'The only way' – Tom Cairney makes prediction ahead of blockbuster Leeds v Fulham clash

Fulham captain Tom Cairney has predicted that the team that "dogs it out" and goes the extra mile will come out on top in the Championship, ahead of the blockbuster clash with Leeds United. 

He said that the "best footballing side" will not necessarily triumph in the remaining nine games and that the "only way is to hit the ground running".

Fulham are seven points behind Leeds and, realistically, the only side that can catch Marcelo Bielsa's men in the race for the top-two now.

Fulham travel to Elland Road a week on Saturday and a slip-up for the Londoners there would likely condemn them to the play-offs, or worse.

Talking to the BBC Cairney said, "I don't think the best footballing side will necessarily have the most success.

"It will be the team that dogs it out, stays together and goes that extra mile for each other when it gets really hard.

"Everyone has got an excuse - it is easy at a time like this to say why it went wrong or why you are not performing, or why you didn't get promoted.

"You have got a big excuse and I think the team which won't look to have those excuses will be most successful... The only way is to hit the ground running."

Best and the fittest?

We think Leeds are the best footballing side in the Championship.

That's not just our bias though. Leeds are in elite company in the 19/20 season, with just Bayern Munich, Barcelona, PSG and Man City above them for possession.

That's from all five big leagues in Europe and England's four divisions.

However, Leeds have also proved that they've got elite-level fitness and character, and we're looking for another of their fast starts.

They've come out like a rocket in both campaigns under Bielsa.

We can't remember a squad togetherness like the current one for a long time.

The players are a unit, they play as one and all of them are on the same page – getting Leeds into the Premier League.

They know that will make them all Leeds' legends and they'll get a chance to take their careers onto the next level in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa.

In other Leeds United news, Sky Sports pundit: This is what every pundit is saying about Leeds ahead of clash v Cardiff