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At the risk of disappointing Urbangael, we are not demoted to the Tailteann just yet. If we make an Ulster decider next year, we will be back in the All Ireland series with the other seven provincial finalists. Even if we don't, we have a real prospect of qualifying via the NFL. Kildare will be big favourites to win this year's Tailteann and go through to the AI in 2026. The Munster championship is reportedly going to be seeded, meaning a likely Kerry/Cork final, with lower division sides like Clare and Limerick probably eliminated. All that means that the D3 winners can go through ahead of the the bottom two in D2, unless the rules get changed. Galway have been in two of the last three AI finals, and the idea that they are not serious title contenders is as ludicrous as the suggestion that this has been an unsuccessful season for Down. This team has put the pride back in Down football and we are not finished yet.

It's not often that blissful Leeds fans celebrate the end of the season with a trophy, and the only other time it has happened in more than three decades was in 2020 when Covid meant empty grounds.

Finishing with six straight wins to hit 100 points and 95 goals was a bit special, and a great tribute to the way the squad in general and Farke in particular stayed calm under enormous pressure.

It is probably only at Leeds that a manager's job could be under threat in such circumstances and it took the chairman a surprising amount of time to confirm that Farke would be in charge for the premiership return.

However, top level football is unforgiving, with the spotlight immediately moving to recruitment and the necessity to find at least five and probably more new faces of proven quality within the baffling financial fair play guidelines.

We need a goalkeeper, a left back, a central midfielder, a no 10 and a striker, as well as possibly a central defender and a winger, preferably without loans which have seldom worked in the past.

The most difficult position to fill is always up front, and, while it would be great to see a young Irishman like Evan Ferguson banging in goals for us, he would still represent quite a risk at a reported cost of £50m.

He had a brilliant start to his career, but injuries and loss of form mean that Farke has a huge decision to make and he may well be tempted to use his contacts in Germany instead.

Piroe managed five goals in two games during the run-in but had previously gone eight without scoring, while missing a stack of chances all season, so, like a few others from the championship winners, cannot be relied on for a starting role after promotion.

Farke knows that he faces an exit within ten matches if we have a dodgy start, but he more than deserves the chance to prove that he is a premiership manager.

The weekend victory over Preston felt like a defining moment and our fate is firmly back in our own hands now. The March international break proved calamitous last year, and, as previously posted, it seemed likely that we would require 16 points from our last eight games when the championship resumed this season. We have managed eight points from the first four of those fixtures and the unexpected collapse of Sheffield United has been a huge help. It means that another seven points will guarantee promotion, and, as they still have to go to Burnley, five points or less might even do the job.

A late disaster cannot never be ruled out at Leeds, so the loss of Struijk for the rest of the season does not help, we need to get the outstanding James back from injury as soon as possible and Piroe is on a dreadful run in front of goal. However, there is strength in depth elsewhere in the squad and Farke deserves credit for generally staying calm under pressure, and, admittedly at a late stage, acting decisively and replacing the unfortunate Meslier with the much more solid Darlow in nets.

Unless our form disintegrates, as happened at this time last year, a top two finish should be within sight and the title is a completely reasonable ambition. We tend to have more twists of fate that Rory McIlroy so perhaps he can inspire us to cross the line.

Eugene Branagan and James Guinness both did well yesterday but they play in entirely different positions - Guinness was in the corner while Branagan usually operates around our half back line. Branagan ran himself into the ground and scored a couple of fine points but he can also be caught in possession, as happened in first half injury time when we could have been in for a goal after a turnover. It was reasonable to replace him with nearly an hour gone and Guinness was also subbed a couple of minutes later. Laverty made all the right calls in Clones and, despite a very unlucky relegation in a tight division, we are in good shape going into the championship. If we keep our key men, McEvoy, Havern and above all Murdock fit, we are capable of making a decent impact. McGeough has suddenly emerged as a prospect while Burns is improving in goals with every game. We are definitely in our best shape since Laverty's appointment, and a little more strength on the bench could take us even further.

