Leeds United head coach Steve Evans feels that sticking with a promise made to the club's players has helped him to earn respect in the dressing room.
Evans took charge of a group demoralised from a period of poor results under German tactician Uwe Rosler, who was sacked to make way for the former Rotherham United manager.
The Scot has brought the feel-good factor back to Elland Road with two league wins in quick succession. And he feels that a promise made to the players about those who play well staying in the team regardless is seeing him reap respect.
And he pointed to Leeds' recent 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town, where club captain Sol Bamba was widely expected to return to the team, but had to make do with a place on the bench as Italian defender Giuseppe Bellusci continued in the eleven.
"I think one of the things you have to do is if you say something to a group of men you have to deliver against it", Evans said on Sky Sports News HQ's Soccer Saturday.
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"We had a recent example. When I first took over I said to the group if you're in the starting team and you play well and you know you've played well – because players know when they walk off the pitch, the manager knows, the supporters know – then you keep your shirt.
"We recently had that when we brought the boy Bellusci in because our captain Sol Bamba was suspended. We go to Huddersfield last week, I think everyone is expecting him to play; we leave Sol on the bench and we play Bellusci.
"The kid deserved to play. He was absolutely outstanding for two matches.
"If you deserve to keep your shirt you keep it.
"That brings respect back to the manager in the dressing room because the players then believe what you said to them is actually true and no one is getting protected", the Leeds boss added.
Bamba did not have to sit on the bench for long against Huddersfield as he was brought on to replace the injured Liam Cooper after just 15 minutes.
