'˜Squeaky bum time' as Evans resigned to chasing top 10 finish for Leeds

Evans said he was still looking to force clubs above Leeds to deal with “squeaky bum time” as the Championship promotion chase edged towards the run-in but conceded for the first time that Leeds had little chance of bridging a 12-point gap to the play-offs.

The club will reach the 30-game mark at home to Nottingham Forest tomorrow, a side who last lost a league game in November, and Evans said United were “building for next season” with the January transfer window closed.

Before Christmas, Evans said he wanted to mount a challenge for a play-off place but was philosophical about the current state of the division, saying: “We can certainly finish in the top 10. I remember recalling (at the start of the season) that that was the objective for the club – to finish in the top 10.

“That would definitely be something to build on because we’ve never really looked like a promotion team at any stage, in terms of where we are in the table. It’s our job to get in there and see if clubs can handle squeaky-bum time when we get to April.”

Evans, who has a 12-month rolling contract at Elland Road, was given the target of guiding Leeds away from relegation when he replaced Rosler but said he was reluctant to see the campaign peter out.

The 53-year-old told the YEP yesterday that he would resign from his post if United failed to mount a serious promotion challenge next season

“I want to win games,” he said.

“We’re building for next season but I’ve never been a manager who goes into a game and says ‘we’ll play five kids and accept that we’ll probably get beat’. We’re Leeds United and we have to try and win every match.

“We were always building for next season when I came in. The immediate objective set was that I was to give (owner Massimo Cellino) no sleepless nights about relegation.

“But in football you can always dream. We need to be able to dream and we need to think that if we get a result tomorrow, we can have a look above us again.”