The March international break was not exactly kind to Leeds in 2024, with a string of players suffering either injuries or a drastic loss of form. We are hopefully in better shape this year, but it is still a very tight division. Most projections suggest 16 points from our last eight games will definitely take us back to the premiership. It all sounds achievable until we recall that we only managed eight points from the same period 12 months ago. We have a decent level of cover across most positions but if any one of Roden, James or Tanaka return from international duty needing treatment, we will be in difficulty. While the remaining fixtures look reasonable, we know that pressure does strange things to Leeds teams. Our goal difference is good, and it would not be a surprise if we need to rely on it in the end.

Burnley was an amazingly dull game but it was essential not to lose in the circumstances, and, after the setbacks for Sheffield United and Sunderland at home to relegation threatened opposition, it definitely goes down as a point gained. The wider issue, as Rufus points out again, is the lack of cover at no 9 and 10, with the transfer window closing on Monday and no hint of arrivals. Piroe and Aaronson have been decent rather than brilliant so far, and there are no compelling options in the squad if injuries occur. While Farke has suggested that players from other positions could be shuffled about, he has largely avoided experimentation so far. He has spoken of wanting to maintain the positive spirit in the group, but he will be taking an enormous risk if he does not bring in at least one new face. The poor goal scoring records of Joseph and Bamford mean they are unlikely to be the answer and the pursuit of Buendia never looked serious. Unless there is some undisclosed financial fair play disaster in the background, money must be available after all the departures last summer. Farke still gets flak from some fans but deserves great credit for steering the club through huge upheaval and keeping us top of the league. Nothing less than promotion will still be acceptable and it may well all come down to his recruitment policy.

The Leeds season is entering a defining period, with the opening of the transfer window and the announcement of Farke's verdict on our accident prone keeper Meslier. All the indications are that, despite the multiple errors which have cost us four points in the last two league games, Meslier will retain his place against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow, so we have to hope that Farke's judgment is vindicated. It is equally important that he strengthens the squad in the coming weeks, so it has been perturbing to hear him suggest that, unless the injury to Struijk proves worse that initially suggested, he is not preparing for recruitment. Piroe, who tends to drift in and out of games, is our only reliable striker and any injury to him would have dire consequences. Bamford seems perpetually injured and has not scored since April. Joseph has potential but has only managed two goals during 12 starts and 14 appearances as a sub in the league, while Gelhardt has gone out on loan. Signing a striker at this time of year is risky, but failing to bring someone in would be asking for trouble.

We have to hope that Farke knows that he needs to recruit but is engaging in the familiar tactic of insisting that he is happy with the present squad to avoid paying over the odds in the transfer window. While January is a notoriously risky time to sign a striker, an injury to Piroe would come close to derailing our entire season. Competition for Aaronson is equally vital and the alarm over Meslier's record is steadily growing. Omobamidele would be decent cover in a position where we already have options. There is no doubt that the bookies have Leeds at an entirely false price, with Paddy Power today quoting 1/25 for promotion although it was 1/50 last week. A rational assessment, taking into account the way Leeds teams have crumpled under pressure over the years, is that our chances are slightly better than 50/50, but only if the right players are brought in shortly.

Leeds may be the only club who could go in the new year top of their league but with supporters feeling growing pessimism about their prospects. Late goals have cost us four points in the last two games and it's pretty clear that Meslier is going through a crisis of confidence in nets. He has always been prone to the odd mistake but his performance against Hull was verging on the disastrous, and he was jointly or solely responsible for all three conceded. While Darlow will almost certainly start the cup tie at the weekend, he has also looked shaky during his rare appearances. Farke is still insisting that he is unlikely to be active in the transfer window, but it would be a huge risk to leave the squad unchanged. A striker and a no 10 need to be on his list, and a keeper may also be required. The money is apparently there, and in a tight division, where the other contenders are already starting to invest, it will have to be spent soon.

There's a long way to go, and Leeds fans know all about false dawns, but the club is finishing 2024 in great shape. Three wins in a row, seven goals scored with none conceded, and tonight also saw our best score since the Bielsa era. While Aaronson has taken some time to find his best form, the winner against Derby was from the top drawer. Farke also deserves great credit for effective player rotation, and using his bench astutely. We still need at least one decent signing in the transfer window but the table makes excellent reading this evening.

