The final fixture of the season for Leeds United looms large with the Premier League set to conclude this weekend. Leeds travel to in-form Brentford on Sunday, knowing that they will almost certainly have to pick up a positive result on the road.
Our Leeds United writer Beren Cross hosted his weekly Q&A with fans to answer all your questions on everything to do with the club, the survival fight and the future. Here's how the discussion went.
Loyalty4ever: When you look at all the happiness and disappointment this season, I think a lot of credit has to go to the fans for so few guys running on the pitch. In relation to ground expansion, is this dependent on Premier League status? And could a multi story car park be built because its a lottery every time for parking.
BC: Very much so. It's hard to see the club financing anything on Elland Road development without a bold and bright PL future. Having cancelled the most recent plans for Fullerton Park, the world is the club's oyster when it comes to that land. I would not rule out parking being included if they decided to go down the leisure route with that site, perhaps.
kentwhite007: If we get relegated do you see the 49ers holding back further investment in the club?.
BC: Without knowing the small print of their agreement with Radrizzani, my assumption would be they are far more cautious about putting any more money into a Championship club than they need to. They may well surprise us all in the summer with bold statements about investment and immediate promotion, but a relegation was evidently never a part of their plan when they came on board in 2018.
Craig92: People complain about lack of new arrivals and back up center forward. Do you or will he ever know whether it was Orta and Radz who would not invest or Bielsa who turned down or did not want another center forward in the squad.
BC: Only the people party to those conversations will know for sure who said what when it came to January recruitment, but sources have continued to say Bielsa had the final say and he said no to reinforcements like van de Beek and Winks in that window. However, he told us in press conferences he would never say to additions which improved his team. The breakdown may have come in his interpretation of what constituted an improvement to his team.
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Craig92: Marsch has collected 12 points in 11 games. A few of them without phillips and Bamford. Which over 38 games on points per game would keep us up. I know Bielsa was great for us, but i wonder if there was feeling from anyone in club that he went one season to many.
Tozzy: With hindsight he did, but after ending last season so well he had to stay, the mistake was not accepting that change was required soon enough this season, for the incoming manager to make significant change.
BC: You both make fair points. Nobody was questioning Bielsa's future last summer. After finishing ninth in the first season back at that level, nobody could have predicted it would blow up the way it has. With hindsight there will inevitably be some thoughts about Bielsa going on too long or being given too much control in the transfer windows, but as soon as you take that control/trust away he walks away. By January it was clear this season was not going the way anyone hoped and if they had been the slightest doubt about his future, they should have removed him with enough time to act in the January window.
Loyalty4ever: Has our new pitch contributed to injuries. It was done in parallel with Leicester and they've had issues too. Which of the players on loan will be returning and which are to be sold?
BC: Davis has one year on his contract remaining, but was expected to stay with Bournemouth after his loan. Injury issues and their promotion may muddy those waters. A sale or even a new contract may be possible given the dearth of left-back options at Elland Road. Casilla has another year on his Leeds deal, but he has already said he never expects to play for Leeds again after moving to Elche. A sale or loan is highly likely for the goalkeeper. Edmondson is fighting for starts with League Two Port Vale. A sale seems likely this summer. De Bock's deal finally expires this summer and he will walk away as a free agent. Temenuzhkov signed a new contract in 2019, but its length was not disclosed. He has failed to pull up trees on loan in Spain's lower leagues and a permanent exit looks inevitable.
Leeds: Beren, taking an optimistic approach do you see change at board level at the end of the season if we stay up? As clearly our approach this year with a skeleton squad does not work in this league. Do you think if we stay up Raphinia and Phillips stay? Both on new contacts. Maybe match their ambition with signings needed, RB, LB, CB, CM, CF. As in my opinion we need to get rid of llorente, firpo, klich, Rodrigo and possibly Koch as none seem at the levels required consistently. Surely the board will act this time. Also do you believe we will stay up?
BC: The latter is a record signing and the club need to recoup at least some of that fee because it's hard to see, on this season's evidence, him signing new terms before 2024. The Spanish return rumours have never really gone away and I would not be surprised if he went back in the summer. Koch's been decent and I would keep him with a view to offering new terms. Llorente may be in a similar boat to Rodrigo, but it seems harder to call because his was a smaller transfer fee. Firpo may not want to give up after one year in Leeds. Unless the club push him out, I think he would stick around. If I'm honest, I was virtually resigned to relegation before kick-off on Sunday, but that point could be critical. Burnley's little run has ended, though they were decent at Tottenham, and the recent loss to Villa plus Newcastle's stonking finish could see them finish in 34 points. Brentford will be hard on Sunday. Does feel like we are relying on Burnley to keep losing.
