'Decisions up top' - Jack Harrison on Leeds United 'voices', relegation and city admission

Leeds are facing up to a return to Championship football next season following just a three-year stay in the country’s top division and a particularly turbulent final Premier League campaign. The Whites began the season under American head coach Jesse Marsch who had only been appointed in February following the sacking of promotion-winning boss Marcelo Bielsa.

Under Marsch, Leeds secured their Premier League status on the final day of the 2021-22 season but just nine months later Marsch was sacked following a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest that left Leeds only outside of the division’s drop zone on goal difference.

Under-23s boss Michael Skubala then took caretaker charge until the club appointed Javi Gracia as Marsch’s replacement but Gracia lasted only 12 games in charge before the Whites turned to Sam Allardyce for the final four games of the campaign.

Under their fifth boss in the space of 15 months, Leeds were then relegated on Sunday as a 4-1 defeat at home to Tottenham coupled with victory for relegation rivals Everton condemned Leeds to Championship football next term. Harrison, though, refused to be drawn on whether continued managerial change had been to blame and instead fronted up to the responsibility of himself and the players.

Speaking post match to BT Sport, Harrison was asked whether there had been too many managers and too many voices in the camp this season to get a rhythm and a pattern going.

"I'm not really one to say on that,” said the winger. "I think that's for the people who make the decisions up top.

"I think as players we just have to crack on, keep our heads down and do our best on the pitch. At the end of the day it's us that are out there playing the game and we have to do our best and just get on with it, regardless of the situation and so I think as players that's all we can do."

Leeds had spent 16 years outside of the country’s top division including three of those in League One before finally sealing a place back at the top table through promotion as Championship champions under Bielsa in the summer of 2020.

But the Whites will now start nest season back in the same division in which they had nine consecutive seasons before finally getting promoted and Harrison admits relegation is undoubtedly a big blow for the city of Leeds.

"Definitely. You see how much it means to the fans, to the city around,” said Harrison. "They are so passionate the fans. It's a tough one to take."