Leeds United will be one of the favourites to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Ian Holloway has stated that he was put off by Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa last season because of Spygate as he believes the club has ‘a chance’ of earning promotion to the Premier League ahead of the new campaign.
The former Championship manager also hailed Leeds for being ‘clever’ in bringing back winger Jack Clarke on-loan after he signed a permanent contract with Tottenham Hotspur earlier on this month, as reported by the Telegraph.
Last season, Leeds missed out on the automatic places to Sheffield United and then they were beaten in dramatic fashion in the play-off semi-finals at the hands of Derby County.
Speaking to Kick Off on TalkSport (29/07/2019), Holloway shared his thoughts on Leeds being in the Premier League, Bielsa being ‘a bit wrong’ for his antics last season and youngster Clarke.
On Leeds being in the Premier League: “Long term they will be, I believe if they can get it right,” Holloway told TalkSport. “It’s a long time – I can’t wait for this season.
“Bielsa, I went off him a little bit because of Spygate, I must admit. That was a bit wrong. If Pochettino loves him like he does. The fella’s a genius, can he do it? We’ll have to see.
On whether Leeds will get promoted: “I said to two fellas down the pub, I said ‘you have got a chance of going up’. Yes, they have. They lost Clarke but got him back on loan. That was a clever move.”
The new Championship campaign is edging ever closer with Jonathan Woodgate’s Middlesbrough travelling to newly-promoted Luton Town for the first game of the new season on Friday.
Leeds will begin their new season against Lee Johnson’s Bristol City, with the duo more than capable of finishing in the top-six come the end of the season.
But there’s no doubt that there will be more pressure on Bielsa and Leeds, with the likes of Fulham, West Brom and Stoke City also in with a chance of promotion.
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