Burnley's Leeds United gamble already bearing fruit as Premier League relegation battle intensifies

The Whites opted to dismiss Marcelo Bielsa - a legend at Elland Road in his own right - and appoint Jesse Marsch, with the decisions polarising opinion in the Leeds fanbase.

Marsch has guided Leeds to 11 points from the last 15 available but there is still plenty of work to be done in the relegation scrap with Burnley's interim boss Mike Jackson overseeing a return of seven points from the last nine on offer to move the Clarets out of the relegation zone.

Comparisons can be drawn between the relegation rivals but there are also differences in how the two clubs have gone about things.

Leeds appointed Marsch quickly after Bielsa was dismissed while Burnley do no intend to appoint a permanent manager until the end of the campaign.

However, both teams now find themselves out of the relegation zone but with five games to go. There will be no self congratulations from either club yet, as one of the sides could fall back into the bottom three before the end of the season.

The boards at Leeds and Burnley would have been aware of the backlash their respective decisions to sack Bielsa and Dyche would have caused and many feel the choices can only be justified by Premier League survival.

A managerial change does not always work, just ask Norwich City, Watford and Everton - who sit in the relegation zone having appointed new bosses in the dugout this term.

With Watford and Norwich nine and 10 points adrift of safety with five games remaining, it feels like Everton, Leeds and Burnley are the three clubs battling to avoid the final relegation spot.

Everton are two points behind Burnley and five behind Leeds but have played a game less.

Remaining in the top flight is estimated to be worth more than £100m, given the financially-superior broadcast deals negotiated by the Premier League. No club will want to lose that and after seeing Leeds' initial success following a managerial change, Burnley may have felt emboldened to take a risk of their own - and, so far, it's working.