Leeds United won the Championship and earned promotion to the Premier League at the end of last season. Despite a few hiccups, the Whites prevailed and managed to get back to the top flight after spending two years in the second tier of English football.
The Whites have signed seven new players this summer, but most of their early work was focused on deepening and strengthening their midfield resources while ensuring that they have a new number one goalkeeper in place before the start of their Premier League campaign this month.
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Leeds have turned their attention towards bringing in players for the final third, and the club have three key priorities they want to address before the end of the transfer window on September 1st.
However, the Yorkshire giants, Burnley and Sunderland, the other two promoted teams, are the favourites to go back down next season due to the ever-increasing gap between the Premier League and the Championship. The three relegated teams of last season were the three promoted teams from the second tier.
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Jeff Stelling backs Leeds United to defy the relegation odds next season
Daniel Farke has been brilliant for Leeds, but his record in the Premier League is poor. He was relegated with Norwich once, and the Canaries sacked him before their second relegation.
However, Stelling is backing Leeds and Sunderland to defy the odds and survive in their first season back in the Premier League next year.
He believes Leeds’ home support will be key, and Sunderland have made a brilliant signing in former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.
“This season, I think the pattern [of all three newly-promoted teams being relegated] will be broken”, Stelling told talkSPORT.
“Leeds are stronger, fantastic home crowd.
“Sunderland have gone for it in a big way. Granit Xhaka is a really big signing.”
Farke seems to have taken Stelling’s advice with his recruitment this summer
Leeds’ recruitment this summer has had a clear pattern – Farke is trying to build a team who are going to be bruising and difficult to play against.
The Whites have added real physicality to their defence and midfield with tall players who are not going to get easily bullied by any opponent next season.
Leeds are also looking for a similar physical striker, and the links with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Rodrigo Muniz have not come in isolation this summer.
Stelling seems to be agreeing with the direction Leeds are going, as he feels that too many promoted teams have tried to outplay opponents in the Premier League and failed miserably.
He believes they need to be more direct and physical, and that is exactly how Leeds seem to be shaping up for the new season.
“For newly-promoted teams, if they get off to a good start, it can really catapult them and you get a bit of momentum”, he added.
“When you get off to a bad start, lose four out of your first five, confidence starts to go a bit.
“What I’d like to see from those teams this season is, be a bit more direct. Disrupt teams. If I’m being critical, too many promoted teams have tried to play, play, play. You play into the hands of better teams.”
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