Leeds United currently find themselves among a crop of teams very much in an early battle to stave clear of relegation trouble. The Whites sit 15th in the Premier League, just a point above the bottom three, with the bottom half of the division looking extremely tight at present.
Leeds had entered last weekend in the relegation zone after a run of eight matches without a win, but an historic victory at Liverpool has certainly lifted the mood around the club. Aston Villa, Southampton, Leicester City, Wolves and Nottingham Forest are the five sides currently below Leeds in the table.
Given the tight nature of the division during the early stages of the campaign, LeedsLive asked reporters of each of the other sides in the bottom six for their assessment on the season so far, and how it could pan out. Please note, the majority of these responses came last week, ahead of the most recent round of matches.
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Ashley Preece - Aston Villa
How do you assess Villa's season so far?
Really poor all things considered which, as we know, resulted in the firing of Steven Gerrard. The former Rangers boss failed to get a tune out of his players and, after quite possibly the worst performance in a long, long time down at Fulham, enough was enough with the owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, far from happy with the Gerrard era which lasted less than a year. Injuries to Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara haven't helped matters this season but, given the appointment of four-time Europa League winner Unai Emery, all appears well all of a sudden. The squad is blessed with some exciting talent and Emery's job now is to get the very best out of it.
Will Villa turn things around - particularly after such an ambitious appointment in Emery?
It'll be tough because Manchester United (h), Manchester United (a) and Brighton (a) before the six-week break as the World Cup commences. Sawiris and Edens will, though, give Emery funds to shape his squad in January and, given what we witnessed in the 4-0 battering of Brentford last time out, there's plenty to work with. Villa finally have an elite-level manager.
Which sides are in the biggest danger of going down?
Wolves are in a real mess, I fear for them. All's not well at Leeds as well. Southampton could get dragged into it. Those down the bottom currently will be in the relegation mix come May.
Mark Wyatt - Southampton
How do you assess Southampton's season so far?
It’s been a mixed bag for Saints so far this season, with impressive results against Chelsea and Arsenal but poor performances against Aston Villa and Wolves - both sides who have already sacked their managers this season but who managed to beat Southampton before getting the chop.
Things seemed to somewhat have turned a corner of late, with their last three games returning five points [before Palace defeat] and restoring some confidence into the group.
Will Southampton turn things around - Hasenhuttl's future still looks uncertain?
I think they will. There’s enough quality in the squad for Premier League survival as things stand and Saints don’t have many players going to the World Cup, giving Hasenhuttl plenty of time to work with his squad ahead of the league’s return.
Which sides are in the biggest danger of going down?
Despite their recent win over Liverpool, I still think Nottingham Forest will struggle. Leeds United’s current form is worrying too and if things don’t turn around soon for them then things could turn ugly.
Jordan Blackwell - Leicester City
How do you assess Leicester's season so far?
As a whole, it's been really poor. Obviously, the transfer window sucked some of the life out of the club, losing Wesley Fofana only a couple of months after he came back from a long injury, and with only one signing made, Wout Faes coming in as his replacement. But even with that, this group of players should not have started as poorly as they have, or be in the position they are.
Defensively, they were terrible in the opening couple of months, while there was a fragility about them as well, given how often they were giving up leads and losing games purely in the final half-hour of matches. Brendan Rodgers has rightly taken a lot of flak.
But since they've had a kinder run of fixtures, they have looked more organised and cohesive as a team, and that's been reflected in the results.
Will Leicester turn things around - already feels like they have started to?
They have made improvements. Danny Ward looks more confident in goal, Faes has settled in really well and the defence is more combative now. There have been small tweaks, with Youri Tielemans taking on a slightly more defensive job, that have paid off. And the attack, when in full flow, does produce some very effective football.
I think it's too early to definitively say they have turned it around. Given the fixtures they have over the next few weeks, before the World Cup, I think it's possible that they head into the break in the relegation zone.
But, in James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Patson Daka, Jamie Vardy, and Kelechi Iheanacho, I think they have the best set of attackers of teams currently in the bottom half, and that should mean they survive.
Which sides are in the biggest danger of going down?
