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It has been a crazy decade or so at Leeds United and at times, it seemed the black cloud hanging over the club would never go away. Now, however, for the first time in a long time the Elland Road outfit have put together a project that could see their return to the Premier League. But why is it for real this time around?
Here are five reasons why Leeds are now the real deal.
#5 The fans and Elland Road
They have been there whatever the situation the club is in. From the heady days in the Premier League and Champions League nights to the lows of League One. Elland Road remains one of the most authentic, rousing atmospheres in English football and when playing away from home, you can guarantee there will be several thousand Leeds fans descending upon a ground.
This year more than ever there seems to be positive atmosphere surrounding the club, rather than negativity. A culmination of several things have lead to this and it means Elland Road will be a more fearsome place than ever to visit for teams. They are one of the most loyal, dedicated fan bases and after being through such bad times they have learned to appreciate the good like never before.
An average attendance of around 27,699 is testament to the incredible support, a twelve-year high at the club, and last season in the Championship 637,053 people went through the turnstiles at Elland Road. Indeed, they also enjoyed their first sellout game last season for six years, when Newcastle United came to town.
In an at times stale Premier League, the addition of Leeds fans to proceedings would be an unbelievable asset. ‘Marching On Together’ to the Premier League they could well be…
#4 Samuel 'Samu' Saiz
Leeds United did plenty of good work over the summer in terms of bringing players in, but perhaps no deal was better than that of Samu Saiz.
Signed for £3m from SD Huesca in Spain, the former Atletico Madrid man was sensational in Spain’s second tier last season and has already started in an emphatic manner in England’s second tier. Saiz is a player already capable of playing at a much higher level and his influence will be the most vital factor in Leeds achieving promotion.
The Spaniard is an incredibly gifted attacking midfielder who creates and scores goals, boasting skill and plenty of agility. His work just behind the attack can bring others into play while Saiz is also capable of doing it all himself. With plenty of belief in his own ability, Saiz can take teams apart on his own or control games and push his team on.
“Playing in a No.10 role behind the front man, he offers great movement, links up well with his team-mates and is so dangerous on counter-attacks.” said former player Danny Higginbotham recently. “Some foreign players take time to adjust to a new country and new culture. But the 26-year-old has made an instant impact since arriving at Leeds”.
It has been some time since Leeds had a player with the quality of Saiz and it’s unsurprising he’s already becoming a sort of cult figure at the club in the space of just a few months.
#3 Thomas Christiansen
There was some surprise when Leeds United appointed the little-known 44-year-old to replace Garry Monk in the summer.
After spells in charge of Cypriot sides AEK Larnaca and APOEL, winning the title with the latter and taking them to the last 16 of the Europa League, Christiansen decided reviving fallen giant Leeds would be the best move in his career.
The Denmark-born boss played under Johan Cruyff at Barcelona and won two Spain caps, and has employed a philosophy similar to that of the Dutch master wherever he’s coached. Now it’s Leeds who get to sample that approach.
“My ideal, of course, is to dominate,” he said of his preferred style of play, “to have control of the ball, to play offensive football, attractive but at the same time organised and good in defence – but this is what every coach wants,” said Christiansen in a recent interview with The Independent.
This confidence and ambition has been sorely missed at Leeds. Too often they’ve settled for mediocrity and retained a negative aura. Now with Christiansen in charge that feeling has been lifted and the 44-year-old has already set records at the club, providing the best start to a season in their history. Indeed, when Leeds took their first defeat of the season against Millwall last weekend, it had taken eight games to do so - and the goal conceded was the first in more than 600 minutes.
Christiansen is aiming to do something different, and so far, the evidence that he’s on the right track is overwhelming.
#2 Recruitment
The signing of Samu Saiz might take the headlines but beyond that, there has been some very intelligent recruitment by Leeds.
The blows of losing the likes of Chris Wood have been softened by some smart reactions, as the club have moved to replace them without putting their financial security in jeopardy again. Wood went to Burnley for instance but was carefully replaced by Pierre-Michel Lasogga who arrived on loan from Hamburg and he duly bagged two goals on his debut.
It doesn't stop there.
Macedonian Gjanni Alioski is another who is becoming a fan favorite for his all-action displays. He was recruited from Lugano in Switzerland and has hit the ground running.
There is just a lot more thought behind the signings this time around and there is a depth in the squad that could well take them up to the Premier League this time that there has not been before. January will soon come around too and if required the funds are there for the club to invest in further talent.
Such has been the tremendous level of activity in the summer however, they may not even need to sign more.
#1 Behind the scenes
You could say this Leeds revolution truly started back in January when Andrea Radrizzani became co-owner alongside the volatile Massimo Cellino. Radrizzani wanted to run the club in a more proper, mature manner and after a seventh-placed finish decided to push on with a deal to take over the club entirely.
The Italian immediately made a huge gesture by purchasing back Elland Road, something the fans had understandably been calling for. That was the first step to winning the club back in a way, and following it up with the impressive appointment of Christiansen continued the new streak of ambition at the club.
Perhaps the most important move was bringing in Victor Orta as the new sporting director of the club, a man who experienced success at Sevilla in terms of his recruitment. Orta has overseen a huge change at the club in terms of playing staff and handled the departures of Wood and Charlie Taylor superbly. The Spaniard has confirmed the fact that not only are Leeds buying well now, but they are also determined to improve their intake of youth players and scouting networks abroad.
At last, Leeds fans have a structure in place behind the scenes they can have faith in.
