Leeds United have a season in the Championship to look forward to and new manager, Daniel Farke, and owners, 49ers Enterprises, will surely be hoping it’s the only campaign they’ll spend in England’s second tier.
For a few seasons under the ownership of Andrea Radrizzani, the all whites had improved both on and off the pitch, and their promotion back into the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa after more than a decade away was a clear high point.
However, during the 2022/23 campaign, things began to unravel. Firstly under Jesse Marsch, and once he’d been sacked, then under Javi Gracia.
The last-minute appointment of Sam Allardyce, though brave, was far too little, too late to save the club, and Radrizzani has been pointing fingers.
“The tactics that [Marsch] showed sometimes were a bit confusing – not only for me but for the players. We had situations where a winger would be playing as a midfielder – things like that,” he said to The Telegraph (subscription required).
“Personally, I wanted to make a change before the World Cup, then I was persuaded to hold on.
“I think it was a huge mistake as we had the slot of six weeks to make changes. Other teams successfully used this period but we ended up making the change in February, with very few options.
“It was a very sweet time in my life but unfortunately it didn’t end in the way I wished. It’s bitter now to know the club is back in the Championship but in my six years I achieved what I wanted.”
He surely can’t expect his explanation to pacify Leeds supporters who won’t be attending the likes of Anfield, Old Trafford or the Etihad Stadium this season.
If 49ers Enterprises can quickly learn the lessons of the previous administration and ensure that the same mistakes aren’t made again, Leeds can at least be assured that as long as they get things right on the pitch, they club will have a solid foundation from which to build again.
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