5 reasons why Leeds United will win promotion this year

#3 Thomas Christiansen

Thomas Christiansen exults as Leeds beat Premier League side Burnley in the Carabao Cup

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.