I think it could be a really exciting battle for survival this season, and I'd say everyone from Everton in 12th downwards will feel like they're in the mire until April, when maybe the bottom four or five will become clearer.
I think Forest look the weakest team. There just doesn't seem to be a cohesion there. I think the lack of quality in Bournemouth's squad will begin to show eventually, although they've done very well to pick up as many points as they have recently. And I wouldn't be surprised if Everton and Palace get dragged back into it.
Of the teams down there, I think Villa, Wolves and Leeds are the three I would back to be fine in the end, based on what I've seen so far this season. I think their underlying numbers show they've got the quality to steer clear of the bottom three.
Alex Dicken - Wolves
How do you assess Wolves' season so far?
It's been a disaster. Poor planning inevitably catches up with you in football and that is what has happened to Wolves. They had a strong transfer window to a certain extent, signing some very talented players for large sums of money, but they also left their squad lacking in key areas. They signed the central defender Bruno Lage needed in Nathan Collins before offloading two and leaving their manager without depth.
Lage's sacking was earlier than anticipated, despite poor results dating back to last season. The message was that Lage would get time to implement a new style after waiting patiently for new players. Fans chanted against Lage in the defeat to West Ham and the rest is history. Wolves chairman Jeff Shi hasn't been able to find a replacement for Lage after missing out on Julen Lopetegui and Michael Beale.
There is a lot of anger towards Shi and technical director Scott Sellars over the mess that has been created. Wolves are in a position nobody thought they would be, and their supporters are now looking at the table and trying to find three worse teams.
Will Wolves turn things around - the manager situation appears to be a bit of a mess?
On paper Wolves are too good to go down. Their squad is packed with players who should be competing for Europe, not to stay in the league. Supporters have to trust that the new manager - whoever it ends up being - can turn this around.
But their inability to score goals is terrifying. Wolves haven't scored more than once in a Premier League game this season. Combine that with a defence that is shakier than it has been in ages, and you have the recipe for disaster.
Which sides are in the biggest danger of going down?
I think Nottingham Forest and Southampton - both of whom Wolves have beaten - are in danger. I would add Bournemouth and Leeds United into that list. I think Leicester City score too many goals to stay at the bottom.
Sarah Clapson - Nottingham Forest
How do you assess Forest's season so far?
A mixture of everything really! It's already been a real rollercoaster. It was always going to take time for Forest to find their feet - not just because of the busy summer transfer window, but also because this was the club's first season back in the Premier League for more than two decades, and it was new for the manager and a fair few of the players. They've had some harsh lessons early on, but in recent weeks they have been taking forward steps.
The 4-0 defeat at Leicester was a low point. Since then, Forest have made steady progress. Even when results haven't gone exactly as they would have liked, they showed some encouraging signs. The one against Liverpool was their best performance - and result - so far. It was a really good all-round team display. But the challenge now is to make sure they build on it.
Will Forest turn things around - a little flicker of momentum recently?
It's going to be a tough season. I don't think anyone at the club is under any illusion about that. Beating Liverpool was a big confidence booster, but Steve Cooper will be making sure nobody gets carried away. It was a win - one they very badly needed - but he won't see it as much more than that.
It provides a great example of what the team is capable of, though. If they can keep performing to that kind of level, they'll give themselves a chance most weeks.
That was also the first time where Forest really looked like a team, rather than a group of strangers. It's taken time for the new-look squad to gel and for Cooper to get to know his best XI. But if they can keep making progress, they will hope their form will turn around. The aim has got to be to use Saturday's win as a turning point.
Which sides are in the biggest danger of going down?
Forest know they've got a big job on their hands to climb up the table, but it is still really tight at the bottom end. It's also really difficult to predict what's going to happen with the managerial situation at other clubs and how that will affect things.
Wolves and Leeds are obviously in tricky positions at the moment. Leicester seem to have found a bit of form, but will need to keep that going. Villa will hope changing manager pays off. Southampton could be dragged into danger. And at the start of the season, I thought Bournemouth would struggle more than they are. In short, any number of sides could find themselves in the relegation battle. It's a long season, and it's going to be particularly interesting to see what impact the World Cup break has and who benefits most from it.
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