Getting out of the Championship is one of the most difficult jobs in English football, but once out it is even tough to stay out. For some sides, it's an impossible task. For Leeds United this season, however, it has looked more and more achievable by the week.
With seven games left to play in the Premier League, Daniel Farke's side are as high as 15th and four points clear of the drop zone. Alongside Sunderland, they look destined to end the dire trend of promoted sides failing to secure survival in the top flight.
Daniel Farke
It's not been a season without sacrifices, though.
The likes of Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto have been forced to watch on from the bench and could be part of a ruthless flash sale at Elland Road this summer.
How Leeds can reshape their squad this summer
James and Gnonto are just a couple of players who have failed to adapt to life in the Premier League. The former has been a particular disappointment after playing such an important role in last season's promotion.
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Alas, the truth is that it has been a long way back for the Welshman ever since Farke took wingers out of his system and chose a 5-4-1, which transformed Leeds' campaign.
He's not the only one who could be heading for the exit door, either. Ao Tanaka - who has been linked with the exit door this week - has fallen victim to Leeds' impressive summer recruitment, with Anton Stach quickly becoming one of the most important players at Elland Road.
Although Tanaka recently showed his quality in full against West Ham, it remains to be seen if he'll accept a squad role once again next season. And the same can be said for another star, who has gone from Championship heroics to a forgotten man in the Premier League.
From Chris Wood 2.0 to Premier League struggles
Out of all the struggling stars, it is Joel Piroe who has suffered the most. He was the star of the show in the Championship last season, scoring 19 goals.
Piroe-Brownhill-Championship-top-scorers 24-25 (timeless)
Now, almost 12 months later, the £10m signing has played just nine minutes in the last seven league games and scored just once in all competitions. To say that Piroe looks finished under Farke would be a major understatement.
The biggest shame for those at Elland Road is that the Dutchman was beginning to show all the signs of becoming the next Chris Wood after thriving in the Championship. Like the Kiwi centre-forward, Piroe was their go-to man in the second tier.
Championship stats at Leeds Wood Piroe
Games 83 88
Goals 41 32
Assists 9 10
Wood has, of course, since translated his Championship form to the Premier League courtesy of Burnley and Nottingham Forest. Piroe, meanwhile, has been left to watch on from the reserves ever since the arrival of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
His 15-minute cameo against West Ham hardly helped his cause, either. After struggling to get into the game, Piroe saw his blushes spared by his teammates after missing his penalty in a shootout that Leeds eventually won.
Where the 26-year-old goes from here is the big question. For Leeds, it's time to be ruthless if they want to do more than just survive in the coming years.
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It's clear that the forward no longer has a regular place under Farke too, given that he couldn't even get a starting place in the FA Cup.
It was a damning moment for Piroe, who was an undeniable threat in the Championship less than 12 months ago. Thanks to a mix of his own form, Calvert-Lewin's emergence and a clear lack of trust from Farke, he's now destined to be one of a number of players heading for the exit door.
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