The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 3rd September) - Frailties in the final third are plain to see
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Good Morning. It's Wednesday 3rd September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Frailties in the final third are plain to see
Against Newcastle United, Leeds United showcased the grit and discipline that will be essential for their Premier League survival. The resulting performance was combative and defensively resolute, yet largely toothless in attack. If any game highlighted their frailties in the final third it was this one; which is why the 49ers have received the backlash they have.
The promising start does little to mask the underlying anxiety surrounding the squad's offensive capabilities. The fact that manager Daniel Farke was asked post-match if his team had enough "to survive relegation" speaks volumes. The question, while jarring, is rooted in a stark reality: Leeds’ starting eleven featured six players who also started their first game last season in the Championship.
Despite a summer expenditure of around £100 million, the team have managed just one goal in three games—a penalty. This lingering "Championship characteristic" is a gnawing concern for fans and, evidently, for the manager himself. Farke had been clear about the situation, delivering what has been described as an "understated transfer ultimatum" with the window closing.
He publicly prioritised the signing of attacking "quality," while pushing back against the notion that he is simply recruiting for size. “I don’t like to make too much of this story that we are just signing giants,” he insisted, explaining that positions like centre-back and striker naturally demand a certain physical presence in the Premier League.
Whilst our pursuit of Paixao was commendable, it heightened the expectations of the fans who anticipated at least one marquee signing in either the 9, 10 or 11 position. Most Leeds fans won't have a problem with the players the 49ers have bought in, it's more about the clubs at wrong end of the table having better transfer windows than us!
Can we hold Farke responsible for results
The 49ers have failed to deliver at their end, so, can we hold Daniel Farke responsible this season? On the surface, the club's investment of £100 million and the acquisition of ten new players would suggest a robust backing for the manager. Beneath this considerable outlay, a significant concern persists: the squad is incomplete, there are glaring holes in the final third, normally reserved for creative influence!
Farke is being asked to perform miracles with an incomplete toolkit. His past Championship successes, while impressive, were often built upon squads boasting an "abundance of talent". How will he fare when the ball is on the other foot and he's having to use cunning, guile and tactical prowess to outfox opponents with a weaker all round squad.