Club address disappointing transfer window as director applauded while Leeds United fans await breakthrough

United's summer window was salvaged to an extent by the arrival of four new players during the final days in the lead up to the transfer deadline. Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Ao Tanaka and Isaac Schmidt all signed to bolster Daniel Farke's thin squad whilst improving the depth of options in several positions.

Most importantly, the new faces were sought to replace those lost earlier in the window with release clauses triggered and sales necessitated to comply with financial controls.

The quartet's arrival has appeased supporters, to an extent, many of whom were anxious at the perceived inactivity towards the end of the window and a fear that a slow start to the campaign could prove costly come the end of the season once again.

Before the last tranche of signings, the YEP queried whether there would be any official communication from Leeds on how the window had transpired. In adding the aforementioned four, United made good on their vow that actions would speak louder than words, however questions are still to be answered relating to the sale of Archie Gray at the beginning of July, comments made which suggested Leeds were 'in the driving seat' when fielding offers for their players despite the presence of release clauses, and why the club did not pursue more aggressively a move for a No. 10 after failing to lure Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United.

It is expected chief executive Angus Kinnear will sit down with leading Leeds podcast and fanzine The Square Ball, as has often been the case in years past, to talk through the summer. Although, as things stand, communication on the summer just passed remains an elephant in the Elland Road boardroom.

As stated previously, the club did salvage their summer business with the late arrivals which meant the window could no longer be described as a failure. Fans of Premier League side Newcastle United, on the other hand, could be more liberal with that particular descriptor when assessing their own summer window.

The Magpies failed to add a right-winger, were forced into selling high-potential loanee Yankuba Minteh to a rival as well as homegrown favourite Elliot Anderson. Then, there was the protracted saga which saw Marc Guehi stay put at Crystal Palace, in spite of Newcastle's repeated, incremental attempts to sign the England international.

Less than a week on from the closure of the window, director of football Paul Mitchell sat down with members of the media in the north-east for a 90-minute discussion with particular focus on summer strategy and key issues, such as retaining first-team boss Eddie Howe.

The move was applauded by the scrum of media personalities, suggesting the communication was precisely what was needed after a difficult summer in which several questions arose.

Northern football correspondent Mark Douglas of the 'i' newspaper, reported: "Think Newcastle and Paul Mitchell deserve credit for fronting up so soon after the transfer window. Nothing to hide in terms of strategy is the clear message.

"Nothing off the table, Mitchell spoke well and club determined not to leave it to Howe to front up. Of course they need to learn from the mistakes now."

Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast this week, YEP chief football writer Graham Smyth said, on the topic of 49ers transparency: "It's not a one-way relationship where you get to say things at the fans when you want.

"They have questions and they have things they'd like to say and things they'd like to ask of the ownership, so I think consideration needs to be given to that - and we'll see if their position changes on that over the next week or two."

CEO Angus Kinnear has spoken, via the club's official website, in recent days about plans to replace supporters' personalised stones at Centenary Square, while chief operating officer Morrie Eisenberg was also quoted by the Leeds website upon the announcement that United will continue in partnership with electronics firm Hisense.