'No excuse' - Strange Leeds United development but big boost and help at Forest: David Prutton

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Leeds United have not messed around in the January transfer window given the potential money outlay.

Fans want things to happen in the window and from a business point of view, it's quite obviously been very busy. There's a commitment to Whites boss Jesse Marsch and you get the feeling that he is in a strong position given the money that they have thrown his way with regards to the recruitment and there are no excuses.

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Now it's now down to getting the players out on the pitch, performances being forthcoming and steadily moving away or keeping the bottom three at arm's length, starting with Sunday's game at Nottingham Forest which will be a very tough game.

Weston McKennie was the final big recruit of the window for Leeds and he is a good player, a really good player. He understands what it's like and has experience of playing at a high level under that type of scrutiny. He already looks energised and excited about being at Leeds which is obviously a great position to start from and I'm excited to see how he does in the Premier League, and even more so how he fits into the way that Jesse wants to play alongside teammates like Tyler Adams.

IMPRESSIVE ADDITION: Leeds United's new USA international recruit Weston McKennie. Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images.IMPRESSIVE ADDITION: Leeds United's new USA international recruit Weston McKennie. Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images.
IMPRESSIVE ADDITION: Leeds United's new USA international recruit Weston McKennie. Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images.

There might be a school of thought that Leeds should not be anywhere near the bottom three with a squad like that but it means nothing at all. Everton have got their sights set on getting out of it by bringing Sean Dyche in, Nathan Jones and Southampton will fight like hell, Bournemouth will have the bit between their teeth given what Gary O'Neil has been through so far to climb out of the bottom three and in West Ham and Wolves you have got teams that know how to navigate the top half in the Premier League so there's absolutely no room for error.

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The fact that you have got Leicester City with similar points and then Forest just above them shows how unbelievably tight it is but it was always going to be like that. What Leeds have done now is given themselves a fighting chance of being away from the bottom three at the end of the season. That's still where they are, regardless of how much money they have spent and regardless of who they brought in. Leeds is still as an entity getting used to life back in the Premier League and that's not being defeatist, that's just being realistic.

There's no excuses now because they have tooled up accordingly although the Rodrigo injury is obviously a blow. But Patrick Bamford is now back in addition to the acquisition of Georginio Rutter and this is the revolving door of what fitness and form are to a first team squad and a starting XI.

Leeds have managed to operate to a certain extent without Patrick and now Patrick is back and he seems to very much have the bit between his teeth to get back in and amongst the goals. It slightly mitigates the loss of Rodrigo but you can't deny a player that's in double figures in the Premier League which is a wonderful achievement.

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But by the very nature of what it is to be a football club across a very heavy season then you are going to have to put up with that and Leeds fans know all about having to put up with injuries. Really, the big story of Leeds United's actual transfer deadline day surrounded Jack Harrison who was having a medical at Leicester City only for Leeds to change their minds and it was a strange one.

It's strange that it would go all the way down the line of being in the middle of a medical and fees agreed and I presume contract terms would have been agreed as well given how far down the line it would have been for Leeds to then suddenly have a change of heart.

Jack has obviously been part of something very special at Leeds but everything comes to an end and listening to him being a Leicester player is not something I couldn't picture. I could quite easily see him lining up with the likes of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes and people such as that.

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I could have seen him being part of a very energetic, expansive side there which is what that Leicester side is when it's purring. Obviously we know that Leicester are not having the best of seasons but that's because of the wonderful standards that they've set for themselves.

I thought the whole Harrison thing was odd but that's not to say that it wasn't an irretrievable situation because he has come back although it obviously always helps if you are going to chuck a load of cash at him as well. That always softens whatever blow it was ever set to be. I just thought it was very strange as well given his impact on the side, what type of team mate he seems to be and the fondness which Leeds fans have for him.

It was very strange, not quite Peter Odemwingie turning up to go somewhere else and no one knowing who the hell he is but it was strange enough to have you kind of scratching your head. Leeds play Manchester United twice in five days hot on the heels of Sunday's clash at Forest who themselves are a side who have tooled up really well.

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Leeds create a wonderful atmosphere at Elland Road and Forest have gone a long way to trying to do their own version of that. It's one hell of a place to take in a football match so that will be tough.

Forest against Leeds is one of the great old fashioned top level matchups with the wonderful undercurrent of Brian Clough as well given the contrasting fortunes of the great man at both places. It will be tough for Leeds but I think the fact Morgan Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates are out helps Leeds no end. But Forest have brought some serious talent in and I think it will be a really, really tough game.

Man U, meanwhile, have turned a corner and this is not the kind of fumbling Man U that has been the norm in the last couple of seasons. Erik ten Hag has got a completely different tune out of them and look at the League Cup game against Forest the other night where you can bring on Martial, Sancho and Rashford.

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That shows how strong that squad is now. As much as the Forest game will be tough, that rivalry with Manchester United is something that we all know and love and it's also for really important points. It's really tough and Jesse has got to navigate this in the correct way. I'm not saying that it's win or bust. It's compete or bust it feels like.