'Embarrassing' - But why Leeds United can 'achieve' goal despite mind-boggling decision: David Prutton

It was highlighted beforehand how if Leeds were not on it they would get done and that's what happened although there were big question marks about Liverpool's first goal. But Leeds just capitulated after that.

Liverpool are a team that has been searching for their best form but they have built a squad that on any day can destroy most teams and that's what happened to Leeds unfortunately. Conceding five goals back to back is an unwanted record at Elland Road.

But there is no respite and there is no rest from it. Leeds would have got pelters after the game, pelters during the game and they'd have seen everything on social media and in the media all the way through the week.

But the only way to respond is to get your backside in gear against Fulham today but Fulham had a very good season and then we have seen next weekend's hosts Bournemouth pull away. In between, it's vital that Leeds take points against Tuesday night's visitors Leicester City so there is absolutely no hiding place at all and it will be a hard fought survival, if that's what happens with Leeds. But hard and fought are two operative words in that.

You have to worry about Leeds going down when you see the back to back defeats like we have just seen against Crystal Palace and Liverpool because it's not only the goals and the goal difference but also the psychological impact of those particular defeats and the manner of them.

The bottom line is that it's embarrassing getting pumped like that. We saw a similar period of time under Marcelo Bielsa just before he left. There had been real green shoots under Javi Gracia but the last two games have really kind of reaffirmed that it's by no means mission accomplished and in fact pretty far from it.

Individual performances have been left wanting, collectively they've not been at it and once again you look at the signings like Georginio Rutter where the contribution isn't there. Whether Leeds felt like they bought a different player to what's been seen at the moment or not I don't know and there is always talk that he is one for the future.

But the future could be the Championship and is he going to rip up the Championship? I don't know. The immediacy and short termism sometimes is seen as not the way to operate a football club. But if you don't look after the short term then the longer term and the medium term becomes very, very tough to handle and allied to that are the reports that you read as to what relegation could financially cost the club.

But it all boils down to that bit of green where the ball bounces around. Leeds have done it before and they have had special players that have stepped up before so that's going to have to be the case again.

There are various options for Javi to make changes but pretty much every option is not playing to their best and I think if you are a manager then that's the tough thing. There was the potential for wholesale changes after the Palace game going into the Liverpool game.

But the Liverpool game was not a free hit as we have already seen Leeds beat them once before this season so it was not beyond the realms of possibility that they would have beaten them again. But that's gone and it's been well and truly put to bed.

A full strength Leeds United side is competitive in this division but it's not at full strength and neither will it be at full confidence either because of not only what's gone on during this season but also now the last couple of weeks.

Javi has got options but it's being able to use those options to be able to perform against a Fulham side who look like they are making relatively light work of consolidation. The teams below Leeds also have hard run-ins and it's a strange one because if survival is achieved then we use that word 'achievement' but achievement but it could be by the virtue of just the simple maths of having three worse teams.

That's not denigrating what survival is because for possibly two thirds of the Premier League it is about survival year on year and I totally get that. Everyone understands that given the finances at the very top level.

But that case rests on Leeds relying on those teams underperforming whereas now it is still in their grasp to do their side of it which is to perform, get the points and get themselves to safety. I'm not saying there's a greater glory in either and the glory is staying up. The glory is avoiding the drop and that's the big thing, as big as a cup final or a trophy in a lot of people's eyes.

I still believe fundamentally that they can do it and I still believe that there are three worse performing teams than them in this last portion of the season. With a bit of luck, and also the actual facts of fixtures possibly being on their side, it might just see them right but my God it will be tight.