When last season ended, Leeds United fans were daring to dream big. In their first season back in the Premier League, they had finished ninth in the division, only narrowly missing out on qualification for the Europa League. For some, the goal in their second season should have been consolidating in midtable, with a genuine push for Europe possible, if they hit from at the right time.
Of course, there was always the acceptance that the second season in the division could provide more of a challenge but given how well they had coped in their first season in the top flight for 16 years, dropping down a step in terms of performance levels in the second season made a lower midtable finish seem more likely. There was genuine optimism that with the right recruitment, Marcelo Bielsa could deliver a similar finish fairly comfortably.
Instead, Leeds have found themselves languishing near the bottom of the table throughout the season. Bielsa was sacked after a terrible run of form and the Whites find themselves in the bottom three with just two games left to play. They are now desperate for points and relying on Burnley to slip up for them to escape.
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We want to know how fans feel about what has gone wrong this season so comment below
When it comes to apportioning blame for the club's current predicament, there are several factors which seem to be popular conversation topics amongst fans. One of those which is being discussed most often after recent games is the sacking of Bielsa. Some would argue that the club's goal-difference is now so bad that his sacking should have come earlier. However, many say the Argentine would have been able to deliver the wins needed compared to Jesse Marsch, since the team's attacking play has collapsed in recent games.
Another factor is the lack of improvement to the squad. After Leeds' first season back in the league, they let Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski, Helder Costa and Gaetano Berardi leave and only brought in Junior Firpo and Daniel James. Neither signing has made a big impression and the club failed to make a single January signing when it appeared Leeds were desperate for additional quality at the mid-point in the season.
Injuries appear to have gone hand-in-hand with this particular issue. The Whites have suffered lossed to key players throughout the season and they have badly struggled to cover for those due to the lack of depth in the squad.
One potential answer to this might have been giving more minutes to players like Joe Gelhardt, Lewis Bate, Charlie Cresswell and other youngsters. Gelhardt in particular has looked capable of the kinds of moments Leeds have needed to get themselves out of danger but Dan James has often been preferred ahead of him up front.
In recent weeks disciplinary issues have really come to the fore. The club have broken the Premier League record for yellow cards in a season and have picked up two straight red cards in the defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea. In both cases, they were already behind but the red cards killed the team's chance for a comeback and the subsequent suspensions have limited their chances to pick up points in the final games.
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