Former Leeds United star Andy Ritchie feels that Steve Evans has put himself into a corner by talking about resigning if the club fail to challenge for promotion next season.
Although the Whites still have a mathematical hope of finishing in the playoff spots in the present campaign, it is widely believed that the club are out of the race for a top six finish spot.
The Yorkshire giants, who appointed Evans in October, are currently 15th in the Championship table with 36 points from 29 games, 12 behind sixth-placed Ipswich Town.
Earlier in the week, Evans insisted that he will walk away if Leeds are not in the reckoning for promotion next term.
And Ritchie, who insisted that he is pleased with Evans’ work at Elland Road, thinks the 53-year-old has put himself under added pressure by talking about his resignation.
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“Looking at Steve’s reign so far, he’s done very well, to be fair. It is not an easy place to come and ply your trade, we know that and it will have been in the back of his mind”, he wrote in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“He knows the president is demanding and given everything, he has done well enough for me.
“Steve has spoken this week about his strong belief that Leeds can mount a promotion campaign next season, with his confidence such that he has said he would resign part-way through if they were not.
“Doing that, he has certainly put himself in a position. But to say that, he must be confident that if he can add the people he wants in the summer that he will not be far away in terms of where Leeds can go.
“I don’t think it would be my words and I wouldn’t be bulling myself up that much and making a big statement like that! But that is just not me and Steve will be thinking differently and he is his own man.”
Leeds are next up against 11th placed Nottingham Forest at Elland Road later in the day.
