back on track. It is high time the coaching staff and players all started to repay the owner’s faith.