Nearly four years after Norwich City sacked Daniel Farke we are about to finally discover what he has learnt since.
It is important for English football at least one of the sides promoted to the Premier League does not go straight back down. The last six have, and 21 of the last 39.
And it will be a huge campaign for Farke.
Right now, he is a "trampoline" manager – great at leading teams from the Championship, but equally good at getting them out of the top division.
Farke can make valid arguments – he has – about the shoestring he operated on at Norwich, relegated in 2019-20 and well on their way when he was sacked in November 2021. Only now, backed by around £80m of new talent so far, can he prove it.
He has studied newly-promoted sides, and Monday's opening Premier League game at home to Everton is the first test of his homework.
Farke's Leeds dominated the ball in the Championship – hogging around 60 per cent of possession over two years. Vincent Kompany's Burnley and Russell Martin's Southampton tried to keep playing that way in the last two Premier Leagues and got severely burnt.
POINT TO PROVE: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
POINT TO PROVE: Leeds United manager Daniel Farke (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Leeds will aim to be more solid, more physical, less easy on the eye. Set pieces – a relative weak point in the Championship – will matter.
Farke stuck to Norwich‘s promotion-winning 4-2-3-1 in 2019-20, switching to 4-3-3 in 2021-22. He used both formations in pre-season, but expect 4-3-3 more often.
TALL ORDER: Anton Stach is typical of Leeds United's big new signings (Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)placeholder image
TALL ORDER: Anton Stach is typical of Leeds United's big new signings (Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Jaka Bijol – suspended on Monday – should add power at centre-back, threatening Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk's guaranteed places.
Lucas Perri has been bought from Lyon to resolve the glaring weakness at goalkeeper which had fans fretting on promotion last spring.
But goalscoring is often the biggest leap for newly-promoted sides.
Manor Solomon and Junior Firpo had 22 assists last season. Solomon is yet to be replaced and Gudmundsson is not that sort of left-back, judging by one in 103 Ligue 1 games.
MIDFIELD TWEAK: Leeds United's engine room will look different, with Sean Longstaff joining the options (Image: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)placeholder image
MIDFIELD TWEAK: Leeds United's engine room will look different, with Sean Longstaff joining the options (Image: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)
Joel Piroe was last season's Championship golden boot winner, but the least prolific second-tier top-scorer since Barnsley's Andrew Swann in 1900-01.
Even if he can step up to a new level, alternatives are necessary. Patrick Bamford and Mateo Joseph have fallen by the wayside and in their place, Lukas Nmecha has reached 26 without 40 career league goals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's arrival would replace Bamford with another England striker who has had momentum drained by injuries. It is a gamble, but landing sure things is hard after promotion.
Getting winger Solomon back from Tottenham Hotspur would help. Either way, Dan James and Willy Gnonto must be better than they last were in the top flight. Their progressions under Farke give hope.
The question for Leeds is who can they finish above?
Brentford look vulnerable without Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbuemo, Christian Norgaard and most likely Yoane Wisse. Can Bournemouth keep up their 100mph football? Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United do not strike much fear. First campaigns in overblown European competitions could hurt Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
But even after such heavy investment, it is a daunting gap to straddle. Leeds must hope Farke has learnt well.