Whilst Leicester moved quick to appoint a manager and bring in notable talent Leeds have dilly-dallied.
The Whites now have a manager in Daniel Farke, a man with two Championship promotions on his CV, but, as a club, they are not giving off a vibe of promotion favourites. Nor are they acting with any great vigour in the transfer market, largely down to the drawn out takeover at Elland Road.
Leeds went down with a whimper on the final day against Tottenham as fan anger with outgoing owner Andrea Radrizzanni peaked. He remains the legal owner of the club as the 49ers Enterprises await approval from the EFL, which has done little to aid the club's pre-season, although they remain confident there will be no issues.
In the background work is being done on recruitment and the squad were able to return from their break with a new manager in the building, which at one point was no certainty. Leeds are currently second favourites with the bookies to return to the Premier League, but will need to inject some urgency into their summer.
A pre-season friendly with Manchester United in Oslo on Wednesday is set to be a barometer of where they're at. A thumping will do little to lift the mood of a club that has largely seen players leave, few arrive whilst fans hold out hope that certain individuals are prepared to stick out, at least, one year in the Championship.
Leeds want to be No 23
Since the Premier League dropped down to a 20-team league in 1995/96 22 out of 81 teams who've been relegated have bounced straight back. Burnley the most recent as they romped to the title.
Leeds were among the 59 who didn't when they were relegated back in 2004. Their league positions in the years that followed went 14th, 5th and then 24th, which meant relegation to the third tier, where they spent three seasons. The record of clubs bouncing back in the second and third seasons doesn't make for pleasant reading and so many often find themselves settling into the second tier for the long haul.
If the Whites can keep together the bulk of the squad from last year, which appeared, at times, out of its depth in the top flight, they should be more than equipped. Farke has shown himself capable of re-energising a relegated team, as he did with Norwich in 2020.
The German has said: “Let’s be honest, a season after a disappointing outcome is always difficult. You have to make many decisions in terms of the staff and players, you have to be smart.
“It is important you work a lot in pre-season on the fitness of the players and I also have to bring my ideas about football and my vision into the heads and hearts of the players."
An opening weekend game against Cardiff is followed by contests against Birmingham, West Brom, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday. Two of the five finished in the bottom half last term, another two have just won promotion. Farke may have the odd banana skin, particularly in the form of a Yorkshire derby, but those fixtures can ease him nicely into life should Leeds negotiate them.
Internationals depart
The big question though is what does the team look like come the opening game on August 6. Leeds have already allowed several internationals to head out, albeit it on loan. That is a sign of strength, the club perhaps confident they will bounce straight back, which will allow them to welcome the likes of Robin Koch back into the fold.
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The German has headed to Frankfurt on loan, Brendon Aaronson has gone to Union Berlin for the season. Marc Roca is back in his homeland with Real Betis and Diego Llorente has gone back to Roma again.
Farke has already admitted: “We’ve spoken intensively about the squad. It’s a huge task for us. After relegation, it’s always a bit of a hangover and many decisions have to be made. The group right now will not be the group at the end of August."
Jack Harrison attracted interest back in January before signing a new deal despite interest from the likes of Leicester and, previously, Newcastle. Leeds want to retain him but could have their head turned by an offer. Rodrigo chose the club's relegation year to produce his best season in front of goal and is another player those at Elland Road want to retain, as per the Athletic.
The 32-year-old is in the final year of his contract and the club accept he may prefer to take up a deal elsewhere. Illan Meslier has been linked with top six clubs in the past and, despite being dropped in the latter weeks of the campaign, Leeds are expecting offers for the Frenchman.
Young - and old - names take centre stage
Patrick Bamford proved he could step up from the Championship to the Premier League as Leeds were promoted, but injuries and a lack of form since has resulted in just six goals in two years. The hope is that the forward can again rediscover his best form in the second tier, where he has thrived on numerous occasions.
Those at Elland Road are desperate to retain Willy Gnonto, who has proved to be a bargain after joining last summer. The Italian winger has been lauded by the likes of Gary Neville and Leeds are braced for offers.
The 49ers Enterprise are also hopeful they can keep hold of US skipper Tyler Adams, who was injured towards the latter end of the season, and has admirers in the Premier League. Darko Gyabi will be promoted from the under-21s and Archie Gray, grand-nephew of club legend Eddie, is likely to feature under Farke.
A new centre-half is on the club's radar, with their defence particularly shaky last term. Leeds are also keen on Burnley's Charlie Taylor, who previously made his name at Elland Road. The club are listening to offers for Junior Firpo, which would leave them short at left-back.
Whatever happens Leeds should have a squad that is more than fit for purpose in the second tier. Not that it is any great achievement, but the club are in a far better position than they were in 2004, when they last dropped down into the second tier.
In each of the last three seasons the winner of the Championship - Burnley, Fulham and Norwich - were relegated the previous year. Leicester may be the pre-season favourites, adding the likes of Harry Winks and Conor Coady, whilst Leeds are yet to make a signing.
Farke though has overcome difficult starts and the loss of key players to win promotion in the past and Leeds, despite the frustrating start to the summer, will still feel as though their spot among the favourites to go up is justified.
