Leeds United are due to return to Thorp Arch on Monday to begin their preparations for the new Championship season, but there’s still so much to do. Confirming the new manager is the obvious task at the top of their to-do list, as the club hope for an imminent EFL announcement on their 49ers Enterprises takeover if they’re to be in place for day one of pre-season training.
We’re expecting to see news on that front in the coming days with Daniel Farke believed to be lined up. Ahead of the appointment, though, LeedsLive take a look at some of the tasks the new man will be immediately faced with when he steps through the door.
Put pre-season plan together
It’s obvious, but the new head coach must put some sort of plan together for the five weeks he’ll have with his side before the season opener against Cardiff City on August 6. It’s a shorter pre-season than usual and plenty must be crammed in, alongside a handful of friendlies which are still to be announced, too.
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The players will, of course, be put through some fitness work during that time, but he must consider how and when is best to get his message across and impart his footballing philosophy. A basic plan will already be in place but sessions must be manipulated and shaped around what he wants from his side moving forward.
The job is made even harder by the fact that a host of key men will be given extended breaks due to their international commitments over the summer. Stepping into a new club is never straightforward but the new man will be up against it immediately and he must do all he can to get off on the right foot.
Persuade key men to stay
Arguably the best business Leeds can do this summer revolves around persuading key men at Elland Road to stick around. Around 16 United players have been linked away in some capacity since relegation was confirmed last month and while departures are to be expected, Leeds would love to be able to keep hold of most.
Tyler Adams, Wilfried Gnonto, Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra might well be at the top of that list and the incoming head coach will be keen to speak to them as quickly as possible. He’ll want to hear their thoughts and plans going into the new season, but he’ll also be keen to get across his vision and sell himself as someone who can ensure their time out of the top flight is short.
Given the amount of uncertainty, the new head coach will surely try and speak to as many players as possible, time permitting, before welcoming them back to Thorp Arch.
Establish a transfer budget and priorities
The 49ers Enterprises' takeover hasn’t been officially completed just yet and until all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, it’s hard to know how much will be made available to spend on new players. But, it’s clear that fresh talent and reinforcements are needed this summer in order to launch an effective push for promotion.
As such, the head coach will be in regular dialogue with Angus Kinnear and Paraag Marathe to get a clear picture on the situation, while also working closely with Nick Hammond to establish targets and bolster his squad. How many signings are needed won’t become clear until he has got a picture of who intends to leave, but it’s safe to say recruitment is needed across the park.
Leeds have until September 1 to make signings, but the new coach would no doubt love to have most of his squad together in time for the season opener. His contacts in the game could be important, too, especially when it comes to the loan market, which Leeds are expected to try and use to their advantage.
Boost confidence
If there’s one thing Leeds were visibly short of at the back end of last season, it was confidence. The Whites looked to be on the right track under Javi Gracia and moving towards survival, but their disastrous second half against Crystal Palace caused damage that would prove to be fatal.
Goals were shipped at an alarming rate and Leeds appeared resigned to their fate with a month to go until the end of the season. Sam Allardyce failed to bring buoyancy, despite priding himself on his man management, and to be able to hit the ground running, repairing the squad’s damaged self-belief looks key.
The slate will be wiped clean, signalling a much-needed fresh start for many, and the new head coach must strive to bring the feel-good factor back to Elland Road.
Assess the youth
Fortunately, the head coach will be stepping into a club that has invested heavily in its academy for some time and boasts an impressive amount of highly skilled youngsters. The club’s Under-21 side won promotion last season and a number of players from that squad will now have their eyes on first-team chances in the Championship.
The likes of Darko Gyabi, Mateo Joseph, Sonny Perkins and Archie Gray have all been in the first-team picture in the past and the new manager will be keen to cast his eye over the talent on the cusp of breaking through, no doubt. Every player with aspirations of representing Leeds in the Championship next season will be keen to impress, but if the youngsters can catch the eye in pre-season, the club might think twice before recruiting in that position.
Appoint backroom staff
The new man will have to bring help with him and quickly to make sure he has the help required to get through pre-season. The staff Gracia brought in left with the Spaniard, while Robbie Keane and Karl Robinson departed at the end of the season.
As such, Michael Skubala and goalkeeper coach Marcos Abad are the only real first-team coaches still at the club and they’d be the ones asked to lead the start of pre-season, no doubt, if an appointment didn’t come this week. Trusted assistants are absolutely vital for any head coach and he must be allowed to surround himself with the right people to get the job done.