Leeds are definitely in good shape, with a 4-0 win yesterday, admittedly against poor opposition, leaving us in second place, but there is little doubt that we need to strengthen in the January window to make sure that automatic promotion is not thrown away again.
We are the top scorers in the division, so it might seem unusual to prioritise a forward, but the goals have been coming from almost everywhere except our strikers. 
Piroe has gone five games without one and, although he has ability, often drifts through games fairly aimlessly. Joseph has bags of potential, but has only managed to hit the target once all season, and poor old Bamford is on a barren run dating back eight months.
However, trying to bring in a striker in January is notoriously risky as the Augustin debacle and many other deals elsewhere have demonstrated. Even fringe Premiership players are unlikely to drop a division at this time of year and looking to Scotland or the lower English leagues seldom works. It may be a case of carefully checking out  some of the smaller European clubs and considering a younger value for money option who will have sell-on potential.
The danger is that we bring in an underachiever who costs far too much, alienates his teammates and undermines the promotion push, while turning out to be no better than Gelhardt, who usually cannot make the first team squad at the moment anyway.
We could also be doing with a creative midfielder. Aaronson had one of his better days yesterday but is very light weight against the stronger sides.
There is every prospect of a tight finish involving Sheffield United, Burnley and ourselves, so getting the balance right as soon as possible is crucial. Ending up in the play-offs again, with another heartbreak story always on the cards, would drive most Leeds fans to the drink, not for the first time.

I seem to recall lamenting at this time last year that Leeds were facing a full blown crisis after just two league games. Things are even worse now, with only a single championship match played but the club in disarray over transfer upheavals. It is pretty clear that the club repeatedly handed out contracts which effectively allowed players to depart whenever they liked after relegation, and it is going to be extremely difficult to bring in replacements at such short notice. Most supporters are treating the loss of Rutter as the last straw, but £40m in other circumstances would be an excellent price to get for a talented but erratic forward who squanders possession repeatedly. The problem will be immediately finding new recruits of the required standard, particularly after a pathetic display against Middlesbrough in the league cup last night. While the owners are responsible, it is make or break time for Farke as manager.

The forthcoming transfer window will be a crucial one for Leeds, as a considerable amount of upheaval is inevitable. It is possible that another season in the championship will actually benefit the club as the frustrating but all too predictable defeat in the playoff final by a limited Southampton confirmed that the present squad is nowhere near the standard required to survive in the premiership. We can expect that both Summerville and Gnonto will go for decent fees which should help to finance the rebuilding. They are each talented players but they made very limited contributions when the pressure was on in the closing stages of the season and were particularly poor at Wembley. Holding on to Gray must be the priority,
and keeping Roden would be a huge step forward, although he is realistically unlikely to turn down an offer from the premiership, and a long list of other positions are also in need of attention. We should be looking for a striker, a no 10, a central midfielder and two wingers at the very least, and they will not be easy to find within the financial fair play rules. Bamford tends to have good and bad spells before getting injured, while Piroe was a disappointment last season and Joseph may not be ready to step up, so, like most other clubs, we will be in the hunt for a goalscorer. Rutter is a gifted but erratic performer and we have not had a proper attacking midfielder since the wonderful Hernandez retired. All the departures last summer restricted Farke's options, and contributed to a poor start, so we have to hope that he does his business early.

The win at Leicester was a massive result and a brilliant performance against top class opposition. It indicates that Leeds are perfectly capable of staying in the promotion shake up to the very end. The top two, Leicester and Ipswich, still have a significant points advantage but Leeds have now won away against both of them which sends out a strong message. We are looking solid at the back, at long last, and clean sheets will be crucial in a long and draining championship season.

Something is stirring at Elland Road. Today's 3-0 win over Watford was our sixth game without defeat and our fourth clean sheet in a row. The defence has improved beyond recognition, we have a very effective midfield and the goals are flying in up front. We remain eight points from an automatic promotion place, which is a big gap, and we still have a significant injury list, but Farke is doing an outstanding job as manager. Getting Piroe in as the first reliable striker we have recruited in many seasons was a masterstroke, and, if he stays fit, we are capable of pushing on.