At the end of this week, Leeds United will have just seven weeks to get ready for the start of the new Championship season. This summer was always going to be short, given the elongated nature of the 2022-23 campaign, but the competitive action is fast approaching and there’s still so many questions to answer at Elland Road.
The news that came on Friday night regarding a takeover agreement being reached between 49ers Enterprises and Andrea Radrizzani was the first step that needed to be taken. That situation is far from complete and it is now in the hands of the EFL as they run various checks on the major investors behind the investment group.
As such, it seems it could be some time before the takeover is officially signed off and the Elland Road keys are handed over to 49ers Enterprises. But, the agreement does mean the club can press on with their preparations for the new season, with so much still to do.
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Finding a new head coach has to sit at the top of Leeds’ to-do list. Until that appointment is made it’s hard to know which direction the club will look to move in this summer, with both incomings and outgoings up in the air.
The American investors will know how important it is to get their first appointment right this summer and they’ll be keen not to rush the decision, but with pre-season due to get underway in the next few weeks, there is an impending deadline on that call. There’s competition for the best managers around, with Leicester City and Celtic amongst those fishing in the same ponds as the Whites, but time is ticking and the sooner Leeds get their man through the door, the more chance they’ll have of being suitably prepared come the first weekend of August.
Given the Premier League campaign only came to a close two weeks ago, it’s clear that pre-season will be shorter than usual this time around, Leeds don’t need to handicap themselves further by dragging their heels when it comes to a head coach. Once that domino has fallen, the club will be able to turn their attention to recruitment and they’ll need to be busy, to say the least.
A string of first-teamers have been linked away from West Yorkshire already this summer, with most reportedly having relegation release clauses stitched into their contracts, and it seems likely at this stage that a number of players will leave. There’s ambiguity as to how many and that doesn’t exactly help when it comes to planning what the Whites will need to bring in as the Championship season edges closer.
Uncertainty reigns when it comes to the playing squad and while the likes of Angus Kinnear and Leeds' remaining recruitment staff will be working diligently behind the scenes, such a situation is less than ideal right now. As it stands, Leeds have seen just one pre-season friendly fixture announced.
It’s an exciting clash against Manchester United in Oslo and the club will look to use the trip to connect with their large Scandinavian fanbase, but that may well end up being the club’s only trip abroad. The possibility of a tour seems unlikely at this point and with a friendly at Ibrox against Rangers being touted, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Leeds largely stay at home as they prepare to start their Championship season on the first weekend of August.
There’s so much to do and so little time to do it in, but the club know how important bouncing back in the first season after Premier League relegation can be, particularly with the advantage of parachute payments to fall back on. The Championship can be a quagmire and Leeds supporters don’t need reminding of how difficult it can be to get back into the top flight once you’ve fallen down that slippery slope.
The club, then, must do all they can to avoid the risk of entering the new campaign undercooked and underprepared. It’s imperative that they resolve the head coach situation sooner rather than later and acting sharply when it comes to recruitment will give them the best possible chance of hitting the ground running.
