In recent years, the gap between newly promoted clubs and Premier League clubs has continued to widen. Championship clubs have fared poorly any time they are promoted. Leeds United now have a huge task ahead of them next season.
Southampton, who beat Leeds in the Championship play off final last summer, were the first team to be relegated this season. Despite the number of signings and money spent, the Saints were one of the worst teams in the division. This is the mountain Leeds will have to climb when they get back to the top flight.
Daniel Farke and the recruitment team have the whole of this summer to figure out the best players to make the squad tick next season. Some stars will have to leave Elland Road, with Junior Firpo set to be one of the first out of the door.
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Paul Merson makes Leeds United claim
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Leeds were promoted last week, when Sheffield United failed to beat Burnley. Now Daniel Farke’s side will play in the Premier League next year. Since last week, many pundits have voiced their opinions on what will happen at Elland Road when they reach the top flight.
Paul Merson is the latest in a long line of names to doom Leeds to relegation next year. The Sky Sports pundit told Simon Thomas that Daniel Farke’s side must prioritize being hard to beat, or face being relegated:
“I think so. Get the ball away from your goal and let teams try to beat you and score goals — not like mistake after mistake. I think that’s the case. You come up and you’ve got that in your head, even a big club like Leeds coming up as one of the big clubs.
“They’re even big in the Premier League. You’ve got to come up and finish 17th. Think, ‘17th, 17th, 17th’ — that’s all you’ve got to think. Don’t think, ‘oh, we can do what Forest done, or we can do what Brentford done, or we can do what Leicester done from a few years back’.” he said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show.
Leeds have history on their side
Merson may have a point concerning newly promoted sides. But Leeds may have history on their side heading into next year. Since 2020, Leeds are just one of a handful of teams to survive their first two seasons in the Premier League before getting relegated.
This is something rare, in recent seasons where every promoted club goes back down. Leeds fans will hope they can make their Elland Road form count in the top flight.
Did he not say the same thing when we went up with Bielsa? He doesn’t have a scooby