Leeds United are preparing for a huge game tonight when they host West Ham at Elland Road. Back-to-back Premier League defeats have piled on the pressure on Daniel Farke’s men to beat a Hammers side at home. However, off the pitch, there will be a crucial meeting of the club hierarchy to discuss the course of the season.
The defeat at Burnley last weekend has increased the scrutiny on Farke and his Leeds team’s ability to withstand the pressure of the relegation fight in the Premier League this season.
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Leeds are not scoring enough goals to feel safe at the moment, and the manager’s previous record in the Premier League is not inspiring the supporters to feel any more confident about their survival chances.
The Whites have been told that even a draw at home against West Ham could be seen as a poor result, but ahead of the game, a shareholders’ meeting at Leeds could have major consequences.
Paraag Marathe will be in attendance for a key Leeds United meeting today
Friday is going to be consequential at Leeds for several reasons. Leeds need to win tonight to bring back the confidence in the team following a poor run of form.
However, the club hierarchy have also scheduled a shareholders meeting today, which could have huge consequences if the result tonight is not up to the mark.
The Leeds board is set to meet, with chairman Paraag Marathe, attending as the club’s head and representative of the 49ers Enterprise, the club’s owners.
This will mark the first gathering of the club’s major shareholders and investors since last season. Attendees will be given a tour of the stadium and Thorp Arch training facilities before watching the match.
They are likely to hold talks over the team’s performance under Farke this season, the possibility of funds to invest in the winter window, and the proposed plan to expand Elland Road, which is also set to be discussed by Leeds councillors next week.
Celebrity investors such as Will Ferrell, Russel Crowe and Michael Phelps will not be attending the meeting.
Will Daniel Farke’s future get discussed?
The 49ers have so far backed the manager through thick and thin. They stuck with him after Leeds lost the playoff final last year and decided to bet on him again following achieving promotion despite suggestions that the club should have brought in someone more Premier League-proven.
However, Farke’s previous record in the Premier League suggests that he will always be on a shorter leash in the top flight than he was in the Championship.
Leeds are 16th in the Premier League table, and have looked better than most promoted teams from recent years. However, the defeat at Burnley has exposed some frailties.
A win over West Ham tonight will be huge, but it would be wrong to suggest that the 49ers are not worried about the moment.
They want to build Leeds into a £1bn club by 2030, expand the stadium and further enhance the brand. However, all this will need Leeds to stay in the Premier League.
Farke still has credit with the 49ers, but it won’t be a surprise if his future gets discussed in the meeting today. A defeat against West Ham could drain the confidence in the manager’s ability to keep Leeds in the Premier League.
The curious timing of the meeting, which was likely scheduled months in advance, has added one more narrative ahead of a big game for Leeds.
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