The Premier League perils awaiting Leeds as promotion edges closer

A group of cheering away fans chanted “we’re gonna win the league” to celebrate their victory at the home of their rivals for the second time in two days.

The Leeds United supporters who celebrated a 3-1 comeback win over second-placed Sheffield United at Bramall Lane now believe they will win the Championship title in May, just like Liverpool fans did at Manchester City on Sunday.

The symmetry is neat. In 2020, the season halted, delayed and then restarted in front of no supporters because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Liverpool won the Premier League and Leeds won the Championship, returning to the top flight after a 16-year absence.

Daniel Farke’s side are now five points ahead of Sheffield United, who are in the other automatic promotion place, and seven in front of third-placed Burnley. After Saturday’s visit by West Brom to Elland Road, 10 out of Leeds ‘ last 11 games will be against teams outside the top 10.

Behind the scenes efforts are likely going to be made to make Leeds’ next top-flight campaign significantly different from their previous, which ended in relegation after three seasons.

It won’t be simple to make an impact.

Firstly, let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Marcelo Bielsa.

Under the direction of a man who has earned them legendary status in West Yorkshire, Leeds were last promoted in 2020.

Bielsa transformed a group of unassuming players into a force as a whole.

They escaped the agony of not being promoted in 2019 by rising the following year and placing ninth in the Premier League.

They played exhilarating, attractive football and were a joy to watch.

Bielsa’s team eventually faded, shattered by the demands placed on it. Bielsa was sacked in February 2022, with the Leeds hierarchy fearing relegation.

It was an astute move as Bielsa’s replacement, Jesse Marsch, kept them up. However, Bielsa’s standing among supporters was unbroken for the duration of the execution.

Farke accepted the challenge. In July 2023, the former Norwich boss agreed to a four-year contract. His first season ended in Wembley’s play-off final, which was won by Southampton with 90 points.

The German was desired by many aficionados. It was never going to happen.

“I always thought he had a two-year window, so I never felt he was in jeopardy”, said BBC Radio Leeds commentator Adam Pope.

“They received 90 points, and he started off with such a mess.” I don’t believe he knew who would be available from match to match because players were yelling to leave.

It took a remarkable effort to advance as far as they did. However, it seemed like it had to happen this year.

Farke himself will have to prove his own Premier League credentials, which will leave him with a lot of questions.

According to a source with knowledge of Leeds’ internal workings, Andrea Radrizzani, the club’s former owner, simply didn’t have the funds to launch.

The San Francisco 49ers, the investment arm of the American football franchise, is also trying to purchase a sizable stake in Glasgow Rangers. When they took over Leeds in the summer of 2023, Radrizzani’s shares were purchased by the 49ers Enterprises.

By methodically negotiating what has been called the sizable “credit card bill” of instalment payments for transfers from a sizable churn of players entering and leaving Elland Road, they demonstrated that they have the funds.

They will undoubtedly have a strategy for the summer and beyond.

However, there are two issues that are inescapable.

First of all, Leeds are severely hampered by the knowledge that the EFL’s two seasons cut off the maximum £105 million three-year loss cap for the rest of the Premier League by £44 million.

And beyond that, how much will survival actually cost?

The three Championship teams that were promoted for the second consecutive year are likely to go straight back.

Two of them, Leicester and Southampton, have far more recent top-flight experience than Leeds. Despite their struggles, it turns out that staying in the Championship is one thing, but it’s another.

Leeds clearly need at least one striker. Georginio Rutter was sold to Brighton for £40 million in August, setting a benchmark for a respectable Premier League player.

When Illan Meslier scores an own goal to give Sheffield United the lead on Monday, the millions are accumulating once more as you add creative midfielders, full-backs, and a goalkeeper.

A bigger revenue stream from Leeds’ enormous fan base would be a way to offset this.

Plans are already in place to redevelop the West Stand and Revie Stand to eventually increase the capacity of the aging Elland Road stadium from its current 38, 000 capacity to 55, 000.

The plan is to use the same construction as Liverpool, who constructed the Anfield Road stand from the top of the already-existing structure.

But this work will not be cheap. Before club chiefs move on, Leeds must already be a Premier League member.

A delicate balance needs to be struck between putting resources into infrastructure and Farke’s squad for Leeds’ financial executives. Ideally, it should be a twin track process and fans understand that.

After Monday’s match, I asked Farke if he felt an” obligation “to take Leeds back to the Premier League.

He said not. But the answer was revealing.

” In the last 25 years, we were promoted to the Premier League once and had three seasons in it, one outstanding season for Marcelo and two difficult ones, including a relegation, “he said.

You are currently not permitted to refer to us as a seasoned Premier League team. This is what I want to change.

“It is good for us to stay humble. At this club, after a win, everyone speaks about Europe, after a loss, people are saying we will probably go down to League Two. These clubs are dedicated to doing that.

“It is a great honor to chair this amazing club,” said one member. Although it is a great responsibility, pressure is also present.