Ross McCormack, Rodolph AustinIn the space of 10 days Leeds United has been dragged through a footballing hurricane and spat rather ungraciously back out the other side. Massimo Cellino’s controversial takeover and sacking – then reinstating – Brian McDermott has dominated the headlines, leaving us fans concerned once again over our future.

Yet among the trials and tribulations in the boardroom, and the uncertainty over our manager’s future, our on-pitch problems appear to have dried up.

And, when you consider what the average Leeds fan in the online betting world wants most, it’s the on-pitch antics that matter above all.

Recent victories against Huddersfield and Yeovil ended an eight-game winless run that ruined our Christmas festivities and made the New Year blues all the more unbearable.

Granted, we rode our luck in both games – Town could have netted five themselves while Ishmael Miller’s penalty miss on Saturday was a gift. But you can equally argue we should have got points at Forest and against Blackburn, so lets focus more on the performances.

Since the McDermott fiasco the squad has shown who it’s playing for. Whereas before they played for the ‘massive club with great history’ (the rhetoric used by all newcomers that is effectively an ego trip for themselves) they are now playing for McDermott, and that is a positive yet delicate and concerning relationship.

For if we lose, Cellino is likely to get rid of the manager and a new boss, most probably Italian with ideas of his own, could make mass changes similar to the extent witnessed at Watford under the Pozzo family.

So, as far as the players are concerned, McDermott’s sacking means they’re likely to go in the not too distant future too. They need to win games to stay in a job.

Of course, it is wrong to question the squad’s professionalism but they certainly played with greater enthusiasm against Huddersfield in defiance to Cellino and with determination on the south coast last weekend.

Let us hope the lads can keep this up as we look to sneak into the playoffs – a achievement certainly attainable so long as McDermott is in charge. Click here for the latest odds with bet365.