The Super(ish) Leeds United Thread

[seafoid]

Another loss . 8 points off 2nd and 3 off 6th. They need more consistency to drive momentum.
It looks like the 3 promoted last season are going to be relegated.
Leeds need to have the momentum to go straight up and stay up .

[Rufus T Firefly]

The Championship really is a very long season, so although we are some way off the automatic promotion spots, there is still plenty of time to go on a run and aim for the top two, although Leicester look - even this early - guaranteed to bag one of the automatic promotion spots, such is their form.

A very god run since the end of the transfer window had seen Leeds climb the table but the good run came to a shuddering halt away to Southampton last Saturday, when a very lethargic performance was punished by some very good Southampton finishing. A bounce back was needed and we won 1-0 at home to QPR on Wednesday although maybe made harder work of it than required.

Bristol City at home this afternoon and another three points needed, and based on current form, should be achieved, although Leeds can never take any opposition for granted. A win today would leave Leeds well placed going into the international break and the hope would be that we can start getting players back from injury thereafter. Djed Spence and Gnonto are two that we really could be doing with.

Lastly, a shout out to Rutter who at long last is beginning to show real quality and provide evidence of why we shelled out close to £30 million for him.

[rodney trotter]

Leeds giving Huddersfield a hammering.

Birmingham look set for a 3rd under Rooney. What were they at sacking John Eustace. They were in the play offs and now sliding down the League

[Mourne Rover]

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.

[seafoid]

Second and is it 8 wins in a row now ? Not too shabby

[SaffronSports]

Second and is it 8 wins in a row now ? Not too shabby

Saints still have a game in hand but we're going well. That was a tough game today. I'm not sorry to see the last of Plymouth for this year. 4 tight games.

[seafoid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt4n1C7QfB4

[Captain Obvious]

Another half to play however Leeds United have  more or less sealed a place in Championship play off final. Who would they Leeds United prefer in the final Southampton or West Brom?

[Rufus T Firefly]

I haven't posted on this thread in a long time, for a few reasons. Firstly, I find myself posting less and less on chat forums generally - not sure if that is an age thing or not, and general weariness with getting into debates / arguments. Secondly, there was never a lot of regular traffic here beyond a few hardy souls, so there was an element of why bother,  and thirdly, my inherent superstition - Leeds had been doing quite well since the last post here, and I didn't want to put the scud on them.

However, as Captain Obvious has posted, I feel compelled to give my tuppence ha'penny's worth.

There are very deep scars that still run through Leeds supporters around the play-offs, and I could sense the ghosts of Frank Lampard's Derby County, as the match progressed. Truth be told, we should have won that game by 6 or 7 goals, but as we spurned chance after chance, and the match remined 3-0, I feared the mother of all comebacks.

As good as Leeds were last night - and they were excellent - Norwich were brutal, and were not helped by early indecision by Gunn in their nets. With hindsight, the game - and tie - was gone after 20 minutes.

It was the same Leeds that had stormed the Division across the first quarter of 2024, with a brilliant team performance, underpinned by some excellent individual efforts - Gray, Rodon, Kamara, Rutter and Piroe were excellent, for me.

My fervent hope is that they will take tremendous confidence from this result and performance and play to their full potential in the final. If they can do that, then I'd be confident of a win, but it will be tough, regardless of the opposition.

If I had my pick as to our opponents, without a second thought, I'd go for West Brom. Southampton are a team who I fear have our number, and gave us a couple of serious beatings in the regular season. I really don't want to play them again.

One more match!! 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Another play off final, another no show and another abject defeat. Following Leeds was never easy and the weekend underlined that yet again.

Leeds started brightly but I thought butchered a few early promising opportunities through misplaced passes or the wrong options being taken. Archie Gray's scuffed shot from outside the area, when Piroe had space to take a pass and get a shot in, being a case in point. It suggested to me an overall nervousness. 

The match was always likely to  be tight, and the first goal vital. Southampton got it, due to a rare error of judgement by Ampadu, with Adam Armstrong showing the sort of composed finish Leeds can only dream about.

Thereafter, there was a lot of huff and puff with Leeds rarely threatening. Dan James' volley that hit the underside of the bar was the closest we came, but McCarthy in the Southampton goals never had to make a serious save.

There is though reason to look forward with some optimism. Farke remains proven at this level, and the 90 points accumulated would have been enough for automatic promotion for everyone of the last twenty eight odd years. He is therefore likely to get the vote of confidence from the 49ers and will go into next season much better prepared than last year, which should hopefully ensure a much better start.

That said, there is likley to be significant wheeling and dealing needed in the Summer. Ayling has gone to 'Boro, and Cooper and Dallas will be gone. It's likely that Cresswell, Greenwood and Geldhardt will be let go, at least on loan. A priority will be to try and get Rodon on a permanent transfer from Spurs. Two full backs, another centre half, a creative midfielder and a number ten are also likely to be needed.

The Championship - certainly on paper - does not look as formidable as last season, so hopefully promotion can be a meaningful ambition, without the need for the dreaded paly-offs.

MOT!        

[lurganblue]

The usual transfer noise around Summerville and Gnonto I'm sure.

[Rufus T Firefly]

The usual transfer noise around Summerville and Gnonto I'm sure.

I think it is accepted that at least one of them will go, if not both. The money received should hopefully keep the FFP wolves from the door and allow some reinvestment back into the squad.

[Rufus T Firefly]

Major news off the field this morning with the story being released that Red Bull have bought a minority shareholding in Leeds and will become the new shirt sponsor.

The move will not give them a place on the board, so should ease worries - certainly in the short term - about Red Bull's modus operandi of going in and changing club / stadium names.

The deal is considered to be a record breaking one in England in terms of monetary value, outside the Premier League, so should help considerably in terms of taking the Club forward.

[Mourne Rover]

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.

[Rufus T Firefly]

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.

Nail on the head. The hope must be that with Farke now having the time to get his ducks in a row, this should ensure a much better start than 12 months ago. You're also right about the amount of wheeling and dealing needed. I think we can be hopeful that Rodon might return, as apparently he has stated that he was very happy at Leeds, and Leeds are very keen on him returning. With Striujk to come back, could we hope that Wober could be persuaded to give Elland Road another go? That would significantly strengthen the defence, and allow Ampadu to move into midfield. 

Apparently there are only two players that can insist on going out on loan again next season - Harrison and Roca - so there are players there that might be persuaded to return. Farke has already spoken to Arronson and persuaded him to return next season, which should be a boost to midfield, although he will have bridges to mend in terms of the support. Dortmund are said to be interested in Gruev, with the fee being discussed suggesting Leeds could make a significant profit. Farke seems to want Gray to be available for midfield, so a right back will be a must - would love to get Conor Roberts back from Burnley. Byram has signed another one year contract and there is a question still to be settled as to the future of Firpo, who has one year left on his contract.