Leeds United were once of the the Premier League’s big guns, but endured a disappointing season in the Championship this year.
It was back in 2004 that Leeds were relegated from the Premier League, and it has been a long and frustrating journey since then, to ultimately stand still.
The Yorkshire giants still have a massive fanbase, who stuck with them during their most miserable afternoons in League One.
The club were in such a financial mess when relegated that few would have expected them to bounce straight back up, consolidate rather, but it wasn’t long before they had slipped into English football’s third tier.
There was no instant bouncing back either, eventually landing back in the Championship in 2010.
Since arriving back in the Championship, they have stalled, despite seeing Norwich and Southampton bypass the division with relative ease after escaping League One.
This season has been a frustrating one for fans, who saw their side finish 14th, 14 points outside the play-off spots, and were even walloped 7-3 by Nottingham Forest.
Under chairman Ken Bates, life is never dull, and in new manager Neil Warnock, they have a man who has proven experience of gaining promotion to the Premier League, with both Sheffield United and QPR.
Since he arrived, results have been mixed, but he has hardly had a fair chance, with a weak squad and serious lack of numbers in defence, with captain Jonny Howson leaving shortly before came to Elland Road to join Norwich.
Given a pre-season and a chance to bring in his own men, Warnock will surely have a decent crack at the play-offs next year.
An automatic spot may be a push, but as Reading showed this year, a consistent team who are close, just need to end the season in form and it can be done. However right now it looks unlikely.
With the season over, the task of re-shaping the squad is already underway.
Warnock is looking at bringing in bad boy El Hadji Diouf, a player that embodies the manager’s aggressive approach, to shake up their attack, while the manager has told on-loan Darren O’Dea he will not be required next season.
Word has it too, that Leeds are attempting to bring the once prolific forward Jermaine Beckford back to Elland Road.
This season may have been miserable, and right now Leeds have a long way to go to be considered promotion contenders, but give the manager a couple of months to add to his squad and clear out players he does not want, and who knows.
The Premier League would be a better place with them in it.
Is next season too soon to expect Leeds to return to the top flight or do you think over the summer Warnock can build a squad capable of challenging for the play-offs?
image: © Chris Robertshaw
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