Pontus Jansson: Leeds United are back in the groove

Jansson struck for the second time in two home games on Saturday to push Leeds to within a point of the play-off positions and then admitted that Christiansen’s bold decision to leave him out of a game at Bristol City in October had helped him overcome a loss of form.

United’s head coach omitted the centre-back from a 3-0 win at Ashton Gate, relegating the Sweden international to the bench in the wake of several poor results, but Jansson’s recent resurgence has coincided with a run of performances which have revitalised the club’s season after a sharp dip.

Leeds are on the tails of sixth-placed Sheffield United and fifth-placed Aston Villa after beating Norwich at Elland Road and Christiansen’s squad will spend Christmas Day in the play-off zone if they claim three points against Hull City on Saturday.

Jansson, whose 41st-minute finish settled the clash with Norwich, said: “It’s much easier to play football when you win games. That’s natural.

“Of course when you lose five or six games in a row it’s not easy to have that feeling but you have to have it and now, when we win games, of course it’s more easy to play.

“Now when we go out on the pitch we feel like we’re going to win and we feel as though we’re strong.

“Then you win games and that’s how it is in football.

“You have to have feeling that you’re going to win.”