Leeds United hot takes with January transfer priority, midfield 'problem' and Elland Road survey

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The Championship table will be made between November and March says Leeds United boss Daniel Farke as he and the Whites head into the real meat of the season.

In the 101 days between now and March 1, Leeds will play 20 games and the strength of their 2024/25 promotion challenge will have shown itself in earnest. That period brings games against fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough, Burnley, Sunderland, Watford, Sheffield United and, on the first day of March, West Bromwich Albion. Serious contenders will reveal themselves.

The next few months will also bring a transfer window, which presents an opportunity to get the last piece or two of the puzzle or respond to injuries. Ethan Ampadu will be back and Farke will have to show his hand when it comes to a first-choice central midfield pairing. And 49ers Enterprises will be expected to keep fans up to date with the developments off the pitch with Elland Road development.

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So here are some YEP hot takes on the issues an ever-growing band of Leeds United fans on new social media site Bluesky said they wanted to read about.

Transfer priorities for January?

If there was one position in which Daniel Farke would strengthen it would surely be number 10. Goalkeeping has, at times, been an issue but not so much that the German has given any indication that he has lost faith in Illan Meslier. The Frenchman has remained ever-present. At full-back things are fine, with options, cover and a few goals and assists. Centre-back is an area of strength and so too is the middle of the park - ridiculously so now that Josuha Guilavogui is here and both Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka have performed so well. Out wide there's a question over Manor Solomon's impact as a loan signing but he has time to show himself properly and once Largie Ramazani is back the wing options look more than adequate. Up top you could build a case for a number 9 who more consistently does all the bits of the job, but between Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford they should score the necessary goals and do the rest of the role well enough to satisfy Farke's needs.

But at number 10, even if Brenden Aaronson is on course for double figures in goals and even if his work ethic, industry and quickness of feet is making him a really solid option, Farke could still use a magic man. There has been a lack of predictability in the final third against parked buses in some games. Someone like a Georginio Rutter, with that ability to skin someone and split a defence with something off the cuff, would put this team over the top. So that should be the priority.

What if Leeds don't go up?

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Firstly, I think they will. The squad is good enough. Daniel Farke is good enough to get the job done at the second time of asking, in what appears to be a far more 'normal' Championship season. But should some disaster strike and Leeds do not escape the second tier, then I see a summer a lot like the last one but potentially even worse. More upheaval. Player sales to mitigate the Profitability and Sustainability position and a further drop in parachute payments. Players wanting out, because they don't want to spend another year outside the top flight. Managerial change. Another squad rebuild. Fan anger. Finger pointing. It would not be pretty. But it won't come to that. It can't come to that.

When will there be more information about the stadium redevelopment?

Things are moving now behind the scenes as Leeds put in place the necessary for a planning application. They want everything ticked off and ready to go so it's possible to get spades in the ground when Premier League status is secured. Though it might have seemed quieter on the ground front since that last flurry of information from the club, they've been surveying fans in recent weeks to ascertain what supporters want from Elland Road, what they want it to look like and be. That's part of the consultation process, which is ongoing.Club sources say they hope to be able to unveil progress as it happens in the coming months

Away form. What is your view on the fact we haven't won many away games this season? Problem or not a concern because they have mostly been the season's hardest fixtures?

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The answer lies in the question. Leeds' away form is not a problem, because they've only lost once on the road. You might say they've only won twice, too, but going to West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Bristol City and taking a point is absolutely fine. If you can't win your away games, draw them and win your home games. That should be enough. They've conceded just four goals away from home. Keep that defensive solidity and the away form will look after itself. The away table is currently headed by West Brom, who sit down in 20th when it comes to home form. Of the two sides, Leeds have it the right way round.

When Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev are back, what the hell is our starting CM pairing?

What a lovely problem to have. None of the following is intended as a slight on Joe Rothwell, who has performed beyond expectation and shown himself to be a really solid loan signing. But Ethan Ampadu is club captain for a reason. He plays every time he's fit and available for Daniel Farke for a reason. That reason is not simply the defensive steel he brings to the team, but he's excellent with the ball too. His long raking passes keep defences honest and make Leeds a less predictable attacking outfit.

Last season he gave Leeds a huge degree of control in the middle of the park and when partnered with a more attack-minded player, someone with a little more guile and flair, he will give Leeds balance. That partner, for me, will be Ao Tanaka. As much as Rothwell's dribbling speed is a tremendous offensive weapon, Tanaka just seems to have that little bit more quality or composure. What he has done in the 6 role has shown he can do both sides of the game very well. Being a box-to-box midfielder will come naturally.

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There is still undoubtedly a role for Rothwell to play - who would be adverse to seeing him get a go at 10? As an eight he's a very good option for the present situation and real competition and cover for Tanaka when Ampadu returns. Gruev, if we see him before the season ends, will be the very same thing for the number 6 position.

Assuming Daniel Farke is given better support than he had at Norwich, how do we think he'll look when we get promoted? We know it takes something special to finish ninth in the Premier League, but possession isn't always cutting it, you need to score goals and defend. Don't want to be hunting managers January 26.

Supporting Farke in a way that Norwich did not when it comes to recruitment and expenditure was the stated intention when Leeds appointed the German in the summer of 2023. That was their response to concerns over his Premier League record or suggestions that he was merely a Championship escape artist. It would be impossible to state with real certainty that Farke will be Leeds boss come the start of next season even if the Whites go up, because there is a lot of ground to travel between now and then and journeys take their toll on relationships. But, if he was to win the title and all was well and everyone was happy, then we could turn to the second part of your question - how will he look? With a football style that desires and requires possessional dominance, there comes a question mark at the top level because in many games he will not have the best footballers on the pitch and dominance will be all-but impossible to come by. His Leeds teams have been very good at counter attacking, though, and that would be a weapon they may need to lean on with more regularity in the Premier League.

You do make a good point, though. No one wants to be changing manager mid-season. We all remember what happened last time. And the jury is out on Farke at the highest level. What will fascinate is how wedded the fanbase are to the idea of Farke in charge, even if he masterminds a top two finish. Had Andrea Radrizzani even considered a managerial change in the immediate aftermath of promotion there would have been socially-distanced riots. Could that be said next summer? Right now, given the volume of the grumbles each time Leeds lose, draw or even win without convincing, it feels unlikely.

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