Five reasons why Leeds United are a top half contender in Premier League

The club are accustomed to first flight football and will look to break in to the elite.

After ending their curse of faltering in attempts to get promoted into the Premier League for nearly 15 years, Leeds United are finally back into the top flight, thanks to the brilliance of Marcelo Bielsa. The Whites had to scratch and claw their way into getting where they are and winning the Championship in style last season allowed them to get back where they truly belong.

Of course their major objective this season will be to avoid relegation and manage a respectable finish in their first season in the Premier League in a long time. The league has definitely changed up majorly since they last played in it, becoming more competitive and breeding ground for top talents.

However, Leeds have enough firepower in their arsenal to lodge a surprisingly strong fight this time around. If they reflect Bielsa’s philosophy perfectly and play according to the plan, Leeds could easily be the surprise package this season.

5. Efficient new signings

Leeds have been quite proactive in the transfer market since getting promoted and the revenue gained from the promotion definitely helps them make deals quicker. The Whites broke their transfer record to sign Spanish striker Rodrigo Moreno, a cunning and instinctive centre-forward with a compelling capability of thriving in a possessional-based system like theirs.

Not only is Rodrigo guaranteed to score timely goals, but he’ll also help elevate his teammates’ game with his tireless attitude and clever movement. Moreover, they’ve also bolstered the defence by signing young German defender Robin Knoch, a composed proactive figure who can play in a variety of roles. Leeds are guaranteed to make more signings, including that of a creative playmaker to pull the strings in midfield and the clever new arrivals synched with the current lot can create a lot of problems for others.

4. Robust footballing philosophy

Being a pioneer of football management in his own right, Marcelo Bielsa will put good use of his decades of experience to help the Whites thrive in the Premier League. His football philosophy revolves around discipline, hard-work and perfection mixed with the technical brilliance that is available in certain players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0USaDHrc7c

Leeds are a very ‘go hard or go home’ kind of side under him, meaning they won’t back down from a fight or play like a ‘bottom side’ in trying to grind out points. Their tendency to take the fight to the opponent can cause real problems for those sides who could underestimate their ability on the pitch. With Bielsa’s tactical brilliance and the impressive chemistry in their squad, Leeds can run teams ragged and outwork nearly every team in the league – especially those in the bottom half.

3. Strong defensive structure

What was perhaps the most impressive about Leeds last season was their defensive sturdiness, as they endured tough battles without flinching at the last moment – something that purged their promotion efforts in recent years. The Whites only conceded 35 goals in 46 league games, keeping 22 clean sheets in their entire season! That means they shut out opponents for nearly half of total games, a ridiculous stat for an exhausting, competitive league like the Championship.

With strong, mobile defenders like Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper complimented well by steely midfielders like Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas, the Whites have a very strong base which they can rely upon. Like recent success stories of Sheffield United & Wolves, Bielsa’s Leeds are also a well-drilled unit.

Their defensive transitions are near-perfect, as they shape a formidable, narrow line that is nearly impossible to penetrate and they work as a complete unit in closing down the spaces for opponents to move through. Knowing how well Sheffield did, thanks to their defensive sturdiness last season, a top-half finish for Leeds is definitely possible if they maintain a clean record as well.

2. Possession based style well suited for Premier League

Bielsa being among the ‘old-school’ thinkers in football, he mostly believes in a possession-based style which urges his players to keep the hold of the ball, rather than letting others keep it and pour ahead in counter-attacks like other ‘bottom sides.' Leeds love keeping hold of the ball, moving it out from the back and create beautiful, well-synched attacking moves that are really pleasing to the eye.

Pep Guardiola’s possession-based style helped Manchester City win back-to-back Premier League titles, so there’s no reason why it can’t help an intellectual mastermind like Bielsa as well. Leeds will stick to their guns in the Premier League and should exhaust teams into submission and gain an upper-hand once settled into the league.

1. Marcelo Bielsa’s experience

The major and perhaps the only reason why Leeds were able to break their lengthy curse of gaining Premier League promotion comes down to one man that is Marcelo Bielsa. He is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to modern-day football but his techniques are revolutionary.

As he exemplified in an interactive session after the ‘Spygate scandal’ last year, Bielsa undertakes months and months of intricate preparation for every team Leeds will face in the league. That means he watches games of every opponent, sniffing out their weaknesses and strengths and micro-managing how Leeds can get the upper hand. With his preparation techniques, brilliant tactics and free-flowing footballing style, Bielsa is very likely to succeed in the Premier League and if lady luck favours him and his team, Leeds should get a glowing finish next season.

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