As Leeds United close out what has been an incredibly busy January transfer window, head coach Jesse Marsch is sure to be proud of the business the Whites have managed to pull off.
Since taking over in February last year, the American has bought in 13 new players to his squad, leaving it looking much different to how it did less than 12 months ago. Just over the last few weeks, defenders Max Wober and Diogo Monteiro have been signed up while attacking option Georginio Rutter and midfielder Weston McKennie bolster the spine of his side.
Those are on top of the nine arrivals in the summer window, which included US internationals Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson who have taken to the Premier League like ducks to water, while their signing on the previous deadline day Wilfried Gnonto has become something of a star at Elland Road in recent weeks.
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But since his first match in charge against Leicester City just under a year ago, only four of the starters that day would make it into his theoretical 'strongest' starting XI for this weekend's clash against Nottingham Forest.
In that 1-0 loss, he had Illan Meslier in goal, a situation which is incredibly unlikely to change any time soon. However, Stuart Dallas, who has been injured since April, started at right-back alongside Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk as the centre-back pairing with Junior Firpo at left-back.
Since then, Struijk has almost made the left-back role his own following inconsistent performances and injuries for Firpo, while Robin Koch - who started in midfield next to Mateusz Klich - has slotted back into defence as a centre-back.
Brazilian talisman Raphinha is no longer with the club, and neither is Dan James who started up front due to his loan move to Fulham, leaving just this season's top goalscorer Rodrigo and Jack Harrison as the two attackers left in with a running under Marsch from that time.
Marsch's first Leeds United XI against Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Firpo; Koch, Klich; Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison; James.
But since then, Marsch could easily set up in a 4-3-3 formation with a much stronger squad overall than he had before.
Marsch's 'strongest' Leeds United XI after this season's signings (4-3-3): Meslier; Ayling, Wober, Koch, Struijk; Adams, McKennie, Roca; Rutter, Rodrigo, Gnonto.
Players that would feature on the substitute bench for that line-up in particular include Rasmus Kristensen, Liam Cooper, Aaronson, Harrison, Summerville, Greenwood, Luis Sinisterra - the list could go on.
The point is - Marsch now has a fantastic set of players at his disposal and it's up to him to get them playing the right way. Of course, he could choose to line them up in a myriad of different ways, resting some players using his new-found depth in different positions and starting others that need minutes for fitness.
If he desperately needed to, the Whites boss could even put out a starting XI made-up of the signings he's made since his time at Elland Road. It's a night-and-day difference between the squad he inherited from his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa and the one he has at his disposal now.
All he needs to do now is guide to safety for a second straight season - and if he could do it last year, he has a great chance with the group he has this time around.
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