At the tail end of last season, Daniel Farke went on a long rant when asked about his future at Elland Road. The Leeds United boss referred to previous teams that survived their first season in the Premier League.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side in 2020 was the example he used. After an impressive campaign finishing in the top half and breaking points records back then, Bielsa barely got any reinforcements in the transfer window.
This lead to a nosedive in form and his eventual sacking. Over a year later, the club found themselves in the championship. Last year, the 49ers aimed at getting players good enough to start in the team at good value.
On average, they spent £10million per player in the summer window last year.
And the value they got was immense with players like Noah Okafor, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Anton Stach. All of them played key roles in surviving relegation.
49ers tipped to unleash January transfer funds
Daniel Farke
Credit: Imago
But after achieving safety in their first year back, the club changed their approach in the transfer market.
In his press conferences at the end of last season, Farke also demanded that the club show ambition if he was to stay long term. This meant serious upgrades during the summer window.
And Leeds did just that; they brought in James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic.
The 49ers spent close to £80 million on just Trafford and Muharemovic. Looking at how the team has started this year, the approach was justified.
Now, Football Insider is reporting that Farke is expecting the ownership to back him when the January window comes around. The Leeds boss wants to address key areas of the squad.
They did a good job in the last window, but many felt like the club had not done enough in some areas of the pitch.
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One area of the pitch needs serious help
Leeds United spent a lot of money recruiting defensive players and goalkeepers, but did not do much further up the pitch.
The Whites did not buy a midfielder, and onl brought in two attacking players – Harry Wilson and Jean-Matteo Bahoya. The also lost some depth after letting Gnonto and Joel Piroe leave.
It has not looked to have a serious effect, but it has been clear in games this season that the club need players who can convert chances.
Against Man United and Sunderland in back-to-back weeks, Leeds have had the chance to win the games, but the plaers cannot seem to score.
Maybe one of the reasons we can’t score is that Farke wont give the likes of Bahoya a chance. What was the point in getting him in the first place ? All the hype and absolutely nothing to show for it.