Making the jump from the Championship is not easy. As proven over the last few seasons, the English top flight has only gotten more difficult to compete in. The record of recent promoted sides should be a concern for Leeds United fans heading into next season.
Most of the problems have to do with the quality of players. The Premier League is packed with some of the best players in the world, spread across the teams. So it has become very rare for any new sides to cause upsets. The teams that do successfully survive for a few seasons end up replacing the team they came up with.
Leeds will have this dilemma when the transfer window opens this summer. Daniel Farke will have to figure out which players in the squad can play at the top level.
QUIZ: Can you name the missing player from these 10 famous Leeds United photos?
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Leeds United have doubts over first team star
Credit: Imago Images
There will no doubt be some departures this summer, as the club shape a team good enough to compete in the Premier League. Club chairman Paraag Marathe addressed supporters on Sunday, saying he is committed to keeping Leeds at the top level. Daniel Farke is also expected to be financially backed when the summer window comes around.
In recent weeks, it looks like there have been concerns about how some players will translate to the Premier League. According to Breren Cross of The Athletic, some people at Elland Road have doubts over Ao Tanaka. They claim the midfielder may struggle with the speed and physicality of the league.
There is no word on if the Japanese star will be sold, or if a better midfielder will be signed, but it is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Can Ao Tanaka survive the Premier League?
Contrary to the report, Tanaka has done fairly well in his first season in England. He has been very active on the pitch too – the midfielder made the most ball recoveries, and attempted the 2nd most tackles in the Leeds squad this season. That is not the metric to judge speed and physicality, but it definitely highlights that Tanaka is good at moving around the pitch.
He’s one of the only ones who could cut it, what nonsense!