Et tips, pr 31/7-16:
Season Preview: Where will United finish this season?
By Radebe Leeds - July 31, 20160874
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A new-look Leeds United start their 2016/17 Championship campaign on Sunday against QPR, but how will the Whites perform over the course of the next nine months? Here’s our season preview…
Under new management
Memories of Steve Evans shedding a tear away to Preston on the final day of last season seem like a thrown away chip paper on a trip to the seaside. Garry Monk has since taken over and brought with him a wealth of coaching experience in the form of Pep Clotet, and added James Beattie and Darryl Flahavan to his backroom staff, giving us a solid structure in the dugout.
Former striker Mirco Antenucci was critical of the quality of coaches that he played under during his spell at Elland Road, but in Garry Monk we seem to have a thorough and progressive coach and his spell in the Premier League with Swansea should only be seen as a positive.
Only time will tell if Massimo Cellino can keep his cool with Monk, given the fact that Cellino goes through coaches like Homer Simpson goes through doughnuts. Questions may also need to be raised at the fact that Monk is on a 12-month contact and the last two head coaches were both dealt the same fate.
New arrivals
Our quest to find players capable of firing us back to the Premier League has been akin to finding the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow – a never ending task that bears an impossible reward.
Six new faces have arrived so far this summer, with Kemar Roofe (£3m), Marcus Antonsson (£1.5m), Rob Green (free), Matt Grimes (loan), Kyle Bartley (loan) and Hadi Sacko (loan) all signing on the dotted line for at least the season ahead.
Rob Green will bring much needed experience in goal, with Marco Silvestri seemingly out-of-favour, Kyle Bartley brings some more clout at the back, with the Swansea defender offering a nice alternative to unpopular player Guiseppe Bellusci. Kemar Roofe will hopefully be the one to watch for Leeds fans, with the former WBA trainee lighting up League Two last season with promoted Oxford United, scoring 20-plus goals from midfield.
Antonsson, Grimes and Sacko will hopefully be first-team players and as the squad still appears to lack enough depth to compete for top six with the transfer window closing on August 31.
Another star sold
Leeds fans were sent into overdrive when signings came thick and fast a few weeks ago, and Garry Monk was talking about building a team around Lewis Cook. Sadly, that dream lasted just days as Cook was sold to Bournemouth for an alleged £6m (excl. add-ons).
Lewis follows a long line of talent that we’ve cashed in on way too early. Rose, Lennon, Delph, Howson, Snodgrass and McCormack have all left whilst shining for Leeds and have never truly been replaced with quality.
It’s a frustrating story that seems to continue trending regardless of ownership. If we are ever to mount a serious push back to stardom, we need to stop selling our best assets and start building an ambitious squad.
Let’s hope Charlie Taylor isn’t next, the 2015/16 Player of the Season has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road, and WBA are hot on the youngster to be their next left-back.
Key player
Never easy to pin-point one, especially not with Leeds, but Kemar Roofe will be looked at to provide the team with some much needed goals and creativity from midfield. The summer signing scored 18 league goals and 26 in all competitions last season for Oxford United, picking up the Football League League Two’s Player of the Year award in the process. Leeds fans will have their fingers crossed that he can perform at a higher level as we’ve struggled for goals over the past few years.
He’s got potential
We’re no stranger to seeing a player full of potential pull on the white shirt, and another star could be in the making as I write this. At just 18, Ronaldo Vieira has started to catch the eye of supporters after a successful trial last year turned into a two-year deal at the club.
He was the standout player in the pre-season friendly victory over Atalanta and could well be the alternative to Liam Bridcutt in midfield, if the Sunderland man doesn’t sign this summer.
Coming out of the ranks of the i2i Academy, a football academy that gives young players a chance to develop, the namesake of Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrick Vieira is already impressing. Watch this space, and just hope he’s not sold for profit in a few years to come.
Season prediction
9th – we look to be lacking enough quality to really compete with the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Derby et al. but you never say never. However, I think it’s a case of close but no cigar.
Where do you think we’ll finish? Have your say on the Tweet below by clicking Vote.
IDRadebe