Leeds United need to regain their confidence before the start of the upcoming season, as they try to right the wrongs of not achieving promotion to the Premier League last time out.
The Whites focused on context during the 2023/24 campaign. They finished third behind Leicester City and Ipswich Town despite reaching 90 points, which would normally have propelled them to the top spot.
It was a complete outlier of a season, and it could have been left at that if a specific piece of context had not been involved.
The Yorkshire side’s late-season play allowed Leicester and Ipswich (especially Town) to gain automatic promotion ahead of the Whites. In their final half-dozen Championship games, they earned four points while losing four. That was what killed them.
Their second effort at promotion was likewise unsuccessful, as they lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final. In this game, even the smallest margin can make all the difference. The score and stats, like as shots, shots on target, and possession, indicate a close contest. However, Leeds never offered a meaningful, persistent threat.
Leeds United anticipated to sign a Norwich City player and Patrick Bamford to continue starting.
Next season must be about atonement for United, and ahead of the 2024/25 season, Football League World’s Leeds fan analyst, Kris Smith, has made some early predictions about what may happen at Elland Road this summer.
Smith does not anticipate his team departing from their customary practices under the present manager. He believes that ex-Norwich players he has previously managed will arrive, and that the club’s ever-present attacker – at least on the squad list, if not always the starting 11, Patrick Bamford – will once again lead the line at the start of next season.
“One thing that I predict, that I just cannot look past at the moment, is for Daniel Farke to continue his search for players to reunite with,” Kris told the Tampa Bay Times.
“Last summer, Sam Byram came on a free transfer after leaving Norwich City; he signed him while there.
“Max Aarons was quite close to signing, and we made a proposal for Kenny McLean. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he made another move for some of his former Norwich players, with McLean being one to watch out for.
“He’s mentioned the lack of experience in our group, and he’s just had a great season with Norwich, so I’d keep an eye out for that.
“The second thing I’d predict is that, regardless of what we do this summer in terms of recruiting a striker, which I believe all Leeds supporters would agree is necessary, we’ll start the season with Patrick Bamford leading the line. We just are.
“We’ve needed to replace, or at least minimize, our reliance on him for many years. But that has never been done, and it would not surprise me if we start the next season with him up front.”
Leeds may have to cling to the old traditions, even if they don’t want to.
Leeds’ current financial condition cannot be exaggerated. They will struggle to spend money this summer unless they sell some of their most valued properties.
Players like Crysencio Summerville, the 2023/24 Championship Player of the Season, may wish to go on anyway, and we may witness a replay of Wilfried Gnonto’s attempts to leave Elland Road, so the chore of moving players for cash may not be too difficult.
Clubs will, however, strive to deceive them if possible. In talks, the club has no genuine advantage over anyone. They need to sell. Unless the opposing team is similarly desperate to buy, they can just wait until United’s financial problems become unbearable.
The little freedom they will have during the transfer window may force their hand. If you’re dealing with a tight budget, you’ll usually choose for what you know works.
There is some dispute regarding whether Farke’s recruitment of McLean or other ex-players such as Oliver Skipp, who has been linked with a transfer to Elland Road, will be enough to pull Leeds over the line this time. They might not have any other option, though.
