Leeds United: Steve Evans insists Massimo Cellino will support him in January transfer window

Leeds United head coach Steve Evans is confident a "massive Christmas" for the club will see owner Massimo Cellino back him in the transfer market. The Yorkshire side sealed a valuable 2-1 win over Hull City on 8 December to lift them six points clear of the relegation zone.

The club have taken 11 points from a possible 24 since Evans's arrival in mid-October and the former Rotherham United manager is hoping his side can continue to build on that over the festive period and ensure they are looking up rather than looking back over their shoulder in the new year.

Evans, who has already made one addition to the squad since his appointment in the loan signing of Sunderland's Liam Bridcutt, believes a consistent run of form will give Cellino plenty of incentive to back the club in the transfer market, and provide them with a chance of pushing for a play-off spot.

"We're set up for a massive Christmas now," Evans was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Post. "I've been told by the owner, and I genuinely believe him, that if we give him a problem in January by getting to a position where we can properly look up, he's ready to support me in every way possible.

"I have to be realistic and say that an owner's not going to throw money at [this season] in the hope of finishing 12th rather than 15th and I've always got a duty to invest sensibly but the motivation above me is there if we can get on a run and get ourselves up the league.

"We had a bad couple of weeks losing to Rotherham and QPR but the win over Hull's come at the right time and given us another chance to get going. Christmas is going to be massive for us."

Evans has repeatedly talked up his healthy relationship with Cellino, who is again being threatened with another Football League ownership ban. The Italian appealed against the decision but no date for his hearing has been set yet.

Following the signing of Bridcutt during the Football League emergency loan window, Evans insisted the club had remained in talks with a number of Premier League sides over possible moves ahead of the January transfer window.